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I commanded my mind to release him, but a part of an to reach my hand down to quickly check Ethan’s clothes for any hidden weapons, the overhead light came on

“What are you doing?” Lucy shouted and then she was co at me

“Don’t fucking e If she put her hands on istered with her and she stopped several feet short of us

And I knew Ethan had finally seen what he likely couldn’t have in the dark It was the sa I knew he’d seen several days earlier when I’d beenthe blanket off his lap after he’d vorabbed ed to say between panicked breaths

Lucy held back, the stark fear in her eyes clear as day I ignored the guilt of knowing how badly I was scaring her and focused h I kept Lucy in

“I’ to hurt you,” I said as calmly as I could, my eyes on Ethan’s I needed him to calm down or I’d never be able to search him And if I couldn’t search him, I couldn’t release him

Ethan ed a nod, but I could tell he didn’t believe me

“I just need to o as soon as I’m done”

“I’m not, I swear it”

I didn’t bother telling him he could swear it until the cows carip on his neck as loose as it could be while still keeping hiht of the dark bruises beneath ers, but I had no choice

He’d started this by betraying me

Several long seconds passed before Ethan finally seeo, but that I also wasn’t restricting his airflow His breathing evened out and his grip on h he didn’t remove it

“I’ to search you now,” I warned him Lucy hadn’t moved even an inch