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Chapter 22
Alaugh that was pureice came from her.
Startled, Travis lifted his head and looked down, saw the fierceness that had entered her eyes.
“Bet your ass he won’t,” she said in a hard voice. “But if he were totry? I’ll break his hands off at the wrist and feed them to him. I’m not the scared, trapped girl I used to be, Travis.”
“No,” he murmured after a moment of studying her. “You’re a queen.” He dipped his head to press another kiss to her, but this one to her lips and it was raw, potent and full of all the love and need he had for her. “You’remyfucking queen.”
He slid his lips along her jawline and nuzzled the curve of her neck, but pulled back as she tried to tug him closer. “We need to talk to Miles, figure out what the hell is going on.”
“If I’m a queen, you must be my knight.” Her mouth curved in a smile, this one with a wry edge. “But you’ve always tried to take that role on, haven’t you?”
“Every queen needs a knight.” He’d play along for now. Even if she wasn’t terrified, he could still glimpse the edge of fear in the back of her eyes. Hell,hewas scared. He and Isabel both knew better the cruelty people were capable of. And it wasn’t just Isabel living in this house, either. It was Isabel and a handful of kids, all of whom were vulnerable.
But they’ve got me. That prick has no idea what I’m capable of.
Nor did he have any idea what Isabel was capable of. She was right, there. She wasn’t broken, scared or trapped, wasn’t a pawn to be used by her father, with her sisters there to keep her contained.
A floorboard creaked overhead and he shot a look toward the stairs, saw a shadow fall along the railing and he took Isabel’s hand and squeezed. “Why don’t you check on the kids, let them know it’s okay while I get Miles on the phone, see what he’s found out? I need to get my laptop and a few other things from my house, then I’ll be right back.”
Her lips parted as if she’d argue, but then she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Lock up. Set your alarm system.”
“You’ll only be gone a couple of minutes ... no.” She shook her head. “You’re right. After all, it’s not just me. Hold on.”
She disappeared into a room she pointed out as the library earlier and returned in under a minute, pushing two keys into his hand. “The front door and deadbolt. And the alarm code ... ” She bit her lip, then recited a series of digits to him.
The day they met.
Her cheeks went red, chin going up as if to dare him to comment on it.
He just kissed her.
“I won’t be gone long.”
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Isabel watched himleave and told herself it was just her imagination that the house felt strangely absent after he’d left.
Retreating to her room, she pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, then jogged up the stairs.
Aaron, Storm and Brooklyn were all in Storm’s room, with Jacob lurking outside. He gave her a narrow-eyed look. “What’s going on?”
Instead of saying anything to him that second, she knocked on Storm’s open door and waited for the girl to beckon her in. Isabel waited a moment and said, “I’d rather only explain this once. Can Jacob come in?”
