Page 64 of Dark Reunion

Maeve took a deep breath to try and steady herself and walked over to the bed to sit down. She leaned back on her arms. “Tell me then. What happened?”

“First, I need you to understand that we were being hunted, that’s why I left you, not because I wanted to. We weren’t safe and I couldn’t stay anywhere long enough to get a job. I couldn’t take care of you and keep you safe. Every time his men got close, I had to make a choice. Expose myself and lead them straight to you, or for us to run. I chose distance. I chose survival for you. The firehouse was the best I could think of at the time. Do I regret it? Yes, in many ways I do. If leaving you ended up with you getting hurt, then I regret that.”

Maeve looked down at her lap, she hadn’t known about the men following them, but it made sense. Carlos wasn’t just going to let them leave without sending people.

“I didn’t know if he knew where I’d gone once I enlisted, but I knew that if he did, he’d be monitoring me. If I was near you, Carlos would’ve found you.”

She shook her head violently as she warred with all the hurt emotions and his logic. “You don’t get to wrap it up and call it love.”

“It wasn’t love,” Dean said, voice gravel. “It was survival. For both of us. Living free from being turned into him or you into a child bride was my only goal.”

Her breath caught. For a moment, she couldn’t look at him, because if she did, she would see the boy who had held her hand and whispered she would be safe. The woman she had become could understand his words through a different lens, but the abused child inside her still clung to the pain.

Still, she looked, because she was a fool, and she saw the guilt etched in every line of his face.

Dean took a deep breath. “What happened to Wolf?”

“What about Wolf?” She demanded, seizing the anger again before her heart betrayed her. “I don’t even know if he is alive, do you?”

“I don’t. I had been trying to help keep them off your tail, but every bit of contact was risky. I didn’t even know they’d caught you,” he admitted, a heaviness was visible in his eyes.

Dean shook his head and stepped away from the door and walked over to the window to stare outside, the moon shining on his face. Maeve could see the worry and dark circles under his eyes.

“I sent Morry to you.” He glanced at her. “When I got out of the army and found out where you’d landed, when I saw how bad it was getting, I couldn’t come myself. But I sent her. I told her to keep you close, to protect you, to keep you clean. And she did. She had no idea who you were or why you were important to me.”

Maeve blinked.

Morry. The biker.

The one who had dragged her out of hell and refused to let go.

“You—” She faltered. “You did that?”

“Yes, and Trev, and Wolf…” His voice caught, then steadied. “I sent help to set you free. When my father found your trail again, I tried to help by having Wolf sent after you. He is the best tracker I know. He’s stubborn, and completely relentless, but honest. The kind of man who’d follow you through fire. I prayed he’d find you and take you to Trev or Morry, but you stayed in one spot too long and they found you again.” He shook his head. “Fuck.”

“Are you blaming us?”

His head whipped in her direction. “No. Just wishing…wishing for something that didn’t happen. I will see what I can do to find out Wolf’s status for you.”

Her throat tightened, rage wobbling into something else she didn’t want. “I love him,” she admitted. “I…I’ve never known real love until him. He must be okay.”

Dean stepped toward her, each step slow and measured, like he was approaching a wounded animal. He stopped when he was just close enough that she could smell the soap on his skin, see the faint scar under his jaw. He squatted in front of her but didn’t attempt to touch her.

“You’re right, Maeve, I wasn’t there. And I’ll never forgive myself for that. But I’m here now. And I swear to you, I will find out about Wolf…I won’t let my father touch you.”

The room went silent, save for the pounding of her heart.

She looked away from Dean, no longer wanting to see her tears. “Why are you here? I don’t understand why you’re even here.”

Dean’s face twisted, pained. “I’m as much of a prisoner as you are. He came to mine and Yasmine’s house with guns and men, my kids were right in the middle. I couldn’t take the chance on one of them getting hurt. We were forced to come back here to this hell. Once I arrived and realized that he was using the Righteous as a weapon, my plans changed. I couldn’t just kill him and run. The man controlling them needs to die as well. I also need to know who took you so I can figure out how many of them are happily working on the wrong side of what is right.” Dean ran his hand through his hair, the stress evident now that she was calmer. “Until then, I’m playing a role, but I’m not the reason you were brought back. I’m just waiting for the right moment to tear it all down.”

She stared at him, chest heaving, torn between wanting to claw at him and collapse into his arms.

“Why should I believe you?” she whispered.

Dean’s eyes locked on hers. “Because I’ve already betrayed him for you. And because the only reason you’re still alive to hate me is because I never stopped fighting for you. Even when it meant staying in the dark. I have never stopped caring about you, Maeve.”

Her lips parted, words stuck in her throat. “Mauve.” It was the only word she managed to get out.

Dean’s lip pulled up. “Yeah, I remember.”

“So, are you Dean or Mercurio?”

He slowly stood. “While I’m inside these walls I’m both.” Dean wandered toward the door and hesitated, like he wanted to stay and talk, but Maeve wasn’t ready for that. She was barely holding herself together, trying not to show how being back here after all this time affected her. Caught in the spider’s web once more.

“Just so you know. I’ve also been in contact with your father. They thought you were dead, but they’re ready to help me bring down my father and be reunited with you.” His eyes held so much sadness. “I really am sorry for everything.”

With that he slipped out as quietly as he’d come in and was gone.

Maeve grabbed a chair from the desk, jammed it underneath the door to keep out any more unexpected guests, hid the gun, and got ready for sleep. Dean said he was playing a part, she wanted to believe him, but moreover she knew she had to do the same.

Being beaten or starved wouldn’t help her, and it certainly wouldn’t help the child she might be carrying. If she was pregnant and Wolf didn’t make it…

No don’t think like that.

She rubbed her stomach.

I will get out of here and back to Wolf, that’s all there is to it.