Page 226 of Face Off

“She was crying.”

“Because she loves you and watched somebody drag your dead mother through the dirt until you nearly came apart. She wasn’t crying over the centerpieces.”

“I kicked one of her chairs across the terrace.”

“She has several hundred more.”

“I apologized.”

“She heard you.”

“I don’t know if that makes it better.”

“It doesn’t need to be better tonight.” Cade studies me from several feet away. “We all know what Lance has done to fuck with you. We know what he did to your career, what he tried to make Milwaukee believe, and how he kept finding ways to reach you after you gave him exactly what he wanted. Nobody down there thinks you caused what happened.”

My chest rises and falls too quickly. “Charm does.”

“No. Charm thinks everything happening around her is also happening to her.”

The accuracy of it makes me start walking again.

“She heard her mother is leaving her father in the middle of all that,” I say. “Nobody told her.”

“Crystal told you tonight.”

“She doesn’t know that.”

“She didn’t ask. She tried to force herself into your confrontation after you told her to stay out of it.”

“She was scared.”

“So were you.”

I glare at him.

Cade does not retreat. “Her fear doesn’t outrank yours.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, motherfucker. That’s why I didn’t let her in it.”

He watches me make another pass along the wall. My steps gradually lose some of their violence, but the rage remains inside me, thick and restless. I wipe my thumb beneath my mouth and look at the fresh smear of blood it collects.

“I need to talk to her.”

Cade’s expression closes. “Tonight?”

“Yes.”

“You’re still shaking.”

“I’m not going to hurt her.”

“That isn’t what I’m worried about.”

“Then what are you worried about?”