Page 147 of Split You Open

“Blair’s not going anywhere!”

“Over my dead fucking body you’re taking her!”

The shouting continues but Anchor remains unphased by the men around the table. But my reaction? Oh, he fucking clocks that alright. His eyes land on my fist then return to my face. His expression goes perfectly blank.

“Have a problem with that, do you?” He asks, his voice growing quieter.

“Damn right I do,” I snap over the continuous shouting. “This fucker has thrown everything he’s got at your daughter. I’m not letting her out of my goddamn sight. Not now. Not fucking ever.”

Blair’s hand comes to rest on my thigh.

It’s a warning.

It’s unneeded, I know challenging Anchor outright has never worked for me in the past. With Anchor, you have to ease him into things if you want him to change his mind. On this issue, though, I’m willing to go head to head with him to make sure Blair stays right fucking here.

Anchor’s gaze becomes glacial. “You think you know what’s best for my daughter?”

“I do.”

“You’ve always had a bleeding heart, Ledger.”

Santi suddenly stops shouting to laugh. The table grows quiet as everyone turns to look at him. He notices and his laughter dies down.

“What?” Santi asks. “I thought it was a joke. Ledger’s an asshole on his best days.”

Blair giggles and I shoot her a glare.

“He’s not wrong,” she says with a bit of an attitude in her voice. Looking around me, she tells her dad, “We should definitely talk about our next steps. I don’t agree that leaving is the best call, though.”

Anchor’s brows raise.

I smirk.

Blair has never objected to any of Anchor’s plans. While he might ask for her input, it’s always just to test her knowledge, never to take her suggestions. It looks like she’s done playing the obedient daughter.

Wes’s hand comes up to hold the back of Blair’s neck. Anchor’s eyes lock onto the gesture. He goes eerily still and his eyes narrow. The air around us seems to grow not only colder, but toxic. I must’ve tensed because Blair squeezes my thigh again, this time in reassurance.

“Whatever the plan is, we’re involved too,” Wes declares. Anchor starts to shake his head but Wes continues, his voice dropping an octave as his anger rises. “That wasn’t an offer to help, it’s me telling you.”

Anchor turns his attention back to me. “You. Me. Now.”

I figured this was coming.

Whatever conversation he wants to have in private is the real reason he’s here, showing his face to everyone.

I nod and get to my feet.

“Let's chat, Anchor.”

Thirty-One

Ledger

Anchor and I head into the woods. As we move further away, the angry hissing of whispers from the others grow quiet until they vanish altogether.

They have every right to be mad.

If Anchor thinks he’s taking Blair from the four of us, he’s sorely mistaken.