He forced himself to take a breath.
“Listen to me, sweetheart. Thank you for telling me the truth. I know how difficult that was, and I'm not going to pretend I understand everything you're feeling. But I need you to hear me when I say this: you're not marrying Damien.”
Sage pulled back, shaking her head.
“You can't promise me that. You don't know what he'll do to Ethan.”
“Then we'll find a way to protect Ethan.”
“What if you can't?”
“Then we'll keep looking until we can.”
“Mason, this isn't a problem you can solve by being stubborn.”
“Baby, have you met me?” He tried to smile, but the expression barely held. “Being stubborn is practically my defining characteristic. Ask Cole. He'll tell you I've been an unreasonable bastard since we were kids.”
Despite her tears, Sage managed a s
