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He shot to his feet, pacing again Why would he answer that? If he equated his revelations with the end of our relationship, he wouldn’t Not unless he accepted that it would end if he didn’t tellof s, and he came to trust me To love ling for his own self-preservation "Why can’t you just pretend my past is a blank void?" Under his breath, he said bitterly, "That’s what I do"

"I can’t pretend I have to know"

He stabbed his fingers through his hair, yanking at the ends "Natalie, I need youI need you not to know me And still stay"

"I swear to you that will not happen"

He dropped his hands "Godda "Sevastyan"

He faced allows drop

"I’one" I rose to dress

He clutched at his throat as if starving for air "Don’t speak like that!" He lunged forward to clutch my shoulders "Look at me Look at me!"

His eyes appeared full black "I will tell you that I’ve killed e of twelve"

I held my breath

"The first father I killed was my own"

Chapter 44

Sevastyan’s admission rocked me Not only because of what he’d said, but because of the sharip onfor ust--and he had zero doubt he would receive it

Little as I knew about Sevastyan, at least one trait had beenloyalty toward those he loved Considering that he’d been only twelve when this had happened, and he’d hinted that things had been bad with his alcoholic father, I had to believe he’d been defending himself "Your father must’ve left you no choice"

Sevastyan did a double take, see shocked that I hadn’t run from the room "How can you say that? Did you not hear me? I’ve just confessed topatricide"

"I sa you ith Paxán You would’ve been devoted to any father orthy of it"

Sevastyan sat at the foot of the bed, then stood abruptly, only to sit once more The pain inside this man! Some mechanism deep within is broken