Page 219 of Nyx

"I'll make a deal with you," he says. "I'll do my best not to beat myself up for what happened here tonight, but you have to do the same."

Silence fills the void between them as she looks into his eyes. More tears streak her face before she gives her head the slightest of shakes, as if what he's asking isn't possible.

"I left with her," she whispers.

"Kayla may have been betrayed and manipulated by Whitmore," Kincaid tells her. "But keep in mind that she manipulated and betrayed you. Neither of their actions is your responsibility. They abused your willingness to help, nothing more."

"I may have to remind myself of that a million times before I can actually accept it," she confesses with a sad smile.

Kincaid nods in understanding. "It will be the same for me. You guys head back to the clubhouse. We'll handle all the other stuff here."

"Okay," she whispers, taking a half step to the side, which puts her mere inches from me. "Do you know how long they'll hold him in jail?"

Kincaid stands a little taller. "Graham Whitmore will never experience freedom in his lifetime."

"You can't guarantee that," she says. "His family—"

"Doesn't matter," Kincaid interrupts. "He's done for good."

She gives him a quick nod, but the doubt still floating in her eyes tells me that she still believes that he's wrong.

"I promise," Kincaid continues. "We'll keep you updated with everything we can on his case."

Juliet nods, her arms brushing mine. I move a little, thinking she didn't intend to touch me, but then her palm is brushing mine, her fingers wrapping around my hand.

I hate the bandages wrapped around my wounds because they prevent me from feeling the full warmth of her touch.

I look down at her as she looks back up at me.

"Ready to leave?" I ask, purposely avoiding saying the word home.

I don't want it to trigger a rejection from her, with her telling me the clubhouse isn't her home. I don't know what that clarification would do to me right now, and although I've never been a man to avoid any situation in fear of what the end might be, things are just different with her.

I'm in no hurry to pull off this band-aid and face the things I know are coming. At least for tonight, I can stay in my delusion that things with Juliet and me don't have to end.

Not that they ever had a beginning.

With our hands locked together, I guide her toward the row of SUVs, using the key fob Kincaid gave me to identify which one we're taking.

The taillights flash on one in the middle of the row, and once we're standing outside of it, I open the passenger side door for her and wait for her to climb inside.

Her movements are a little guarded, as if the tussle with Whitmore hurt her more than she outwardly appears. It's just one more reason to hate the man with every part of my being.

I pause at the back of the SUV, clenching my fists and pulling in a deep breath, trying with the exhale to release all that negative shit.

I remind myself that she may be a little sore and have a wound on her neck, but she's still alive. For the time being, her monster is out of commission, fully ignoring the whisper that I'm the other monster in her life right now, because unlike Whitmore, I'd never do anything to cause her harm.

Getting out of the parking garage takes more than a little maneuvering with all the cops' cars, but after a few minutes, we're on the road back to the clubhouse, the silence in the vehicle nearly deafening.

I can't count how many times I open my mouth to speak, but find my thoughts not appropriate for the moment. It isn't until we hit the outskirts of town, only a few miles away from the Cerberus gate, that she speaks.

"You protected me tonight," she whispers, her eyes locked outside of her window.

"As long as you allow it, I'll always protect you."

"Relentlessly," she continues. "Without hesitation."

"Yes," I quickly agree.