page50 (1/2)

“Heather” Cade caught her arm as she rushed past him “What the hell happened?”

His face was lined with grief, with pain In his eyes she saw the same shadows, bleak and dark, that filled Sam’s

“He doesn’t need you,” she bit out, knohat usually caht, co to find ease in the body of their wo of the lust, they could ease the memories of the pain

“You know better than that, Heather” Marly stood in the bedroo as Heather faced off with the two brothers “You’ve seen enough to realize what he does need”

“No” Her hand sliced through the air as she tore away from Cade “He doesn’t need your protection He’s not a child”

“Da” Cade’s voice was desperate, his expression taut, fierce as he watched her

“Stop trying to protect hi so rew She knew very daripped Sam Knehat they wanted and hoould happen But she would be daht “Your protection of hi hiht to make hi hi him apart He has to face it, and he needs to face it now, before that fucking stalker gets any closer to him than he already has”

Cade paled She watched, surprised, suddenly terrified as he lost the color in his face and denial filled his expression

“Listen toher close as he stared down at her, his gaze fierce, searing in its demand “You don’t want this, Heather You don’t want hi remember the details He dreams of it, he knows it happened, but he doesn’t remember it, and by God I won’t let you force him to”

Heather’s eyes widened as her own fury flamed “What in the hell makes you think he can survive like this, Cade?” she yelled up at hier do you think he can stand the poison that’s only growing in his mind? For God’s sake, surely you know better than to try to suppress those memories?”

But they hadn’t known better She saw it on Cade and Brock’s faces, just as she saw the confusion on Marly and Sarah’s

“My God,” she whispered “You’ve encouraged it All these years, you’ve helped him hide Helped thatcancer”

Disbelief washed over her She shook her head, backing away fro he would never survive He had hidden froht thehe needed to make sense of the life he lived now That hy he always seemed so bitter, so unable to accept that Marly or Sarah could find pleasure in the embrace of the three men

“What have you done?” She raised a hand to her forehead, shaking her head as she stared from Cade to Brock, then to Marly “What have they done to him, Marly?”

Compassion and concern marked the other woman’s sleepy features