Page 34 of Rebellion

But just slightly.

Colm:I want you to remember that he was a bad person. He’d have raped Miller. He hurt her. And you saved her.

Colm:Although, next time, you’re to run and find me first. You aren’t to put yourself in danger.

Sofia:You sound just like Aleksandr.

She didn’t knowwhat else to say.

Colm:I sound nothing like Aleksandr. He’s your cousin and I’m... not.

Right.That felt anticlimactic.

Colm:You need to go to sleep.

She did,but she didn’t want to admit it. She also didn’t want to close her eyes. Because despite his reassurances, she still felt this heavy weight of guilt in her stomach.

Of dread and uncertainty.

But she could hardly beg him to continue texting her. He needed some sleep too.

No doubt tonight hadn’t been that easy for him either.

Shoot. She was so selfish.

Sofia:Are you all right?

Colm:Ahh, sweet lass. Yeah, I am. I’m fine. I’ve seen worse, unfortunately. But I’ve learned to compartmentalize. And I’m not an innocent like you.

Sofia snorted.Innocent?

Yeah, she was anything but that.

Colm:I want a promise from you, though.

Sofia swallowed heavily.What sort of promise?

Colm:If you can’t sleep. Whether it’s because you’re scared or angry or upset, I want you to message me. No matter where or when. Promise?

Sofia closed her eyes.That... that promise was something she really wanted to make. She wanted to be able to message him whenever she needed him.

But that would just build up to a reliance that she couldn’t afford, resulting in a want for more that wasn’t possible.

To her secret dream becoming more tangible.

Colm:Sofia.

Yikes.She could hear the sternness in his voice even through text, which made her jumpy.

Colm:Do I need to come over there?

Shit.

Sofia:No! You can’t come over here! You’ll get caught by Sacha’s men.

And she could well imagineher cousin’s reaction to that.

Colm:Baby, I won’t get caught.

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