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“Are you scared?” Noah asked uard, Daniel, drove us to my photo shoot We were late, much to Austin’s annoyance, which forced him to leave earlier But it really was the least of our problems

“I’m not scared,” I finally replied

“Just like you weren’t scared of that lion ere kids?” he asked with a smile

“I was not scared!” I argued like a child, and he just sreen eyes focused only onfor aaway

Lifting my hand up, he kissed it “Honestly, I’m afraid”

“What?” I faced hiain

He nodded “Growing up, the scariest et how terrified he was of the Callahans They’ve been getting aith their double lives for decades When they want soet it,” he whispered For the first time, I had seen him truly afraid Even when he told me about Esther, even when he found me covered in her blood, he never once looked afraid He was always a rock My rock And noould be his

“I was scared of the lion,” I ad into him

“It was obvious”

“Shut up,” I laughed before beco serious “I was scared of the lion I’ Call me naïve or just stupid, but I honestly believe we’ll be okay We haven’t gone through all of this just to be hunted by the mafia Seriously, Noah—the mafia?”

“You’re crazy,” he said, despite the grin on his face

“You made me this way—oh, ,” I whispered as this beautiful Spanish-Colonial style rassy hillside caate was already open, and I was sort of annoyed by the crew and setup that covered the front entrance because they blocked most of the flowers and statues that lined the sides

“I want this house,” I whispered to myself

“You hate Pelican Point and Orange County,” Noah re off his seat belt And it was true Esther wanted me to buy a house here, but I couldn’t deal with a dozen other housewives just like her as neighbors and begged Oliver to help me stop her

But daeous “I would welcoe County for this house”