Page 175 of When She Falls (The Fallen)
I give Gemma a peck and pick up my phone.
There’s no way to find out other than to face the situation head-on.
I pull up the number I’ve looked at a dozen times over the last few days, but this time, instead of just looking at it, I press call.
The phone rings.
Maybe I should have practiced what I’m about to say, but I don’t want to sound rehearsed. Fuck, I can’t remember if I’ve ever been so nervous to talk to Dem.
The stakes are high. I have to make him understand why I did what I did.
The line connects. “Ras.”
I’m not sure if I’m reading too far into it, but I think there’s a hint of relief in his voice.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
He clears his throat. “I presume Gemma is with you? She called Vale last night looking for you.”
I glance in her direction. “She’s here.”
“Good. Vale will be relieved to hear it. I heard the engagement with Rafaele is off.”
“It is. He’s marrying Cleo instead of Gemma.”
There’s a wry laugh. “Fucking unbelievable.”
I drag my hand over my lips and blow out a breath. “Look, we have a lot to talk about.”
Gemma swipes a reassuring hand over my back.
“Yeah, you could say that.” A coldness slips into Dem’s tone. “I gave you a direct order, which you disobeyed, and then you disappeared off the face of the earth with my wife’s sister. You’re lucky I’ve had time to cool down. What the fuck were you thinking, Ras?”
“Dem, I did what I had to. If I’d left her here, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. I…” I let out a long breath. “I love her. I want to be with her.”
Silence.
“If it were Vale, and you were in love with her and she was engaged to another man, someone she didn’t love, you’d do the same thing,” I add. “You fucking know you would.”
Dem huffs. “Do you remember how much shit you gave me when you thought my feelings for Vale were affecting my decisions? Now look at you.”
“I know. I didn’t get it then. I get it now.”
“You’re the only person I’ve ever trusted unconditionally,” Dem says.
He’s trying to mask it, but I hear the hurt in his tone. I look up at the ceiling. “I wish it hadn’t come down to me going against your orders, but the situation was chaotic, and I had no time to think through the alternatives.”
“Damn right you didn’t think,” he snaps. “You’re so fucking stubborn. And you don’t know how to ask for fucking help. That’s always been your problem, even back when you were a kid. If you’d come to me and explained what the fuck was going on with you and Gemma, we could have come up with a plan in a day or two.”
I shake my head. “You know that’s bullshit. You were mad when you realized I’d gotten involved with her. You told me I should have known better.”
There’s a pause. “I may have been a bit frustrated with you.”
“You kept insisting that I come back. I couldn’t leave her when she was in the state she was in.”
“All right, and after you left? Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because I wasn’t sure if you’d already sent someone for my head. I didn’t want to make it easy for you to track me down and kill me.”
