Page 20 of Manacled Hearts

He doesn’t answer right away. I already know what he’s going to say.

“No.”

There it is.

“It makes no sense to me, Maddox. Why are you and Katya doing this? Why us?”

“We don’t want anything from you, if that’s what you’re trying to ask,” he answers, yet I’m not freaking satisfied with it.

I don’t think he’s hiding something important from me. More like he would rather keep the reason to himself. Is it more personal? Surely, it’s not because he likes me or something. That would be ridiculous.

“You don’t like me, do you?” I slap my hand over my mouth the moment the sentence spills out.

The man’s eyes bulge, and I swear he slid his chair back a few inches.

“No!” he answers quickly. “Christ, Evie, it’s not like that. Not with me. I mean I do like you, but definitely not like that.”

Thank God. I think I kind of like him too. As a friend, a protector, and without a doubt in no other way.

Wait, did he say not with me? God, none of my business.

“You helped us. If it wasn’t for you and your… sacrifice.” His words trigger the itch in my veins and flashbacks threaten to sneak through. “We wouldn’t have saved all those kids. A hotel was out of the question.”

Okay, when he puts it that way, it kind of makes sense. It doesn’t mean it’s easier to accept, but it does make sense.

“Fine. But tell me one more thing…”

He cocks his head, waiting.

“Who are you people?”

CHAPTER 4

FINNIGAN

I spring from one foot to the other, jumping back before Madd’s jab connects to my ribs.

“You’re too slow, Hennessey.”

“Fuck you, Severin. I dodged it, didn’t I?” I spit back.

Only, he wasn’t wrong. I’m distracted.

He shakes his head and in two steps I barely acknowledge, he’s facing my side and punches me straight in the middle of my back. I land chest first on the rope of the ring, my breath snapped out of my lungs. The asshole doesn’t even bother to rub it in—he proved his point.

“I saw her yesterday,” he says as I push away, back into position.

“Her who?” The question doesn’t come out as nonchalant as I hoped.

“Evelyn Shaw.”

I miss his jaw when I take a swing, distracted by those two words. He whips around like he’s not just shy of seven feet tall and built like a mountain, and I turn, narrowing my eyes on him.

“What you do on your own time, Severin, is not my concern.”

How was she doing? I don’t dare ask out loud, pushing the curiosity away.

“I took her and her sister out for ice cream,” he continues, disregarding my words.

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