Rush

he was looking at her. The resignation in his face. The acceptance. Acceptance of
     what? What had Jace said to him? What had Gabe said to Jace?
    And then when Gabe spoke, her blood turned to ice. She froze, too stunned to do more
     than gape in astonishment.
    “You should go,” he said in a curt voice. “It’s better this way. You were becoming
     too emotionally attached. I don’t want to hurt you. It’ll only be harder if we wait.
     A clean break will be easier and less…messy…later.”
    “What the fuck?” Mia demanded, her shocked expletive exploding in the strained silence.
    “Mia, let’s just go, honey,” Ash said in a gentle voice.
    She could hear the pity in his tone, knew he felt sorry for her and that he thought
     she was making a complete fool of herself. They were seeing just another woman in
     Gabe’s life being rejected, cut loose. Shoved away so he could move on to someone
     else.
    To hell with that. She wasn’t leaving without an explanation. Without trying to reach
     the man behind that coldly imposing mask. She knew the real Gabe. Had felt his warmth
     and tenderness. She knew he cared about her no matter the cluster fuck going on in
     this room right now.
    She shook her head, her refusal adamant. “I’m not goinganywhere until Gabe tells me what the hell all that bullshit he just spouted was about.”
    Gabe looked right through her, his expression and eyes indifferent. Cold and remote.
     She was sure it was a look many a woman had received from him when it was time to
     part ways. It was a look that said, “I don’t want you anymore. Don’t embarrass yourself.”
    Fuck that. She’d already sacrificed whatever pride she had over this man. There wasn’t
     anything much more embarrassing than having your brother walk in on you during bondage
     sex. There wasn’t a much worse way she could embarrass herself.
    “Gabe?” she whispered, her voice strained as the knot grew larger in her throat.
    She hated the pleading note to her voice. Hated that she couldn’t salvage her pride
     when it came to this man. She was precariously close to begging, and she didn’t care.
    “It’s over, Mia. You knew it was only a matter of time. I told you in the beginning
     not to fall in love with me. That I didn’t want to hurt you. I should have ended it
     already. You’re becoming too involved and that just makes it worse in the long run.
     Go with Jace and forget me. You deserve better.”
    “Bullshit,” Mia spat, startling all three men with the vehemence of her rebuke. “You’re
     a fucking coward, Gabe.
You
were the one getting in too deep, and you’re a goddamn liar if you try to deny it.”
    “Mia,” Jace said softly.
    She ignored him and focused all her rage on Gabe.
    “I risked
everything
for you. I put it all on the line. It’s a damn shame you aren’t willing to do the
     same for me. One day you’re going to wake up and figure out that I was the best thing
     that ever happened to you and that you made the biggest fucking mistake of your
life
. And guess what, Gabe? It’s going to be too late. I won’t be there.”
    Jace’s arm came around her, squeezing and holding her steady as he urged her away.
     She could barely see through her tears. She was so angry and upset that she was shaking.
     Jace murmured something in her ear and then Ash fell in on her other side as they
     guided her toward the elevator.
    Halfway there she turned to see Gabe staring at her, that distant, vacant expression
     on his face, and it just pissed her off all the more.
    She wiped at the tears trailing down her cheeks and then she lifted her chin, determined
     she wouldn’t shed another single tear over him. She’d thought he was worth it. Her
     pride. Everything. She was wrong.
    “If you ever wake up and see the light and decide you want me back? You’re going to
     have to
crawl
.”
    This time she turned and pulled free of Jace’s and Ash’s grasps. She walked away by
     her own choice and got into the elevator, not even looking back as the doors closed
     behind her.
    She looked down, horrified that she was clad in only the robe Ash had wrapped her
     in.
    “Don’t worry, Mia,” Jace said in a soothing voice. “I’ll have the car pull up to the
     very front. Ash and I will flank you and we’ll get out to the car quickly. I’ll take
     you to my place.”
    She shook her head. “I want to go
home
. To my apartment.”
    Ash and Jace exchanged quick, worried glances.
    When the elevator