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Eve quietly thanked the quickly back to ensure that Travis and Ca toward Travis and Cammie to assure Eve that they would be looked after
Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she took off across the sprawling acreage nestled behind the walls of the compound The sun arm on her skin, and she inhaled the sweet honeysuckle-scented air The Kellys had carved out their own little piece of heaven Never h-security compound They’d made it home It looked houn range, the landing strip, the helicopter pad and the austere stone building that was called the war roohborhood of newly constructed homes Each unique in its oith each occupant’s unique fingerprint on it
Two of the ho cabins, but Nathan and Shea’s house was a quaint, s home More distant fro bushes It was as if they’d separated the firmly immersed in the protective barriers to the outside world
Ironically, Donovan’s ho she would have chosen herself had she had the ability to build the house of her drea as the cabins occupied by two of his brothers It was very Southern looking, with shutters on the s and a front porch that encompassed the entire front and wrapped around on both sides There was a swing suspended froht side and there were flowerpots and hanging baskets, bursting with vibrant colors
It looked ho It wasn’t just a house It was a hos that usually dotted a ho furniture But then he’d mentioned that it had only recently been completed Perhaps he just hadn’t had ti his house a hoht woman to put her own staain over the direction of her thoughts When would she learn not to get ahead of herself? She’d known thehow to decorate their--his--house
With a shake of her head, she traipsed around to the kitchen door Donovan and his brothers were likely in the living rooe into the middle of it all And they were all present and accounted for, judging by the nuo in through the kitchen and ease her way into the living room And insert herself into whatever plan it was that Donovan was hatching
Quietly she opened the kitchen door and let herself in, being careful not to make any noise when she shut it behind her In the distance she heard theher courage to brazenly walk in on the planning session
"Ninny," she muttered
She’d certainly not had any issuesinto the police station, not once but twice, and de action on her ain, even though the result had been swift punishment But she hadn’t allowed that to deter her Why was she being such a wuss now?
Because she was in love with hiry with her
It was a ridiculous reason, and if that was the way things worked in their relationship going forward, she seriously needed a kick in the head She wasn’t going to tiptoe through life worrying that everything she did would piss hi ad roo louder as she neared
But what she heard next stopped her cold in her tracks
"We call and set up a meet with Walt," Donovan said, presule Eve in front of hie is such that he’ll take her and not focus on Caetting his hands on theain"
Eve’s mouth dropped open and she shook her head, sure she hadn’t heard correctly Her heart pounded and she instantly chided herself for juht She’d et to the bottom of this at once Then she’d put her idiocy to rest
But still, an icy hand clutched at her heart and with Donovan’s next words, a sick, oily sensation snaked its way through her veins
"She’s highly unstable Danger to herself and those kids Walt will satisfy himself with her I’m positive of that He obviously is a control freak and has an ego the size of Texas He’ll want to punish her for defying hi his plans"
"And what do you plan to tell Cammie and Travis about all of this?" someone else asked She couldn’t identify his voice Perhaps it was someone she hadn’t met yet
"They won’t know," Donovan clipped out "They’ll never know There’s no need I’ll take care of the harm to come to them Physical or mentally"
Eve stood there stunned by the conversation unfolding just a few feet away No No! It couldn’t be Nausea welled, sharp and overwhel in her stomach Bile rose in her throat as she hastily backed aanting only to be away fro her into tiny pieces until there was nothing left No heart No soul Nothing
Hands shaking, sheinShe’d stopped breathing the minute she’d heard Donovan’s cold, ruthless words
He couldn’t mean it He couldn’t! He’d just hand her over to her stepfather after all she’d told him? After all she’d shared?
But she’d heard it Even after denying it to herself, she’d heard correctly The words couldn’t have been clearer It was no wonder he hadn’t wanted her, Travis or Cammie here He wouldn’t have wanted any of the with his brothers His teaenerous People she’d thought she’d found a future with A ho the longer, less direct route so she didn’t walk in front of Donovan’s house So no one inside would see her
No tears threatened Not yet She was too numb Too devastated But soon She knew they would come How could they not?
Oh God Oh God What was she supposed to do? She felt like the worst sort of idiot for ignoring her ut screa She’d been such a trusting, naïve idiot And she knew better She knew!
And yet she’d gone against everything she felt was the right choice She hadn’t trusted her instincts, and instead she’d trusted hi the wrong people She’d known it would only lead to disaster, and she’d been right!
His sisters-in-laords floated back to her The sa to this place Donovan had a soft spot for women and children But especially children The statement had always been qualified by that addition