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Before she had a chance to dig into the reason behind that smile, or understand his keen interest in her personal dare, a glass shattered to the ground next to their table Ella’s heart leapt into her throat as the noise struck her right in the soul, like a knife cutting into her belly

A sound that had been iet A wave of fear raced through her, sending ice spilling into her veins She pinched her eyes shut and froze in her chair, as she absentmindedly tumbled into a memory

“Rory, this isn’t you Don’t,” she ed to shout before firm hands shoved her forward

The world spun around her before she went tulass breaking as her face crashed into the table became the only noise in the air When the rest of her body hit the table, her scream echoed in her ears as her forehead ached from the blow

She blinked, groaning in agony from the fierce throb by her eye A second later, she lay on the floor arlanced to her hands covered in red fro her hand to her face, she cringed at the deep gash near her eye Then she realized the war from the wound

So much blood …

Tension rippled through Kyler in alar bells He stared at Ella, alert to her every lass from the floor, Ella finally opened her eyes She looked to hiaze cast down

His jaw tightened, watching her harsh breathing She grasped the table, knuckles white, ed to rein in the concern flickering through hi for her

When she flinched away from hiht?”

Her gaze lifted to his, wide-eyed fear ragging in its depths Keeping his hand close to hers, he hesitated His stomach roiled under a reaction he’d seen before, too many damn times The first hint of the reason behind the pain he’d seen in Ella was showing itself, and he wondered if Aidan had seen it, too “Has someone hurt you, Ella?”

Her face became ashen “P-p-pardon?”

Drawn in to protect her, he inhaled a slow breath to control his voice “You behave like a wo you?”

“No, you’re wrong” Her breathing returned to normal and clarity re m

e”

He didn’t feel like he had it wrong His instincts told him he’d discovered exactly what had happened to her “Why did you beco and then just flinch away from me?”