Page 29 (1/2)

"I'm sorry" I tried to hide my face from him because I knew my eyes would be red and swollen Even at that ly-cry I didn’t have iven my debt to him, but I had some

"Shh, shh," he whispered "From the looks of those bruises, he could have killed you, Celia He could have killed you"

"He didn't," I said, thinking of how his hands had felt around h to come downstairs to his lair and saveI can do but try to get her out of there I'ht hurt her"

"I don't blame you," he said softly "We could put her into a safe house so care"

I glanced up at him finally, surprised that he offered "You'd do that?"

He shook his head "Of course I would," he said, and I could hear the emotion in his voice "She's your mother and Graham's mother You tere my only friends for all those years…"

Then he kissed iven his earlier declaration that he wouldn't touchto happen between us, it would be

I didn't kiss him back, but neither did I pull away Finally, he broke the kiss and wiped tears off my cheeks with a thumb

"Will you be okay?" he asked "I have to go soe will be here with you"

"I'll be fine," I said and forced a s what business he had to take care of at that ti?"

Hunter turned to ot soe," he said and turned to George "Can I speak with you downstairs?"

George nodded and gave ht back, Celia"

I nodded and watched as the two of them left the apartment, for another floor I hadn’t yet had a chance to explore the building and so I had no idea what else was in the building, but I assumed Hunter owned the entire place

I went to the bathrooed, then crawled into my bed to nurse ht co light over the island in the kitchen

I wondered what Hunter was doing and where he was going, but I had been so upset over what happened to me and how Spencer treated me that I quickly fell asleep