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Joseph’s hazel eyes scanned the pageThere was no sign of e but a carefully controlled blank expression

"Well?" she asked, twisting in anticipation

Joseph’s throat worked as he sed before speaking "He was a good ood"

"Tell me"

Joseph read from the paper:"‘Claim this woman as your kin Protect her as you would your own flesh and bloodAll I possess is now hers to do with as she sees fit’"

Shock and outrage sla her into a chair "How could he?"

Joseph’s brows drew together in confusion "How could he what?"

She gripped the arth was gone "Claim ?"

"That you needed protection That I would be able to provide it"

"You didn’t even know me You hardly know me now" He sure as hell didn’t know about what a slut she’d been all her life Shame had forced her to hide that fro like this?"

Josephdeal I’ve been treating you like a daughter since you walked through our door It won’t change anything between us other than to make our relationship official"

"No I don’t need another father The one I had was bad enough And I already experienced the joy of being given to an uncle who didn’t want the burden of raising another kid I’ care ofh to see to your safety as well as your future"

Anger erupted inside her,in Joseph’s face "Of course it’s about pity Thoirl with no one to love her Screw that!"

Joseph’s frown deepened "Slutty? What are you talking about?"

She wasn’t going to tell him how she’d thrown herself at Thomas How he’d known she was so desperate that he’d felt the need to guilt her into keeping her legs closed

Carmen shook her head "You don’t know me at all I suppose it’s best that way"

"I know you better than you think We’ve spent hours together I’ve seen your strength and courage and so hter I’ve been known to have a bit of a hard headto be anyone’s charity case, tied to sooing to be handed off to yet anotherto do with her

"Too late It already has This is Thomas’s death wish, and I’hter, and I plan to make sure everyone knows it"

Nika woke up suddenly, as if someone had shouted her name It wasn’t the first time this had happened She’d felt this before when so out with her mind to find the source of that need Maybe Tori had called for her and was ready to let her in again

Nika lay quiet and still in a bed not her own Madoc’s scent clung to the sheets, coer, braver

Nika! The call caht with fear and so powerful it left her

It wasn’t Tori For a moment, Nika suffered a stab of disappointment until she realized the masculine nature of that cry for help It was Madoc

She flung the covers off and hurried toward hiet to hi hiht filtered in through heavy curtains covering the s, allowing her to see where she went

Nika didn’t have to go far--just into the next rooht outside the bedroo with pain His sword lay within ar to use it A sheet isted about his hips, but the rest of hihtened and bunched as they clenched in his sleep