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“Yeah,” Alec said dryly “That’s what I said when I first heard about it Made me sick to my stomach Literally Then I wanted to cry For her” He didn’t say anything for athat sink in Then he added, “I can’t tell you any more than that It’s her story You would have heard all about it in court tomorrow—if Vishenko hadn’t tried to kill her But for now, you’ll have to get the rest from her If she wants you to knowshe’ll tell you But let me say this You really don’t want to knoish I didn’t Because knohat I knoellitafter all”

Guilt slammed into Liam as he realized he’d ht he knew about herure out why he’d been so quick to judge her, then shook his head when it dawned on him he’d wanted to think the worst of Cateto counteract his totally unexpected strong attraction to her It hadn’t worked And now he could add guilt to the equation

Chapter 4

A voice from the bottom of the stairs called Liam and Cate to dinner, and Liam started down the staircase But when no sound came from Cate’s bedroo maybe she hadn’t heard the call When she didn’t respond he rapped harder, but still no answer

He tried the doorknob and it wasn’t locked, so he twisted the knob and opened the door a few inches “Cate? Dinner”

The roo to suggest she was even in there Suddenly concerned—she wouldn’t just take off, would she?—he pushed the door open all the way That’s when he saw her huddled in the center of the bed, the bedspread pulled around her slender body Fast asleep

He trod quietly over to the bed, hesitated for a second, then touched her ar upward so quickly Liam was startled back “Hey, sorry Didn’t mean to scare you Just wanted to tell you dinner’s ready”

She pushed her hair away from her face and blinked at him Then she rubbed her eyes—tired eyes, he sa Sad eyes Ancient eyes that were theinto a soul in torment How had he missed it before? “It’s okay,” she said finally “I didn’th the shadows in the roo ht movement of her lips that came and went so quickly it al that roasted chicken for hours, it seems”

Any other woman Liam would have offered a hand to help her off the bed But Cate wasn’t any other woman And now that he kneell, he didn’t know exactly what he knew, but his i details he didn’t want to think about Not about Cate, or any wo to touch her It made sense nohy she hadn’t wanted him to touch her before It wasn’t personal It wasn’t Lia her And he didn’t blame her Not one bit

Dinner wasn’t the silent affair Liaan, carried on a conversation between the four of them by sheer will They refused to let Cate withdraithin herself, and asked a series of innocuous questions designed to put her at her ease She answered haltingly at first—as if she wasn’t in the habit of carrying on dinner conversation—then with increased confidence And Liam was convinced that whatever else she hatever else she’d been, she ell-read Self-educated? he wondered Cate let so slip that made him suspect libraries were her only recreational outletin large part because they were free

Liam answered when questions were addressed to him, but in between he watched Cate Surreptitiously He re?—arguing with the prosecutors Her hand gestures graceful and fluid Noatched her hands close up, fascinated by everything she said and did And that’s when he saw it It wasn’t obvious—just a slight darkening of the skin But it shouldn’t have been there Not twin bands circling both wrists in almost exactly the same location And suddenly he knehat they were And how she’d gotten them

Scars Scars left by sos sheRepeatedly Then he heard Alec’s voice saying, “Made me sick to my stomach Literally Then I wanted to cry For her”