Page 58 of Caging Liberty
But I can’t see that right now. All I see is an enemy, a challenger. I raise my chin and step up to him. He doesn’t budge, clearly feeling up to the challenge.
“Did you just give me a command?” I ask, my voice muted yet full of ice.
His jaw works as he stares me in the eyes. “You’re not gonna put this on me any longer, Angel. Be pissed. I don’t care.”
“You’re not killing her.”
“You’re not bringing her back to the manor.”
“Would you rather I take her home?”
His eyes darken. “Excuse me?”
“Well,” I drag out. “We both know me keeping her as a slave isn’t an option. Killing her is also not an option. So if you’re saying you’re not willing to budge on the manor, the only solution I can see is to take her back to New York. Give her a lump sum of money to start a new life, Robert Gaumond free. I’m sure she wouldn’tdarego to the authorities.” My lips tilt at my own sarcasm. I turn my head to the side to address Lib, but I don’t take my eyes off Sawyer. “Would you, sweetheart?”
“No,” Lib breathes, so much hope in her voice I feel bad for saying all of this in front of her. Of course it isn’t an option.
But at the same time, if Sawyer doesn’t loosen the fuck up, I may make it an option.
Setting Lib free could hurt me. If she went to the police—which let’s be honest, she would—it could lead to giant payoffs and favors owed to who knows how many people, not to mention the fact that I wouldn’t be able to have her, which is obviously unacceptable. And I’d lose my brother, which is also unacceptable.
But Sawyer? Sawyer would drown in the anxiety. He’d be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. He’d use every dollar he had to track her down, and even after he found her, he’d question if she told anyone about the island. He’d literally go insane.
As the possibilities play out in my mind, I realize just how right he was during our conversation the other night. If I can’t get what I want, I’ll take a hit to burn my opponent's goddamn world to the ground.
“You know I can’t let you do that,” Sawyer says, sinister meaning dripping from each word.
“How exactly could you stop me?” I tilt my head. “Do you think you have it in you to kill me, Sawyer?”
His jaw tics again, and I can’t help the tiny smirk that lifts my lips.
“You wouldn’t do that.” He shakes his head. “You’re not that stupid.”
“No, but I’m ruthless, remember?” My smirk lifts even higher. “You can’t possibly believe you can come into my home and bark orders at me without retaliation. You know that doesn’t bode well with me.”
Sawyer breaks eye contact and stares at the wall like a defeated teenager who’s just been grounded.
“You’re angry,” I continue, ensuring that my voice displays compassion I don’t feel. “Go home. Sleep on it. Ivy will stay here tonight, and you and I can talk about this more in the morning, when we’ll both be able to think rationally.”
He returns his gaze to me then takes a step back. “Fine.” He glances behind me at Lib then back to me. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
I nod. “Looking forward to it.”
Sawyer glares another few moments before turning around and heading for the exit. He pauses in the doorway and looks at me over his shoulder. “I think it goes without saying, but I’m not going to be the one leaving the island right now. You’re handling Massachusetts.”
Yeah, I figured.
He doesn’t wait for me to so much as acknowledge his words before he storms out.
As soon as he’s gone, I turn to Lib. “I need to say something before you speak.”
She backs up into the sink, no longer using me as a shield. NowI’mthe threat.
Two steps forward, one step back.
“You’re not going home,” I inform her, my voice level. “I’m sorry if you truly believed that was an option, but it isn’t.”
She nods. “I know.”