Page 5 (1/1)

“Lucy!” I heard the man scream, and I barely had time to recover before his body sla the man with un, he cauy clearly didn’t know the first thing about fighting because every swing failed to h injury to loosen les irritatedI kneould end the whole thing and put un to his head As expected, he froze instantly, his eyes going ith fear I used his stillness to study hi around us I guessed hiht and older than me by at least ten years, but he was leaner than e build His hair was dark brown and he earing jeans and a sweatshirt…like the girl, he was completely underdressed for the elements The only feature on his face I could reen eyes, even though one ollen shut Nearly his entire face was covered in bruises and his lip ollen and split Dried blood clung to a gash near his temple and I sucked in a breath when I saw the bruises on his throat

Bruises I’d seen more times than I could count when I was a child

Whoever had put theto hurt hi to choke him Either into submission…or worse

I kneithout a shadow of a doubt that at least some of the blood Ronan and I had found in the house had coht…he wasn’t running fro much, much worse

“Do it,” thescratchy…an aftereffect of being strangled probably

I forced my eyes to his His hands were fisted by his sides and he was sucking in deep breaths

“Do it,” he repeated I stiffened when I saw his hand reach forthat he wasn’t trying to disarer press against the one I had resting on the trigger I could say that after all the things I’d seen ina gun on me and this moment, I was pretty much incapable of speech

“Because that’s the only way I’ back to him this time,” he declared His voice dripped with a curious nation

Before I could respond, I heard the girl yell, “Ethan!” and then she was coish as she continued to struggle to catch her breath I easily caught her ar at ed the girl back againstone of mine around her

“No!” the h he swayed wildly once he ed to stand “Please,” he whispered

The girl struggled inits end and I snapped, “Be still”

I had no idea what the fuck was going on and I was freezing my ass off

“Please,” the man io back with you Tell…tell Eric I won’t run again I swear it”

“Ethan, no,” the girl cried out

“Sweetheart, stay still, okay? It’ll be over soon”

The girl was shaking her head against h uish and the terror in the ed me

I was about to explain to both of them that I wasn’t whoever it was they believed me to be, but the man – Ethan – suddenly lost his balance and cruirl shouted “Ethan!” and I quickly released her and lunged forward to catch hiirl was bydown her face

“Ethan,” she cried as she brought her hands up to his face, but seele here to put them

“Lucy,” I said as I tucked h so his face lolled against irl didn’t respond