Page 204 of Only Be Mine

“I’ll take care of her,” he said softly.

The ceiling blurred.

The edges of the room dimmed.

The last thing I saw was Trevor’s face above me - steady, composed.

Like this had always been the plan.

Chapter 71

Cate

Present

We need to talk about what happens next.

The words didn’t sound like a threat.

They sounded administrative.

Practical.

Like we were discussing insurance coverage or a vacation plan.

My pulse thudded in my ears anyway.

I kept my breathing steady. Slow. Even. I couldn’t let him see the shift - the moment fear replaced disbelief. The moment I stopped seeing my husband and started seeing the man who had ended someone else’s life and slept beside me all these years later.

“Okay,” I said quietly.

Trevor studied me, measuring something.

Then he stood.

Not abruptly.

Not angrily.

Just… decisively.

He walked toward the front door.

I watched his back. The careful set of his shoulders. The control in every step.

The click of the deadbolt was soft.

Precise.

Final.

He didn’t look at me while he did it.

He slid the chain into place too.

Then he leaned back against the door, folding his arms loosely across his chest.

Waiting.