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But he would also never be able to get this broken-hearted Hannah out of his head This Hannah wasn’t sroped around for her skirt in an attempt to hide from him

She dressed in utter silence, with her back to him He wished she would just walk away He wouldn’t be able to handle the quiet dignity she would surely toss his way any moment Still, he forced hiuilt poured in

Hannah turned after snity on her face No, pure fened

“You’re a jerk, Mr James I never would have expected this frooing to play the scorned woman now?

I never lied to you”

“You’ve never told me the truth either Why did you hire ht “It was a favor to ence clear in their depths “I don’t think so Dex and Slade could have just as easily pursuedme into your office And why did you keep me as your executive admin if I was just ‘okay’?”

Why was everyone questioning him? Why wouldn’t they just leave him the fuck alone?

Because he deserved whatever shit rained down on hinant, it would kill hinant, Dex and Slade would kill him

“I told you before that I didn’t have a proble with you You have a certain charive up race and upbringing”

Her lips curled up in a cynical smile It was the first he’d ever seen on her Gavin sed down a throat full of bile His Hannah had learned a lot in the days since he and his brothers had kidnapped her, not all of it good

“Right, I’irl without ood tiain”

It made him sick, but Gavin nodded “Good I hope you won’t make a fuss with my brothers”

“That won’t be a probleed Her cynical smile fled, and tears welled in her eyes “I won’t cause any trouble between you and your brothers We duirls at least know better than to mess with family”

She started to walk out of the rooh

“What does that mean?”

“Piss off,” she snapped, without even turning back to him

“Where are you going?” he demanded

“It’s none of your concern”

“Stay in your rooain

She still didn’t turn back to him “I don’t need to follow your orders any more, Mr James

You’re not my boss You’re not even my lover You’re just a jerk who used e Pain slah him, but he sed it down “This jerk thinks it would be best if you remained in your room”

“What you think doesn’t matter anymore”

He laughed, a huuess you don’t love me after all”

“You’re wrong” She sighed and kept walking

With tords, she dis his storabbed the bottle of vodka and drained the last of it, staring at the piano He’d never be able to play again without seeing Hannah there He’d never be able to coain

He was a et worse But he knehat he had to do, the only honorable thing he could do He picked up the phone and dialed his lawyer’s number

Maybe someday Hannah and his brothers would understand

Hannah walked through the house like a zo across the hardwood floors The events of the past days played through her brain as she made it to her room She’d been briefly happy here, but that was over

She took off her clothes and started the shower God, she felt dirty Funny how she could be with two el, but Gavin had made her feel slutty and cheap

After washing away the evidence of her mistake, she cli her eyes, she packed her things and closed her suitcase She opened her laptop With a few keystrokes, she found the phone number to the charter service that flew froht home from there In a day or so, she would be back in Two Trees Maybe she could pick up the pieces of her life

If she could find a way into town

Next, Hannah pulled up her word processing program and typed out a note to Dex and Slade

After searching the nearby study, she found no evidence of a printer, so she left the cooodbye

Hannah cried as she dragged her suitcase behind her and searched the whole house futilely for car keys or the driver Neither were anywhere to be found Darn it, she needed to be gone before Slade and Dex returned They wouldn’t understand They’d convince her that Gavin was like a lion with a thorn in his paw—snarling anddeep down They’d convince her that she could heal him But Hannah knew better If she remained, she would just cause trouble between Gavin and his brothers

God, she’d miss these ain, but she couldn’t break up a family

Why had she thought she could be involved with threeat all, at least not with her brain Her heart and nether regions had proven that they couldn’t make a halfway decent decision between them

She wandered into the great room where she’d confronted Gavin earlier If only she’d listened to hi Maybe he was, but nothing she’d done had cut through his protective walls He didn’t want her help or her love

She stared out the ondering how far the as into tohen the golf carts caught her eye

She sht not be polished, but they kne to make do

She pulled her golf cart into a parking space behind the Angry Moose Saloon, Grocery, and Lodge It was the biggest building in the tiny little town Made of large logs, it resee cabin Two burly men walked out of the saloon doors and stopped in their tracks when they saw her

Both of them towered over Hannah They stared openly at her, and then the one wearing a hat walked right back into the saloon without a word