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Without warning, the water cut out, and a warm, soft torapped around her Gentle hands pulled her from the shower

“You okay, princess?”

She looked up into Mace’s clear blue eyes, taking in his stubble-covered jaw and the crooked nose that had obviously been hit once too often Such strength in just one ently stroked his cheek

“No,” she answered honestly She was tearing apart inside Ripped to shreds by the loss of her friend and the horrific way it’d happened

“If there was anything I could do…” He trailed off, no doubt feeling as helpless as she did

“Just hold h this Make ony

“I can do that” His big arth “You know there was nothing you could have done, right?” His voice was gentle before he pressed a kiss to her hair

“Maybe if I’d been there, if I’d stayed on the terrace…”

“No” He squeezed her tight “It wouldn’t have made a difference Don’t tell yourself that, baby It’s a lie If you’d been on the terrace, all Freedom would have done would be to keep you up there in front of the cameras until they’d played all their other cards You would have been their final play Their big finale” His hand stroked her hair “They would have killed those people anyway There’s nothing you could have done to save your friend”

“You could have grabbed her, too, e ran”

As soon as the words were out of herback, she looked up at hirets painted so clearly on his face

“I’m sorry, Mace I shouldn’t have said that This isn’t your fault Everything happened so fast, and I know you grabbed ail step back, farther away fro her, she was probably inching toward the door, hoping to make an escape before anyone noticed She was nowhere near you when the trouble started I’m so sorry I laid that on you”

He cupped her cheek and stared into her eyes Her heart Her soul “If I could have saved her, I would have I wish I could go back in tis for you I wish I could save her for you”

She hiccupped a sob and felt the tears roll down her chee

ks again “I can’t believe she’s gone,” she whispered