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"Because you lost the to retrieve the girls? Why? Why did he care?

"You’re going to get theed it, Al and Quen were gone

I spun, reaching for Trent when my balance left me "You think?" I said

"I don’t know" Trent steadied me "He did lose them"

My pulse hammered "And they expect us to just sit here and wait?"

"Well, he did say fifteenI have to--" I wavered on ripped harder, and a hand cupped under my elbow

"You’re as cold as ice You need a bath"

"Trent," I protested as he helped me up the last stair and aier than the one in the guest bedrooirls"

But he just kept pushing et them I’m more worried about Ellasbeth and Landon You need to learn the art of delegation"

I snorted, scuffing slowly across the carpet Actually, a bath sounded great, and I winced when I thought of everything that had happened between now and my last shower "Hey, I’ht he’d leave them like that"

Trent pushed the door open with his foot The roo a live feed of the orchard, dim with sunset "He was in a hard place," he said softly

"Hard place!"

"He knew you were in trouble, and he loves you, Rachel"

I stopped dead ina hand on the wall beside the bathrooentle as he reached a hand past ht "He does," he said as he slipped an arm behind my back and breezily ushered hter, but he does I think he sees soo and still irls, and he went to rescue you instead"

Rescuecolder yet

"That ere late in getting back was just an excuse to hide his fear for you I would’ve done the saer, even if Ellasbeth has the the taps until he was satisfied "You think," Ithe water from his hand

"I know"

My expression must have shown my panic because he took my shoulders "Don’t read too ht" I couldn’trooht back," he said, alht back," Iin the hed at my reflection before I pulled my shoulders up and tried to walk as if I didn’t hurt everywhere

It was a frightening thing to have the love of soreat wrong for his personal right The love of two men so determined, actually I hoped I survived it

Chapter 22

Bare feet scuffing the carpet, I halted just outside Trent’s roo Ray fro softly, clearly distressed Al stood stoically beside the s aard in that suit froht on one foot and nursing a new bruise Jon ith the man was red faced and furious

But it was on Al that ered I wondered at the shift of clothes and if what Trent had said about his --his loss of so he could get Lucy and Ray at his leisure?

And then it hitrooht and uneasy "Where’s Lucy?"

Jon tensed, his long face becoly in hatred "He left her!" he snarled, and I reached for Ceri’s high-backed chair,Trent’s grounds

Trent backpedaled toward the stairs, his hand protectively over Ray’s head Quenhand, and then grabbing his wrist, wrenching Jon to kneel with his ar his elbow Al stood there, suspiciously quiet, his belligerent expression hiding what I thought was guilt

"He left her there!" Jon exclai his face, turned toward the floor Ray’s voice rose up in distress, higher than I’d ever heard it "He left her there with thathis eyes stand out, he looked up past his bangs to Al "Demon or no, I will kill you for that"

My eyebrows rose as I reery hich Jon had attacked Ellasbeth’s people when they’d threatened the girls Perhaps I was lucky to have gotten only pencils poked into e

Trent’s lips were a thin angry line Ray wasanything, so I sto clear of Quen and Jon from a faint sense of prudence "Hey! You lost both of theaze ca froo My co?" I said, glancing back to Quen wrestling Jon back into subled Ray, but his red ears gave hiry with Rachel, or if you’re actually trying to ithin the law Al?"

I jerked upright, spinning to the that ridiculous clai "You mean that lousy scrap of paper? Al! Are you nuts? That is full of crap and you know it!"