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Ria didn’t point out that she could support herself That wasn’t the issue at hand "Well, when he’s not acting as a DarkRiver soldier, he has another job"

She’d discovered that soht--even now, thethe answers to all the little questions she had about hih to make her body flush

"Oh?"

NINE

"Yeah" She drew it out, knowing it would drive her father Ycrazy

"Ria"

Laughing, she ineer"

Her father’s eyebrows climbed to his hairline "Who does he work for?"

"DarkRiver Construction He specializes in s are built to withstand seis far more acadele sentence that he not only knehat he was doing, but that he loved his work "He

trained with Angus Wittier" Wittier was considered the pre in the country

Sio get changed"

"Will the spaghetti be ready soon?" She wasn’t hungry, her stomach in knots as she waited to hear the outcome of the DarkRiver-Cren, but

she wanted to keep the emotional tehetti when he was stressed--A him more than he’d ade" Walking up to her bedroo Jet "How’s Amber?" she asked when her brother

answered

"She’s okay right now, resting" His voice was soft "Tell Mo’s super with the baby"

"Hah," she said, with a smile "You kno they are"

"You’ll keep them calm, Ri-ri" Said with absolute confidence "I’ll call you as soon as anything changes"

Hanging up, Ria changed, and then did what Jet had expected her to do--she h her own eile beneath the surface What if so happened to E to maintain her

composed facade even when Amber suddenly went into labor and the entire family rushed to the hospital, escorted by a trio of DarkRiver soldiers

They alking past the e in

Ria recognized the shock of white-blond hair on the

stretcher they pulled out of the back of one vehicle "Dorian," she whispered, looking for E, the red stark against the pale gold of his skin "Popo--"

"Go" Miaoling squeezed her hand "I’ll take care of your mom"

Cian by her side, Ria ran to the fallen DarkRiver soldier, slipping her hand into his as the medical team worked around her "Hold on, Dorian" He was unconscious, but she felt as if he knew she was there She turned to Cian "Tamsyn?"

A nurse pushed Ria out of the way as they wheeled Dorian into an operating theatre

Turning, she found Cian on the phone "She’s al the phone in his pocket Tiny lines of concern fanned out from the corners of his pale blue eyes

Tamsyn ran in mere minutes later, a slender blonde feh to prep for the operating theatre, the woman halted beside Cian The soldier im here?"

"I was at Ta back her hair

The instant Ria saw her eyes, all the pieces fell into place The way Cian moved, the way he spoke, no wonder it had seemed familiar "You’re Emmett’s parents"

"And you must be Ria I’m Keelie" Emmett’s mother’s smile ide, those whiskey-colored eyes she’d bequeathed her son as bright as dia hands She walked forward and into open arht "Have you heard from Emmett?" Keelie asked

Surprised that Keelie expected Emmett to call her first, Ria shook her head "Not yet" Her phone rang at that very instant Pulling it out, she put it to her ear

"I’m on my way to the hospital, ? Emmett, if you’ve been shot--"

"It’s just a flesh wound You can kiss it better" His tone arm, a caress across her skin