Page 78 of Savage Escape

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BRIAR

Fate wasn’t a thing Briar Hawthorne could escape. No matter where she went, what she did, or who she talked to it was fate. She’d tried to dodge it when she was young but matter what she did fate always found a way to get her where it wanted her.

She had eventually learned to just go with the flow. It was easier that way.

Which was why she found herself wandering aimlessly through an airport trying to find the person fate was pulling her towards. She was studying faces and trying to pump herself up for another reading when it happened.

Usually she was so careful about touching people, but she was in an airport and there were just so many people to worry about that she couldn’t keep track of them all.

So when she bumped shoulders and lived through a torture session, she was shocked and horrified. It immediately made her cry. She’d never endured torture before. But this person had recently undergonetorture.

Briar stood stock still as the rest of this woman’s life whirled in her mind.

Caden Quinn. Mercenary. Sometimes a thief. Ezra: dead. Quinn: dead. Her fault. Nathan Savage: a shining beacon in the darkness that was Caden’s life. Death, murder, suicide, guilt—so much guilt.

Briar cried harder.

This was the person fate was pulling her towards.

Caden Quinn and her fucked up life.

“Excuse me.” Tears still streaming down her face, Briar went after Caden. “Excuse me!” Too loud, people turned around to eye her and the commotion she was making. The amount of times she’d been embarrassed because of her goddamned gift was staggering. She was used to it now.

Finally, Caden turned around.

“Hi, Caden?”

The woman was shorter than her and pale. Unstyled dark hair fell to her shoulders and darker eyes looked startled at her name being spoken. Her face was sharp and angular. Her dark brows were pulled down in consternation.

“My name is Briar Hawthorne. Nice to meet you.” She didn’t offer her hand but nodded and smiled.

“Do I know you?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know my name?”

Now, this was always the part she hated. No one ever believed her, and she sounded ridiculous. Besides the fact that there wasn’t a name close enough to do justice to what she could do. So she always just settled on psychic.

“I’m psychic.” Which never went over well.

“And I’m a duck.” The woman rolled her eyes and turned on her heel to leave.

“Wait!” Briar caught her elbow and was assaulted with even more of Caden’s miserable life. “Wait, please. Can I talk to youfor a second?” Briar ignored the tears streaming down her face and tried not to look entirely pathetic.

“Why? There’s a whole airport full ofotherpeople for you to harass.” She gestured around her and huffed out an annoyed breath.

“There’s something importantyouneed to hear.”

Caden glanced at her phone and then around at all the people coming and going and finally sighed. “Fine. What is it I need to know?”

“Do you mind if we sit down?” Briar pointed to a bench several feet away and waited for Caden to head there before she started walking.

“Okay, we’re sat. What do you have to say to me?” Impatient, the woman glanced at her phone again and then at the passing people.

Briar wasn’t sure where to start. What could she say that Caden would believe? Probably nothing.

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