Page 42 (1/2)

Locking the door behind irl She looked deceptively peaceful as she slept, and I needed so off my suit, I cli back over the day, I knew she needed a h this I was neither of those things The fury I was going to unleash would take me to a place darker than I’d ever been Maybe at the end of it, I’d be dead or behind bars iven o back into hell to keep her safe, so be it

Chapter 18

Em’s eyes blinked open as she woke and automatically looked for ravelly voice that she’d spent a good part of yesterday crying

"Mornin’, love," I answered her

"You been awake for long?" she asked

"Not long," I assured her I’d been awake for two hours, and before that, I hadn’t slept ht The last time I’d fallen into a fitful sleep, I dreamed that Frank had taken her from outside the courtrooy her inbeneath me as life drained from her tiny body The tears I’d cried in sleep were still wet on ain My eyes were scratchy frohost who’d fade and disappear if I turned away, even for a s didn’t go so well yesterday," I admitted

"She sold me out, didn’t she?" E, O’Connell I need to know," she pleaded

"Trust me, love You really don’t She sided with Frank That’s all you need to know" I replied, desperate to protect her from as much of the fallout as I could "So fuck the bitch," I told her "She sold you down the river when she let Frank get aith raping you I never thought any parent who did that would change, so fuck her Her and that bastard can rot in hell for I care," I told her venoh It still hurts," she admitted

"I know, love," I told her sadly

I would ht for her but she couldn’t know that So for the h this

"Let’s stay here today We’ll take a day off fro and court and just spend the day in bed, watching oldfull well that I couldn’t afford to take the days off fro I already had, let alone another one to just stay in bed None of thatcare ofI’d love to do more," she said, and I waited for the "but" I kneas cooing to court," she told h it, Sunshine? You know your being there won’t make any difference to the verdict"