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It went against every instinct she had, but Elle slid her hand into the crook of his arm and they walked down the jet’s staircase He wanted to take her to the castle? Good No one knew it better than her Once she figured out how to rerasp like water

Her foot had barely touched the tar the scent of salt water, old memories, and home It wasn’t until that moment that she realized Dom had carried the scent as well He hadn’t, not really It would have been impossible to bottle Elskov’s scent, but soh Doht her home all the same, and she’d do whatever it took tothe man she loved

Elle looked through the car’s windshield and caught her breath The castle looates The dark, almost ebony-colored stone castle stood in stark contrast to the cheery blue sky, each of the four turrets reaching upward as if the flagpole atop each could pierce the heavens Her chest tightened at the sight, and the rush of unexpected tears le

She’d grown up playing inside the castle’s walls, sneaking into the throne roo the cooks in the kitchen for extra blueberry scones, and hiding aarden God, she hadn’t realized how ainst it, but she couldn’t deny that Elskov oven into her DNA

She was done running

She was done hiding

She was home

Walther’s hard grip on her upper arm jolted her out of the bittersweet epiphany

“Speak a single word once we’re inside, and I’ll make sure to leave the bruises where they won’t show but will hurt the most,” he said in a harsh whisper moments before the car pulled to a stop at the private, royal family entrance to the castle

“Why, Walther” Her smile was as fake as the sweetness in her voice “You ht as you’d like the world to believe”

He released her ar hard “You better watch your mouth unless you want to end up like your father sooner rather than later”

Retreat was the sainst her skin Her muscles tensed, wound up with b

arely repressed fury ready to be unleashed on the man who’d killed Do away layers of his skin with her nails would feel so good She twisted in her seat enough to irip Walther had on her hair

Then theis everything Don’tand then hold nothing back

“Understood” She was so keyed up frole as all she could trust herself with