Hayden looked at me, his expression unreadable. The he turned to Jace. “Take her away”


    onessed


    Those three words snapped me back to reality


    What was I doing? Was I really letting a few words from him mess with my head?


    loosened my god, and Hayden nced at me once before striding off without another word. Jace


    tugged my arm “Come on, let’s go


    Though my traind was still reeling I realized the whole takedown of Herman had been part of a


    n-


    something Hayden and Jace had set up well in advar


    Apparently, I was the only one who hadn’t been told


    “When did you set all this up asked Jace


    He hesitated, “after I got back from Houstonst time


    It was right after that top that Hayden broke up with me


    Heman was telling the truth?


    I didnt have time to fully process it, so I pressed Jace Why didn’t any of you tell me?”


    He looked conficted, like he didn’t want to answer


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    like he didn’t want to answer


    I ced it together myself. “This was Hayden’s idea, wasn’t it?”


    He didn’t want to drag you into this mess. It was his way of protecting you,” Jace exined,


    speaking for Hayden


    It was almost funny. They’d been rivals once, and now here they were, teaming up.


    I


    “Even breaking up with me… that was for protection too, wasn’t it?” I asked, needing to know.


    Hayden’s abrupt breakup had been something I’d never fully epted.


    Jace gave a strained smile. “Maybe it’s better if you let Hayden exin that himself. Your


    rtionship with him that’s not my ce toment on.”


    He was right about that


    “Kers,” he added, “whether it’s Hayden, me, or even Steve–we’re all just trying to protect you.”


    This wasn’t the same Jace I used to know. Now, even while looking out for himself, he was actually


    giving


    credit to others for stepping up to protect me, too.


    They all wanted to protect me. They weren’t wrong.


    *I’ll take you to Wayne’s ce–a vi this time, not the apartment. Safer,” Jace said, guiding me to


    the


    1. ar. “Stay there until things settle. We’lle get you when it’s safe.”


    They had this whole n and kept me in the dark. Now, even in the middle of all this chaos, they


    were still trying to keep me safe. I realized to them, I was more of a liability–a burden. Leaving


    would make things easier, so I agreed.


    ted on indiced the priceing of the YA PAA overly his hands


    * offers twit ng  veten myyyying this


    kuar anca t? mat


    hard Hem Herbed as had that site a frendly face hiding something way dates


    do you thank Harts adfly going to posen this time, WA


    Hapan handed om


    erything All the stay Muff Harman’s been up to for years. The coss haha to take ta dom, bet they


    didn’t have the smoking gun until now,”ce said, ncing at


    pets she didn’t hurt your His voice had that skeptical edge, like he couldn’t believe someone With


    1 stk my head


    ker


    scatted


    pe, he said he was using me to get to Hayden But honestly today’s showdown? He than I thought


    he’d ha


    And as soon as I said it, something felt off “Don’t you think it was way too easy to bring him down


    today?


    sace’s brow furoned, and i kept going, “Like even with all your nning, someone like Heman


    doesn’t post get caught that early”


    After all, Herman was the one who set this whole mess up. For him to get tangled in his own trap? It


    felt a little 100 perfect


    Through the car window, I watched as they shoved Heman into a police car. He’d been preparing


    for this, but somehow his whole n fell apart way too fast. For someone who supposedly ran the


    Houston underworld, he was looking way toome.