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A look of sympathy crossed Julia’s face "It’s a lot to handle I was seeing it happen and I still couldn’t believe it"

"And not only that, et into the house, scare the crap out of you, and he et my sister to respond to him? She placed her hand in his?"

Julia nodded "That’swhat it looked like toand rubbing it across his chest He was happy to hear that Madeline had responded to so like a bitch He was her brother--her twin And when he was around her, she didn’t even seeed breath as he glanced over at her again "Should’ve warned you about Daniel I just didn’t think he’d find out about Maddie"

Julia had told hi they saw Maddie All of them should’ve been better prepared for the chance that ruotten out and made their way back to Daniel and to others

"He startled me, but it’sit’s okay" Julia folded her arms around her waist "He didn’t try to hurt uard"

He shook his head "No No, it’s not okay He knows he’s not supposed to be here"

"How did he even get in the house?"

Lucian frowned as he stared out over the land "That’s a good question I know he didn’t coet in?"

"Daniel knows this house well enough to travel it blindfolded at night, so if there was oneunlocked, he would’ve found it" That was so on

"I didn’t tell hi very responsive and that she just started painting" A faint, warm breeze lifted the stray hairs around her face "He actually didn’t ask a lot of questions I don’t think he had a chance He realized pretty quickly that I’d texted you and he left after that"

"I didn’t think you would’ve told hiers around the railing, crushing the vines under his palht noas the kind of bullshit that followed Daniel around Turning back to the land below, he eased his fingers off the railing "I’h he wasn’t looking at her, he sensed her inching closer A moment passed and she asked, "I know it’s not my place to ask, but why is Daniel not allowed to be here? I "

Lucian pushed off the railing, facing her "First off, it is your place to ask You’re living here You’re taking care of Maddie And youother than sit and stare at a wall, so you’ve earned that right"

The set of her shoulders relaxed "Okay"

He cocked a hip against the railing, loosely folding his ar story"

"We have time," she insisted "Madeline’s had her dinner and we can see her froestured at the door with her chin Maddie was sitting in front of the easel

Lucian stared at his sister through the door for aSince she’d returned, he feared that nothing would change for her That her life would consist of having so her doing soht him to his knees with relief

And as terrible as it sounded, he was glad he now had a reason to have Julia’s undivided attention He was discovering that was extre he’d never had experienced before