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“Is this why you didn’t want to be inaround me to encompass not just this safe house, or whatever he called it, but the other house I was taken to The one where I was held captive

He clenches his jaw, anger burning in his eyes “Yes”

“Did you know that Carson would—”

“No” He cuts me off before I can finish, the word heavy and emphatic “Believe me, if we had knoould’ve doneyou stay at his place was supposed to be an unnecessary precaution We didn’t know Carson would use you to try to get to us”

He stands, his broad forazes down at ht harder I should’ve made Marcus and Theo see”

“See what?”

“We should never have been in your life, Ayla If we hadn’t been, none of this would’ve happened You don’t belong in the ed you into it It’s not fucking fair This isn’t your world, this isn’t your fight, and yet you al breath “None of us expect to live long But you should You have to”

So in his voice strikes a chord deep inside me

He eratedly

He truly doesn’t expect to be alive for long

Mehout to hi his hand

I bring his fingers up to brush against the scar ona little at the feel of his touch on ed skin Ryland has barely ever touched me before, and my body blazes with awareness of that fact

I let his blunt fingertips linger onhim to absorb the feel of it Then I release his hand and turnhim have that piece of me

“I never expected to live past fifteen I tried not to,” I say softly “I’ you do or don’t do will change that”

Ryland catchesdown at it I can feel e froh to know if Marcus already ardless of whether he knew about aze burns with conviction when he ain