Page 58 of The Hermit

“Are you safe?” she asks, her voice thick with tears.

I turn away from Dominik as I answer, “I’m safe. Don’t worry about me. Are you okay? Where are you? Do you have enough money?”

“Yeah,” the word trembles over the line, and I can hear she’s lying as she says, “I’m seeing all the sights in Europe while…ahh..trying to find myself.” Changing the subject, she asks, “Where are you?”

I glance over my shoulder to where Dominik is looking at something on his laptop, then reply, “I’m with Dominik.”

“Jesus, Grace!” she exclaims. “I…what…God. I’m so sorry.”

“Shh…” I hush her. “I’m really okay. So far, he’s been nothing but kind to me.”

“Yeah, right,” she mutters, then her voice is strained again as she says, “I’m sorry about everything.”

“It’s okay,” I say. Dominik taps on his watch to show me it’s time to hang up, which has me adding, “I have to go. I’ll get a new number soon, so be on the lookout for it.”

“I love you, Grace. So so much.”

“I love you too, Ciara. Be careful and take care of yourself, okay?”

“Uh-huh,” she mumbles before whispering again, “Love you.”

The call ends, and feeling emotional from getting to talk with Ciara, I place my cell phone on Dominik’s desk before rushing out of the office.

I hurry past my bedroom and take the stairs down. When I burst out of the backdoor, I pick a random direction and start walking even though it’s getting dark.

Why does it feel like I just said goodbye to Ciara for the last time?

Within a span of twenty-four hours, I’ve lost my family.

I wasn’t close with Dad and hated him for the position he put me in with Braden, but after all was said and done, he was still my father.

Ciara just left, and it feels like she’s cutting ties with me.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but we used to talk about everything, and now I don’t even know where in Europe she is.

Suddenly, arms come around me and I’m yanked off my feet. I let out a startled scream, and before I can try to fight off whoever has a hold of me, panic flares through me hot and fast.

Braden plows into my back, and I hit the ground with a harrowing cry.

His fingers brutally grip my hair, and my face is pressed hard into the grass.

Time warps, and when the panic begins to retreat, I find myself pressed against a solid chest while sitting on the ground.

I become aware of Dominik’s familiar scent, and relief trickles into my heart.

“It’s okay. You’re safe,” he murmurs repeatedly while keeping me pressed to his chest.

When I stir in his hold, he pulls back, and with worried eyes, he searches my face before asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I glance around us, then remember he grabbed me. “Why did you do that?”

He points toward an area ahead of us. “I have landmines planted around the house. I should’ve told you sooner.”

Jesus. I was almost blown to smithereens.

“I called out to you, but you didn’t respond,” he adds while helping me to my feet.

“And now I owe you for saving my life for a third time,” I mutter as I brush grass and sand from my butt.

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