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Trina kicked and flailed, but it did no good He didn’t let go She tried to pry his fingers away, but he was too strong

His blue eyes bulged with rage, and spittle leaked out from between his clenched teeth "I try to help you and this is what you do?" His grip tightened "Ungrateful bitch!"

Thick gray fog closed around her vision, and she knew this was the end He was going to kill her Right here, right now

Keith let Trina go and she cruer sliced through his veins with every heartbeat,his body throb

She’d tried to kill him He’d kept her alive, cozy and warm in her very own special place, and she’d tried to kill hirateful bitch, just like all the rest

Her chest rose and fell as she breathed He hadn’t killed her in his rage, though it had been a close thing Another few seconds and it would have been over She would have pushed hie and made him kill her too soon

He had special plans for her A job only she could do

Keith picked up Trina’s fragile body and laid her on the cot She’d lost weight since she’d been here, but it was her own fault He had to keep her quiet Asleep

If he hadn’t been sure of that before, he was now

Keith iving her and shoved the needle into her ar hi time

Her uneaten food was strewn across the rooh she could scarcely afford to miss anotheranyun to his head and end it now He was tired of working so hard not to get caught and then still worrying that it wasn’t enough He kneas selfish to want to end his night his brothers and sisters first, but God help him, some days, it hardly seemed worth the effort None of the people he’d freed seemed thankful for his aid They hadn’t wanted to die, but then again, neither did Keith He wanted to live free of his nightht of Lavine’s body pressing him into a musty mattress He wanted to remember a childhood without fear and pain But he couldn’t have any of those things, and he wasn’t strong enough to continue living with the weight of soaround his neck

It had to end Soon He wasn’t going to er

Grant held out until just after ht He needed to be with Isabelle Needed to hold her in his arms and watch her sleep Needed to know she was safe

Dale had turned the ht before he went to sleep Out of respect for Isabelle, Grant waited until he was sure Dale wouldn’t know before he crept downstairs and into her rooht-light in the bathroom made it possible for him to see his way to her bed

She slept on one side of the double bed, as if she’d gotten used to sharing it with so his stomach He wasn’t nor Isabelle with another man It made him a selfish bastard, because he should care only that she was happy, but he couldn’t help it

Her breathing was deep and even, and none of the faint noises heher bedroom door caused her to stir

Slowly, he eased hi to shift her as little as possible She let out a sleepy sigh but settled again without waking

Grant was fully clothed and forced hi under thee, so he’d also left all the condoret

All he wanted to do was hold her He didn’t even knohy Normally, he extracted himself from a woman’s bed as quickly and painlessly as possible But not with Isabelle With her it was different Maybe it was because they were friends He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t question it For once, he just let hi a wo her

He moved his body so he was tucked behind her, the blanket and all their clothing between them It wasn’t as nice as it would have been with both of the His hand found a co place on the curve of her hip, and he buried his nose in her hair, breathing in the floral scent of her shampoo

This was it, he decided This hat both David and Caleb had found that he hadn’t There was always a slow burn of attraction when he was near Isabelle, but there was more, too He wasn’t here for the sex In fact, he’d co that there would be no sex involved whatsoever But still he’d come For Isabelle

Maybe he loved her He couldn’t be sure, because he’d never really felt it before Sure, he’d loved his mom, and he’d lay down his life for his buddies any day of the week, but romantic love? He’d never felt it

But he’d seen it He’d seen it every time David looked at Noelle and every ti The kind of thing that fairy tales were built on

And that was the real probleuy He was broken Warped More than a little tarnished His dad had fucked with hisa normal family He could never be what Isabelle wanted What she deserved So even if he did love her, he couldn’t stay In fact, if he really loved her, he’dnever even crossed her , so he had to be a man and step aside so she could find the man who could be

Isabelle shifted in her sleep, and Grant realized he’d been gripping her too hard He eased off but couldn’t bring himself to move away Not yet

She didn’t even knoas here, so it couldn’t possibly hurt her if he stayed He ht pay for his weakness later, but she wouldn’t, and that’s what really mattered

Grant set his internal alarm clock for two hours and let hi Isabelle It was the one and only time he’d allow himself the pleasure, so he soaked it up, let it fill up the e

Right before he drifted off, he realized that he’d never be full He could hold Isabelle for a lifetih of her He never should have cootten a taste of what he couldn’t have, but it was too late for that He ht as well enjoy it while he could

CHAPTER TWENTY

Ahborhood around five am Her body ached with exhaustion, which had forced her to pull over at a rest stop for a few hours last night Beside her, Rachel was sleeping

The neighborhood was filled with homes that all looked the sa, but they were all neith neat, clean lines and hborhood looked fresh and full of hope