page46 (1/2)

And still she peppered him with accusations ‘You paint wonderful pictures and hide theift wasted You’re an inspiration, a positive role-ood—a second—’

Savannah gasped as Ethan thrust her through the entrance of the hay barn Sla the door shut, he shot the bolt ‘This ti her in front of hi the least inconvenience I can to everyone around me’

‘You lance into the future?’

‘I’ to say about that,’ he said with all the confidence of a hugely successful tycoon

‘Your business analysts? And I bet they keep you warht’

‘You don’t know me, so just leave this—’

‘I know enough about you to care’

As her voice echoed in the lofty barn they both went still Ethan’s eyes were so dark and reflected a truth so terrible Savannah alht hi out to touch his face ‘Who did this terrible thing to you?’ They both knew she wasn’t talking about his scars

Ethan moved his head away

‘And this tiently ‘Don’t insult me with some pallid version of the truth because you’ve decided I can’t take the facts I can take anything for you—share everything with you—good and bad’

Everything hung on this moment, Savannah realised, and yet all she could do noait

After the longest moment, Et

han shrugged ‘My stepfather beat me’

She knew that

‘When I grew too big for him to beat me, he paid others to do it for him’