Darkest Before Dawn

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said in an awed tone. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

It just pissed Honor off and she put both hands on her hips, glaring down the male members of Eden’s family.

“What is wrong with you people? Treating Guy like he’s not human or capable of humanity. I don’t know which is worse. Him believing himself to be lacking a soul or his family believing it.”

Eden’s brothers burst into laughter, but her father’s entire grizzled face softened. He took the two steps toward Honor and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug that had her holding back. She might have disguised her pregnancy well, but a hug that hard would reveal the taut baby bump she carried.

“Welcome to the family, my dear. We’ve waited a very long time for someone like you to turn Hancock’s world upside down. My name is Eddie and these are my sons, Raid and Ryker.” He pointed to indicate who was who.

And then as if just noticing the horde of burly men standing several feet behind Eden, Swa

“Eden? Who are all these people in my front yard?”

“Oh, they’re here to witness Guy’s downfall,” Eden said cheerfully. “It’s dark so you can’t see them, but they’re KGI.”

“Nathan? Joe?” Ryker asked as he stepped in front of his dad to see who all had accompanied Eden and Honor.

Eddie’s face lightened in recognition as he saw the rest of his son-in-law’s team step forward to greet the Sinclairs.

Skylar was forcibly hugged by Eddie and Ryker while Zane exchanged handshakes with the men.

“It’s good to see you, sir,” Joe spoke up. “As for why the entire KGI organization is here? There was no way in hell we were going to pass up the opportunity to witness Hancock brought to his knees by a woman barely over five feet. We intend to make sure he never lives it down. Not even Steele provided this much entertainment when he got his balls served on a platter to him by his wife.”

“Fuck you,” Steele said rudely from the shadows he hadn’t yet emerged from.

“Hello?” Honor growled, impatience and frustration evident in her voice. “Where is he?”

“I’ll be more than happy to take him to you myself,” Raid said smugly.

“Well, come on in,” Eddie said to the large group assembled. “I suppose we’ll see the two of them eventually. We’ll be much more comfortable in the living room.”

Leaving the others, Raid led her up the stairs and down a long hallway to the room at the very end. He paused and then looked down at her, his expression utterly serious.

“If you can bring him back to us, you will forever be in my debt. He’s given up, Honor. He has absolutely no will to live, and he’s in so much pain that I can’t even bear to look at my own brother.”

“Oh, he’s coming back,” she vowed. “If I have to knock him out, tie him up and drag him back home, I’m not leaving here without him.”

Raid chuckled and leaned down to kiss her brow. “You know what? I believe you, little sister.” Then his expression became serious again. “Do you want me to go in first?”

She rolled her eyes. “Guy would never hurt me. You should be worried I’ll hurt him. But, no. This is private. I don’t want anyone in there but me and him.”

Raid nodded and started back down the hall. She waited for him to disappear before she turned back to Guy’s door. Her hand hovered over the knob, afraid the door would be locked and he’d refuse to let her in. Then she shook her head. There were over twenty people downstairs who could easily break down the door. One way or another she was going in.

To her relief, when she quietly twisted the knob, it was unlocked and the door opened a fraction. Still, she hesitated, because for all her bravado and determination, she was terrified he wouldn’t even look at her. Acknowledge her. Listen to her.

From inside came an irritated growl. “I said to leave me the fuck alone. What don’t you interfering assholes understand about that?”

Honor shoved open the door all the way, stomping into the bedroom, her hands on her hips. When Hancock saw her he nearly fell off the bed. He scrambled to sit up, his face drawn with shock. And then so much grief and regret and self-loathing replaced his initial shock and it nearly brought her to her knees.

In that moment she knew she would have to be the strong one. She couldn’t allow an ounce of past hurts in her eyes, because it would destroy him and he’d never listen to her. He’d never hear her. He’d drive her away, convinced that he’d only hurt her again and again. At least one of them had sense, and it wasn’t him at the moment.

So instead of throwing herself into his arms like she ached to do and cry for all that had been lost and how much she loved him, she was going to have to dish out some tough love.

“Is that any way to speak to your family?” she demanded, her foot tapping on the floor in reprimand.

“Honor?”

His voice was shaken, so hoarse that her name was nearly indecipherable, his eyes ravaged by grief and pain. So much hurt that her throat closed up on her, rendering her momentarily unable to speak. She forgot all about tough love and being the bitch.

She couldn’t stand the distance between them any longer, and she flung herself at his body so he had no choice but to catch her or be bowled over by her. Her hands came to rest on his cheeks as she stared down at the stirrings of hope in Guy’s eyes. He swallowed and then looked away, as if refusing to even entertain such an emotion, but she wouldn’t have it. She too had refused herself hope, and she’d been wrong. She should have fought, like she was prepared to fight now. It was a battle she couldn’t lose or it would destroy her. She wouldn’t lose.

She firmly guided his face back to hers and simply stared him down until he finally, reluctantly lifted his eyes and met her gaze.

“Yes, it’s me,” she said in a husky voice. “And I have to tell you, Guy Hancock, I am not very happy with you right now.”

“Why should you be?” he asked in a pained voice.

She made a sound of exasperation. “You didn’t betray me, and we both know it. Or you should. If you weren’t so bent on convincing yourself that you’re this horrible monster, you’d realize you did not betray me.”

“How could you possibly think I didn’t?” he asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes. “Well of course in the begi

“I lied to you. I drugged you, something I swore I would never do again. And I failed you, Honor. I let that bastard get to you and he tortured you for days before I could find you.”

“Did it ever occur to you even once to tell me what happened and allow me the luxury of deciding whether you betrayed me or not? Instead, you played judge and jury for me. You were so convinced that you had done exactly those things that you decided for me that I was never going to know. That is the only thing I’m angry with you over. Well, not even angry, but hurt. You hurt me, Guy,” she said painfully. “For five long months I hurt. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. It’s the God’s truth, I wanted to die. I gave up. I didn’t want to live without you. Can’t you understand that?”

Her voice was pleading. Precariously close to begging, but God, she had no pride whatsoever when it came to this man. She’d crawl if she had to. Anything to make him come back to her. To love her as much as she loved him.

He stared at her with those haunted eyes, and he clearly had no idea how to respond. He was so assured of his guilt that no, it hadn’t occurred to him to give her the choice of judgment.