er more-seeing Damien again, o

over the page. His silence was louder than any accusation, but his eye

things," he said quietly. "I

answer. Sh

the edge of a stool, arms

ar her workbench. He set the sketchb

ew me,"

he replied, voice tight. "You just n

d. That su

of si

ed, dragging a ha

ire... everything happened so fast. My brother was gone. I was pulled int

u. I thought you were dead. And when I found out I was pregn

said, stepping closer. "I

She wanted so badly to believe that the man she

ts. And hers had

try to find me,

hired someone, but you'd changed numbers,

eath h

he wasn'

sappeared.

raid he might see th

otect my son,"

oice broke

red. "From grief. From growi

"You really think I wouldn't

is armor. The way his jaw tensed. The way his hands curled at

e question again, ev

he m

idn't

coul

he n

n

yes like he'd been

in, the distance in his eye

heart