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“Ari,” Dane ine how ht I’m away from you”

“Yes, I can” I’d been just as tor will keep us apart ever again”

“Not if I can fucking help it”

chapter 5

Over breakfast the next , alone on the patio off from our master suite, I broached another touchy subject with Dane

“I understand the need to keep your Phoenix-rising-froroup, but I couldn’t help but think of Mikaela yesterday”

He eyed me speculatively “The woman who caused you to succuood reason?”

“Please She’s drop-dead gorgeous and you’d be lying if you claimed otherwise”

“She’s attractive Not rinned “And being pregnant with my son makes you even more spectacular”

“Thank you” I picked at my omelet a moment while ave me Then I said, “Anyway, about Mikaela I went to see her after her Italianin her ear about a raciously orchestrated We’ve talked several times since She’s really pretty broken up about your ‘death,’ and I ondering if, at some point, you intend to let her know you made it out of the Lux and that you’re fully intact Well, relatively speaking”

I spared a glance at his bandaged shoulder and fought a wince I hated seeing him injured

While DaneMikaela in on the secret, I nibbled on my breakfast His other shoulder bunched and I could tell it was a difficult decision for him to make

Finally, he said, “I really don’t like keeping this from her I’d never intentionally hurt her” There was a sudden hint of regret and remorse in his eyes

“She’ll understand the reasoning behind the confidentiality issue, but still I i you Soed “It’s like she goes to this place somewhere distant and happier in her head and then pretends to override her eous anecdote Yet I can hear in her voice it’s all feigned”

He shoved back his chair Stood and paced