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"Inco," she muttered "There will be bloodshed There will be casualties" Before, she’d hoped to warn her brothers Threaten or insult Hector and suffer Too late Her mother was a lost cause

"Phillips?" he asked, on alert

"Worse"

The Four Horse a half circle around her and Hector Carter, Anthony, and Tyler were taller than she was, but not taller than Hector, and that rin

All three possessed the same shade of milk chocolate hair, but only Carter, the oldest, had Noelle’s gray eyes Anthony and Tyler had brown Like ht with a snicker

"I’m surprised to see you out in public," heralcohol no less"

Maybe this conversation wouldn’t be such a trial after all Fighting a grin, Noelle drained her glass "This isabout She’s been ready to party since the e, twitters of embarrassment

"I should have put you overothers quite so lared up at Hector "Who are you?"

"The guy ill punch your fucking nose into your brain if you talk to her like that again" Hector spoke without any menace, and that made the threat all the rinned My man deserves a reward for that

She made the introductions, and her ave his on the botto around hable, and you spend most of it on… on…" Madaustedly, "professionals Who do you think you are, bringing that kind of filth around soht for the heart Or groin Wonderful And the longer they hung around, the worse it would get

"He’s the bestHector believed her Because it was true! "Better than the bastards you raised" When her brothers sputtered in offense, she glared theuess what, Mother Hector’s better than you Now, if you’ll excuse us… I see guests in need of a good flashing"

Noelle gave her glass to a slack-jawed Anthony and dragged Hector to the other side of the doorway His gloves were still in place, so she didn’t worry about being burned

Concern for Hector’s feelings nearly overwhelmed her as she whirled to face hi social status had always bothered him To be reminded so brutally, and in front of witlessness… "She’s a snob and I meant what I said You are my favorite man"

His expression remained blank "Don’t worry about it She didn’t tell you anything that wasn’t true Didn’t say anything other people aren’t saying"

"Hector--"

Everyher "Game face on," he said Determination radiated from him "Mr Phillips just walked in"

Noelle paled "Wait Before we approach him, I have to tell you what happened when I left you"

The story she next told hient, and he hadn’t been apprehensive about her safety Much Fine, he’d been apprehensive But as her words played through his head, he realized she could have been shot, stabbed, abducted, and he wouldn’t have known until too late

That was a quandary for another night, though

"What do you want to do?" she asked

Hector took one look at Xavier Phillips and knew Dare--tell Mia that Dare is back, he’d said Dare, Mia’s er brother?--had told the God’s honest truth Nothing Hector said would get Phillips to talk Nothing would trip him up Too much confidence radiated from him He was too at ease Too… perfect

Phillips was tall and lean with coiffed blond hair and flawlessly tanned skin Two Arcadians flanked his sides, guarding him as they would a national treasure He stopped to shake hands with people, conversed, laughed, but never stuck around, and the guards never allowed anyone to get too close Hefemales, and it was clear almost everyone liked hihter was forced, their expressions frozen Clients, definitely, who knew a ruthless side to the man that the others did not A man who had abducted and sold countless woe, though, that Phillips had shared his identity with them rather than use a middleman Made Hector wonder if Phillips had had to threaten thearete Marks, but Hector doubted many others had come to enjoy their circu the heat and the itch in his ar at her "I need you to do soht She assumed her family had hurt him when, in fact, the opposite was true She’d rushed to his defense Had called him the bestof the world He couldn’t let her know, not while they were here She’d stop being so eager to please "Stay by my side and stay quiet"

Dare wanted him to walk away, but he couldn’t do that Wouldn’t do that

"Uh, okay Why?"

"That’s not staying quiet"

A pause A clink of her teeth as she gnashed her jaw "Come on" He kicked into ly, she stayed quiet, too

When they reached Phillips’s crowd, Hector shoved his way to the front, earning a few grunts, groans, and several protests--at least until his deterery were realized, then everyone quickly backed away

The Arcadians stepped in front of Phillips to shield him, but the confident businessman waved them back and frowned at Hector "I hope you have a reason for such a rude display"

"I do My name is Hector Dean, and I’, and I’, Hector stalked away, a gaping Noelle still at his side and still silent

"You et," Noelle seethed the second they were in the car and speeding along the highway She hadn’t knohat to expect as she’d followed hih the ballroom, but that short and sweet conversation wouldn’t have entered the realuy told us to stay away from him" Not that she’d planned to do so, but still!

"Yes, I did And Dare is the nauy you talked to is legit or not, but her brother was once under the influence of a very powerful Arcadian female A very evil Arcadian feht"

Putting hi focus on hi she should have anticipated Well, noould just have to deal with the consequences

"Does your hoainst teleportation?" she asked

"No"