I rubbed Trent’s back, which was stiff with tension, and smiled softly. I knew he wanted to help, but I could tell he was scared. What if he messed up? I didn’t want him to accidentally fry Abby’s brain, but we couldn’t let Abby tell Rector the truth, either. No matter what we did, there was a huge risk involved.
“But you were able to give back all her memories about me,” Isach said, his tone accusatory. “You didn’t seem to have any trouble with that.” He scowled.
“Giving memories back is easy,” Trent said. “It’s taking them away that’s difficult. I could accidentally wipe every single memory she’s ever had. Then what?”
“Why don’t we just kill Rector?” Colt said. He stood near the door, arms crossed, his gaze hard and unflinching.
“Because he’s literally the most powerful witch in the world right now. You’re not strong enough to kill him,” Isach said.
“You have to do this, Trent.” Jax’s tone was hard, and a shiver snaked down my back. That was the tone he always used when he was about to say or do something that would inevitably piss me off. “You either wipe us from Abby’s mind, or I’ll have to kill her so she doesn’t talk.”
“You so much as look at Abby the wrong way, and I’ll drive a stake through your heart,” I said, positioning myself directly in front of Jax. “You are not going to kill her.” My voice cracked, and I hated how weak I was in that moment. “Jax, please. Promise me you won’t kill her.”
Jax stared down at me, his eyes shifting from black to dark blue, a spark of hunger igniting in his gaze. Tension sizzled between us, and I was acutely aware of the fact that Isach, Colt, and Trent were watching us. I could feel the jealousy and anger rolling off Jax in waves.
“Remember what I told you the night I killed Felicity?” Jax asked.
It was her or you, and I will always choose you.
“Yes,” I whispered. Blood rushed to my ears, and my pulse pounded so loud and hard I was positive everyone in this room could hear it.
“Then you’d better convince your fiancé to wipe her memories.” He said the word fiancé with so much disgust I nearly choked on it. “Because we both know what choice I’ll make if he doesn’t.”
I licked my lips and nodded. Jax’s eyes narrowed and lowered to my mouth. My heart hammered in my chest.
His gaze darted behind me to where Trent stood. “This is why he’s the wrong choice, Chloe,” Jax said, his tone sad yet still angry. “He’s not willing to do what’s necessary to protect you.” Then, Jax stormed out of the room.
He flung the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. I jumped, my heart beating even harder. Colt spun on his heel and followed Jax out of the room, but not before pinning with me a deadly glare.
Slowly, I turned toward Trent. His face was tight with anger, but his eyes were tormented, and the sight of him like that broke me. Tears filled my eyes as I rested my forehead against his chest and placed my hands on his hips.
He immediately wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll do it,” he said.
I closed my eyes and let out a small sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” Isach said.
Stepping away from Trent, I wiped my eyes. “We have to explain to her what’s going on. She needs to know.”
The only reason I hadn’t said anything about this in front of her was because I knew she’d agree to it if it meant keeping everyone safe, and I wanted to make sure Trent was okay with it before we said anything to Abby.
“I agree,” Trent said. “You do want me to try to restore her memories after she talks to your father, right?”
Isach nodded. His shoulders sagged, and it was so clear just how much stress he was under. “I guess I’ll go tell her what the plan is.” He walked out of the room and left me alone with Trent.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
A Better Man
TRENT CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND ISACH, then stood with his back to me for much too long.
“All that stuff Jax said about you not being the right choice…” I said, my voice wavering. “He was wrong. You know that, right?”
“What did Jax say to you?” he asked, turning to face me, completing ignoring everything I’d just said.
Nerves and fear swirled around in my chest, making it difficult to breathe. “What?”
“The night he killed Felicity. He said something to you. What was it?” Trent asked.
I swallowed hard. “When I ran outside to get some air, he was out there. I yelled at him for killing her.” I twisted my hands in front of me, my stomach knotting tighter and tighter with each passing moment. “He said it was her or me and that…” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “He said he’d always choose me.”
The muscle in Trent’s jaw ticked with barely controlled rage, and his eyes melted into black puddles. He blinked a few times, and his eyes slowly shifted back to blue. “Did anything else happen?” he asked.
“No.” I shook my head adamantly. “I swear.”
“Do you regret your choice?” he asked, his entire demeanor suddenly softer, almost insecure. “Choosing me, I mean.”
“What?” I said on a rush of breath. “No, of course not.” I placed my hands on his chest and peered up into his eyes.
“Watching you stand up to him like that…” Trent shook his head. “I could feel the pull between you two. He could barely control himself, Chloe. He wanted you. I could see it in his eyes.”
“Jax can’t let go,” I said. “Even though the bond is broken, he still insists he has feelings for me. That’s it.”
