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"But they were hurting Claire"

"She is not my concern" He lifted me off the bar and set h I had entle eyes "You are er," I said, breaking free of his grasp He towered over me, and I strained my neck to look him in the face His expression was so cal If he hadn’t just saved me, I probably would have punched him "You should have helped"

"She wanted arment"

I looked at him I looked at Claire He had a point "E Claire "He isn’t a threat to you, Colin, or Peter," I continued

"But can I trust him not to share what he has learned about Peter?" she asked, and then, "Hell, can I even trust you?"

"I will keep your trust if Mercy wishes it," E as Peter’s true nature does not pose a threat to her"

"Peter could never be a threat to me," I said "Yes I want this kept between us"

"But does it not change your feelings toward hi he is no more a normal man than I am?" Emmet asked, a certain wistfulness in his tone

I felt Claire’s eyes fix on haze, "ed" Her face softened at my words, but Emmet’s self-satisfied smile told me that he felt he had found a foothold

SEVENTEEN

The door began to shake as the sound of a fist pounding against it echoed through the roo like he was scared out of his wits He kept up the pounding as Claire shook herself from stunned silence and crossed the rooh the doorway as soon as she undid the deadbolt He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her to him for a quick squeeze When he pushed her away, she stood there covered in plaster dust, as if she didn’t quite knohat to do His eyes darted around the room and found me, and within seconds he had swept"Are you all right?" he asked, loosening his grip on h to examine me