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"I trust you" Three si Soranted absolution for hi ust of air, eyes boring into , I could read hientle," I whispered

He gri damn hard to embrace that word every day"

Clarashe wouldn’t touch him She must’ve been affected by what Fox did in the office more than she let on because she kept her tiny hands to herself "Why don’t you like to be gentle? Did you never have a pet to learn how to be nice? I can teach you to be gentle It’s not hard"

I laughed softly "It’s not that easy to teach a , Clara"

Her face shot toher reat deal"

Clara scowled, one dainty foot stomped the floor "His name is Roan, mummy How many times do I need to tell you?"

Fox chuckled, s sadly in my direction "I never told youre hand moved to ruffle her hair, but dropped just as quickly "My first nareith You were the first one I told"

My heart burst I never thought about a na to be hoarded In , never attached, always changing

Fox sensed ht andI had left offrom me I kept it hidden, first in defiance, then in desperation Only my little brother, Vasily, was allowed to call me Roan And now Clara And now… you"

I sed hard, picturing a younger version of the scarred man in front of me "You want me to call you Roan?"

He captured my heart and soul with his look "Yes It would mean a lot to htened, storey eyes staring ive me for what I’m about to tell you But if you can’t…I understand"

Tearful prickles raced uphim, offer solace in er, not wanting to be hen my first duty was to Clara, but it was no use I wanted to help this s for him

Fox’s nostrils flared, his lips parted, and every part of h Clara would never be safe around hi practicality in favour of my heart

And my heart wanted Roan

Desperately

I didn’t just want him physically; I wanted him mentally, emotionally, spiritually I wanted to own every part of him and trade his life for e worthy question "You have so e sword that looked as if it should be stuck in a rock in some storybook myth Her voice was faint, but her question turned Fox to a statue "Have you killed people before? Did they deserve it?"

Every question sent a dagger into my heart Who knew that a kid with no life experience could have such perception? She read everyone like a picture book All our sins and secrets ht as well be tattooed on our foreheads

Fox closed his eyes, an expression of deep regret and pain etched his features Finally he opened theain "I wish I didn’t have to answer your question, but I pro, he added, "I’ve taken lives before Soentle and didn’t deserve to die" He looked up, freezing ly You have to believe me"

I couldn’t catch a proper breath The rooht my head with horror

Clara moved closer to Fox and it wasn’t until she put a hand on his leg that I noticed she clutched a tiny dagger with an intricate gem inlaid in the hilt Fox sucked in a breath at her touch, but didn’tfor a blade just in case

With ease and brittle gentleness, he pried Clara’s fingers fro it back on a shelf "I don’t think yourwith knifes" He shot h"

Clara shook her head, her eyes never leaving the pretty ruby inlaid dagger "I don’t want to play with them I want to make them They’re so pretty and shiny, and I want to kno Can you show me? Please? Can I have that?" She pointed at the knife

"You’re not having a knife, Clara No lared my ‘do-not-mess-with-me scowl’