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His eyes darken as he speaks, and his skin flushes. He was remorseful before, but now he’s angry. He might’ve been relaxed and curious when he first knocked on the door. Now he’s definitely not. His shoulders are tense. He’s on edge.
My heart beats faster. “I get scared when you’re like this.”
I’m met with another confused look. “Like what?”
“You’re on edge. Your mind is elsewhere. You’re angry and a minute ago you were…well, you were calm a minute ago, and now…are you angry?”
A sad yet handsome smirk lifts his lips up. “My naive girl,” he says in that tone that melts every worry. He moves in closer and strokes a hand over my hair. I’m comforted by the gesture in spite of myself. Declan, when he’s like this, is actually a dangerous man. I’m not wrong to be wary. “You have no idea the fucked-up shit I’m thinking right now.”
“Should I be worried?”
His hand settles on the side of my neck, and Declan bends to whisper into my ear. The warm caress of his breath makes me shiver. I wouldn’t mind if he took me to bed for this conversation, whatever it’s going to be. I wouldn’t mind hiding in the blankets with him.
“I found out who set you up,” he whispers.
It takes a moment for me to realize exactly what he said. Cold sweeps over every inch of my body.
I gasp, my trembling hands coming up to touch his shirt. I don’t need him to stand on my own two feet. I just want to be touching him. My body steadies the second my palms are over his heartbeat. I dare to ask him, “What are you going to do?”
He chuckles, and the sound is low and hot. It’s dangerous, just like he is. Sometimes, when we’re in bed together, I can forget about the dark parts of Declan. I can ignore the dark parts of both our lives. But they’re always with him.
My heart pounds. Whatever Declan’s about to say, he’s already decided. He knew before he came into this room. He has a plan for what happens next, and knowing Declan, it’s not going to be a lawsuit or a cease-fire.
“I’m going to make him pay,” he says, his voice just above a whisper. Shivers explode down my spine, all the way down the backs of my legs and down to my toes. This isn’t just Declan speaking to me now. This is Declan Cross. “I’m going to set an example. No one will ever touch you or speak ill of you ever again. And I want you to come with me.”
DECLAN
My sweet naive girl doesn’t belong in Carter’s office.
With a pretty blue knit sweater that makes her appear even smaller, she’s out of place in the harsh and dark atmosphere.
I thread my fingers between hers and squeeze. Our clasped hands hang between the two chairs. She sits on the left and I sit on the right. Both of us are across from Carter, who’s barely looked at me while he apologizes to Braelynn.
“There’s nothing we can do to make it right,” Carter says as his thumb taps against the desk.
“It’s okay,” Braelynn is quick to say, and I swear I can hear her heart pounding.
“It’s not okay,” Carter corrects her but in a gentler tone I appreciate. “He’s going to pay Braelynn, and we have a plan.”
I bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them one by one. “Don’t be scared.”
“I do have some questions,” Carter states, and I breathe in deeply.
“Like a test?” she asks and the hesitancy and fear are still there. Disappointment flows through me. Not toward her but toward myself.
“No more tests; I really did a number on you,” I tell her, my thumb running soothing circles over her knuckles.
“I read the note that you left here…when,” Carter attempts to be careful with his words. I’ve only seen him like this a few times and it’s only ever been toward my sisters-in-law. It’s an odd feeling to realize he sees her as she truly is. Family. To care for and to protect, even from us.
“When I ran away,” Braelynn completes his thought in a whisper.
“You were scared when you ran?” he asks and my shoulders stiffen.
“She was terrified.” Adrenaline pumps harder as I think about what comes next. “For
good reason.” Carter only stares at me for a moment, he doesn’t respond.
“Did something specific happen that made you that afraid? Or was it a thought or something you remembered, maybe?”
