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He looks up at ain As angry as I a tears me apart

“Melissa,” he breathes my name in a way that nearly —”

“Because you know it’s the wrong one”

“Because I love you” He stands and steps toward me His massive sizeany of the blame for what I did This criain”

With that one stateh me “He threatened me?”

Derek’s chin drops, and I reach up to cup his cheek, sliding my palm over his close, dark beard Our eyes ret “Yes,” is all he says

Reaching for him, I surrender to his embrace, and for a few ether, and i like that would affect thisofficer, leadingthe nose of a lion

My cheek is against his chest as I consider it “How did he do it? How did he make that threat?”

Silence settles over the room, and I lift my head to look at hi as he views the tiny scar at my scalp “He had your necklace”

“What?” The icy fear is back

“We atching him, and he had it He pulled it out and showed it al er darkening his blue eyes “The idea that he had been here, in this house, close enough to take so”

Meo trickle into hts I rene burning ain to hide in the shelter of Derek’s arms

He only holds uilt rolls over me like a flood I’m to blame for this If I hadn’t been such a stupid fool toDerek Alexander, one of the most honorable men I’ve ever known, a hero, wouldn’t have ruined his reputation and possibly his life for ht truth, that started this chain of events

“It’s my fault” My voice is so low, I’

He catches er fills his eyes His dark broers, theas his teeth clench In this state I i to others, but I feel no fear He’d never hurt me