Chapter 19

After Damien was hauled out, Everett worked on bringing her back down.

He cleaned her fingertips and bandaged them carefully. He was moving to clean up the glass when she caught his wrist.

"Don't."

"Stay with me."

He noticed. She was shaking.

He came back and wrapped her up. He didn't ask. He just let her breathe until she was ready.

The only sound was their heartbeats.

"That man was Damien. My ex-husband."

"He's the one who put my mother in that bed. He's the one who had my brother's limbs broken. All of these scars on me — also him. And now he's asking me to take him back."

Everett's face went dark.

In the hospital, he'd already guessed. When he remembered what she'd come in with — fractures, trauma, scars — it hit the same place.

"Was that true. All of it?"

"How dare he."

She didn't deny it. He dropped his head against her shoulder.

He pulled her in closer, tight, keeping his voice soft. He kept his real reaction very carefully out of it.

"Seraphina. That is not happening again. I'll keep you safe. I'll keep your family safe. You don't have to be afraid."