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Easton pulls back a chair and beckons o did you escape?”

“An hour ago, sir,” I say, staring at the clock

It feels so much shorter than that

Like it happened only o

“Are they looking for you now?”

I nod “Please, don’t send me back to them, sir”

He reaches across the table and holds out his hand It’s warht now to make me cry

“I will do my best to keep you safe, Jill”

“I can’t go back Not to my own family or to the De Vos family,” I say “But I don’t have any money or a place to stay”

He looks me in the eyes and says, “I will take care of it”

“I … I …” I don’t kno to respond

Can Easton really help me?

I barely know him, apart fro dinner here He’s a few years older than I around up Maybe this man does know more about the world I come from than he lets on

Why else would my parents come here so often?

“You can trustmy hand

What other choice do I have than to believe him?

“Do you want me to help you?” he asks “Think carefully about what this ain It’s too dangerous”

I don’t need a second thought “Yes Help me”

He sucks in a breath and holds it, his body tensing up “All right,” he says, raising a brow “But …”

Of course there is always a but

“But?”

“My help is not for free”

I take in a breath “I understand that”

I wonder what his price is, though

“Good You’ll have to work for me”