Page 30 of Seduce Me in Shadow

Fury roars across his face as he whips toward me, looking ready to kill. “Your prick of a brother did this? Did you stand and watch, you motherfucking pervert, while he hurt her?”

Out of nowhere, Ice smashes my jaw with a right cross, then follows with a mean uppercut to the abdomen. I double over and swallow back the urge to vomit. I could fight the warrior in hand-to-hand and, being better trained, could probably win. But I remain still. Why defend my actions when he’s right?

“Were you hoping to have a go at her next?” he seethes into my ear. “I’m going to rip your throats out with my bare hands. Neither you nor your brother will touch her again.”

“Ice!” Sabelle wraps her delicate fingers around his giant biceps to stay him.

To my surprise, the big warrior backs down, despite the fact he’s clearly ready to pulverize any who touch her.

“It was my choice to serve Lucan,” she explains. “I asked Caden to stay…just in case.”

Ice absorbs that information with a clenched jaw and a homicidal mien. “He hurt you. I won’t allow that.”

“I don’t need your approval. Lucan is not in his right mind, and he’s my friend.” She turns to me as I rub my assaulted jaw. “Go. I need to gather myself and clean up before I face my brother.”

The witch swallows. For the first time, she looks genuinely nervous.

I can’t leave her to face her brother’s wrath alone.

I grab her hand. “Thank you for your effort. On behalf of my brother, I’m sorry for…what he put you through. I’ll talk to Bram and?—”

Ice shoulders his way between us and shoves me back. “Donottouch her. Ever. Again. Are we fucking clear?”

Whoa. He’s as volatile as a wizard in the throes of fresh mating fever.

Wait.

I glance between them. They’re not mated, but I suspect Ice would like to be. And Sabelle… Is she blushing?

Yeah. No, not getting in the middle of that.

“Quite.” I step away.

As if Ice’s possessiveness is completely normal, Sabelle pastes on a chipper smile. “I’ll talk to my brother. Tell him I’ll be down shortly, will you?”

I’ve been dismissed.

Still, with Ice in this mood, do I dare leave her alone with the head case? “You all right here?”

“Of course.” Her fake smile widens.

“Get the fuck out,” Ice snarls. “From now on,Iwill protect her.”

I’ll bet Bram has plenty to say about that…

I send one last glance at Sabelle, who nods. If she wants to be alone with the crazy bastard, I can’t get in her way.

With a sigh, I head for the door. At the threshold, I glance back to see Sabelle send Ice a fiery glare. Neither says a word, but I have a feeling that the possessive male is about to get a serious dressing down. My guess? Sabelle intends to put distance between her and Ice for reasons I can only speculate about. My other guess? Ice isn’t about to let that stop him.

Chapter

Fourteen

Sydney

Long after dark, I finish my interview and return home. I’m completely drained physically. Emotionally, I’m wired.

I’ve got so much food for thought. That poor woman remembers so little of her adulthood. I can only imagine how horrific her torture was if she’s blocked out years of her life.

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