Page 84 of Twisted Steel
She lets go of my wrist and steps back.Not far but far enough.
“Don’t,” I say.
Her eyes lift.“Don’t what?”
“Pull away because he said the quiet part out loud.”
Pain flashes across her face before she can rein it in.“I’m not pulling away.”
“You are.”
“I’m thinking.”
“About leaving.”
Her jaw tightens, and that’s answer enough.The quiet tries to come back, but this time it’s not filled with rage.It’s filled with fear.Ugly.Raw.Unfamiliar.I would rather take a fucking bullet.
Savage calls my name from near the gate.“Steel.War room.”
I don’t look away from Harper.
She straightens.“Go.”
“No.”
Her eyes flash.“This is not the time to be difficult.”
“It’s exactly the time.”
“The club needs you.”
“So do you.”
The words hit both of us and her breath catches.Around us, the yard goes very still again, but I don’t care.Let them hear.Let Reaper hear somehow.Let every brother decide what kind of problem they have with it.
Harper steps closer, voice low.“Don’t say things like that because you’re angry.”
“I’m not angry.”
“You are always angry.”
“Not right now.”
She searches my face, and I let her see it.All of it.The fear.The truth.
“You need me alive,” I say.“You need me steady.You need me not walking into traps because a bastard knows which name to use.”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“And I need you breathing.I need you here.I need you not deciding for both of us that leaving makes me stronger.”
Her eyes shine.“I don’t want to be the thing that breaks your club.”
“You won’t be.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No,” I say.“But I know what breaks men.And it isn’t caring.It’s pretending they don’t.”
