“If you wanted to hide your…relationship, you sure did a shitty job,” Logan said.
“I wasn’t hiding it,” I snapped.
“Really?” he drawled with a caustic tone.
“You think because I didn’t tell you, I was hiding it?” I scoffed. “You and Ian decided to make figuring out who I was dating a game. As insignificant as you made my love life feel, I let you play. I let you guess and I figured I’d tell you when I felt you were worthy of knowing.”
“I am your guardian, Shiloh—”
“You lost that right when you decided to leave me behind,” I interrupted him.
Logan slammed his hand down on the table, making the dishes rattle. “You’re being unfair.”
“Because I’m pointing out that you lied and manipulated me into feeling like I had to let you go? How fucking fair was it to me?!” I yelled, slamming my hand on the table, too.
“I don’t care how pissed off you are at me, you are still my responsibility. That means I need to know who you let into your life,” he snapped. “The last thing we need is for history to repeat itself.”
He might as well have ripped my heart out of my chest. That was how badly what he’d said hurt. I didn’t look away. I didn’t blink, even when my eyes burned and tears flooded them. “You think Mr. X was my fault?”
Colt grabbed my hand. “Babe,” he said, trying to get my attention, but I didn’t look away from Logan.
Shock took over Logan’s angry expression.
“You think I let him into my life so he could stalk me for years and murder my family?” I said, standing from my chair.
Logan shook his head. “No, Shi. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then how did you mean it?” I questioned. “That I only attract psychopaths? That I’m incapable of meeting someone who won't want to hurt me?” I covered my face as my tears ran down my cheeks.
I heard chairs scrape against the floor before arms wrapped around me. I could tell it was Keelan right away.
“I can't be here,” I sniffled. I had to do right by me. I had to remove myself before things escalated, because I knew how easy it would be for me to spiral.
“Okay, baby.” He ran his hand down the back of my head. “Colt, take her home. We’ll follow you in a minute.”
Keelan passed me to Colt, who began leading me away with his arm around me.
“Wait a minute, you’re not taking her anywhere,” Logan said.
I stopped walking and glanced back.
“Yes, we are,” Knox said.
“What you just said to her, whether you meant it or not, was not okay,” Keelan said in a deep and angry voice.
“She battles every day to not blame herself for what happened and you turned around and did it,” Creed seethed.
Logan’s gaze flicked to me and a coldness hardened his face. “They know?”
Colt’s arm around me tightened, but I didn’t react.
“Damnit, Shiloh!” Logan roared. “Do you have any idea of the danger you have put yourself in?”
I stepped away from Colt and turned to face my uncle fully. “I want you to leave.”
“You’re damn right I’m leaving. We both are,” he snapped, taking a step toward me.
Both Knox and Keelan blocked his way.
Logan stared them down. “Get out of my way.”
Keelan stood straighter. “You take one more step toward her and you and I will spar.”
I saw the calculation in Logan’s eyes. I knew what it meant. There was a possibility Keelan could take Logan, if Logan fought fair. But one of the first things Logan had taught me was that when it came to survival, there was no such thing as fairness. It was you or them. I wasn’t going to sit back and watch Keelan get hurt.
“You think you can take me, boy?” I heard my uncle ask Keelan as I reached behind the TV and grabbed the gun hidden there.
Colt’s eyes widened when he saw what I had. I stepped between Knox and Keelan.
Logan’s gaze flicked to me, then dropped to my hand. “You going to shoot me, Shi?”
Knox, Keelan, and Creed looked at me. I briefly glanced back at them. “Wait for me outside.”
Keelan looked like he was about to argue.
“Go,” I ordered. “Please.”
They slowly moved toward the door. I didn’t take my eyes off my uncle as they did.
“What’s the plan, Shi?” Logan asked. “Are you thinking ahead? Shooting me will only get you put in jail.”