I looked back at Damian and stated in a firm voice that still shook, “I never want to see you again. If you can, for once, listen to what I say rather than what you want to hear then hear this. I never, never want to see you again. Never. No matter what. I don’t want your money. I don’t want your guilt. You cannot make up to me what you tore from me or the years I lost because your poison infected me. Do not call me. Do not come to my house. Do not fuck with my life. Do not fuck with people I care about. Go away and stay away.”

“Tess,” Damian whispered and it was there, right in his eyes, pain and regret.

Pain and fucking regret.

The motherfucking asshole.

“Go away and stay away,” I whispered back.

Without looking at Don again, I moved my body toward the door. Brock felt my movement and let me go. But he grabbed my hand, led me out, through the yard, and to the passenger side of his truck that was parked behind my car.

He bleeped the locks and opened the passenger door before I noticed what he was about.

I locked my body and looked up at him, saying softly, “I’m okay to drive.”

He shook his head, gently pushing me toward the seat, saying, “Get in, baby.”

“I don’t want to leave my car here,” I told him.

“Get in, don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with it.”

“Brock—”

He closed in on me and I had to tip my head way back, he was that close.

“Up into the truck, Tess,” he said softly.

I bit my lip and nodded. He moved back and I climbed up.

He rounded the hood, swung up beside me, his truck rumbled to life, and off we went.

And when we hit Yale it came to me that of the many awesome powers my man held, clairvoyance was one of them, for the adrenalin surge fled and the emotions rushed in on its tail. I lost it again, this time melting into deep, body-rocking, uncontrollable sobs.

I was so far gone I didn’t notice us getting home. I didn’t know how I got in. I didn’t even know how I got myself curled on the bed. I was just suddenly there and I just kept crying.

I vaguely heard snatches of Brock saying, “She’s bad, Martha. I need to deal with the police and she needs you so I need you over here soon as you can come.” And also what might have been just minutes later or longer, I was too far gone to tell, “My woman lost it after it went down. I can’t come to the station. The boys are outside investigating the area. You need to come here.”