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I couldn’t let losing Tanner put the rest of my life on hold I had responsibilities, people who relied on me to do my share But mostly, I wanted to find every last Santino family member and exact justice for my brother I couldn’t do that locked in this room with Rory

“Please be careful, Matt I-I just got you back, daain I can’t”

I pulled her head down ontohair My body ca her into savor just holding her “I’ anywhere—ever—without you,” I breathed close to her ear “You’reanyone take you froain Or me from you”

I held her for a few ave her one last deep kiss that left us both wanting more, and then forced myself to cli rabbed my keys and wallet

“Do you have money?” She’d told me she’d left all the stuff attached to her father’s name behind, which meant her credit cards too

She narrowed her eyes onyour money”

“It’s our money, Rory You’re mine, and that means I take care of you” I pulled out all the cash I had, which was close to two hundred dollars, but she was already shaking her head, glaring up at , you can get it”

“I’ued, which only pissed me off

“You’re not getting a da to finish school, and I don’t want you to have to work yourself to death with your course load and work too”

“Matt, stop, okay? I can’t afford school right now, and honestly, I hate the classes I’m in” She stood, the look on her face so stubborn it made me want to spank her beautiful ass

“I can afford it, Rory You know I fucking can And what’s mine is yours”

She let out a frustrated breath and shook her head “Look, the past three years, I’ve been doing nothing but co hat ht I had to in order to keep you out of prison Ever since I came back and you toldabout is those damn classes I’ve taken over the years to e experience has been to please him, not myself I don’t even knohat classes I would actually want to take, but the ones I’ them”

When I looked at it froree with her I wanted her to be happy, wanted her to have a life she wouldn’t look back on and regret ten, twenty, even fifty years down the road I didn’t want to stand in her way, but at the saht choices for herself “What’s the plan, then?”

She put her hand to the ave me the barest hint of a smile “The plan is to love you forever and take life one day at a tio to hell for all I care”

I walked Rory to the kitchen before heading up to see what Bash wanted I hoped he had sooing fucking crazy thinking about what had happened to Tanner I owed it to my brother to kill the bastards who had cut his life far too short