Page 32 of Guarded from Treachery

“Isla…”

I never even considered it. But what if?

As pain spears through me, a tiny moan escapes, and I clap my hand to my mouth to try to stifle it.

Tears sting my eyes.

The walls feel like they’re closing in.

“Isla,” Rhiannon says softly, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I whisper, feeling the furthest thing from it.

Out of the corner of my eye, Erik watches me, concern etched into his features.

Matt sets his laptop on the coffee table and slides across the couch so he’s next to me. “Isla. I’m sorry.” Guilt shadows his gaze. “Please don’t cry.”

“I’m not,” I sniffle. Which would be more convincing if a tiny sob didn’t slip out as I said it. “I’m fine.”

“I shouldn't have said it like that,” he says.

“It’s okay. You had”—another little sob interrupts me—“to ask.”

“Still.” Matt’s hand twitches towards me. “You’re not feeling well. This wasn’t the best time. I should have waited.”

“We have to ask these things,” Erik adds, his gaze moving from me to Matt. “Unfortunately, there’s no getting around the hard questions.”

Matt throws a quick glare at him. “There’s a time and a place.”

“No, it’s okay.” My voice is small. Shaky. “I get it. This is a job. You can’t just wait around for me to feelup toanswering questions.”

“It’s not like that,” Matt retorts quickly. “You’re more important—” He stops. His ears go pink. After a long pause, he says, “We can stop this for now. You’ve already given us more to work with. Okay?”

I know Ishouldinsist on continuing. I shouldn’t let my emotions impact the progress we’re making—or not making—on my case. Blade and Arrow is here to help me, and I shouldn’t be doing anything to delay them.

But. It’s just somuchon top of everything else.

“Isla?” Matt touches my hand. It’s just a light brush of his fingers across mine, but the small contact still steadies me. As the warmth of his hand seeps into me, the pressure on my chest releases a little.

I swallow hard. “Yes?”

He stares at me for a second. “I was just thinking; it might be nice to get out of the apartment for a bit. A change of scenery and all that.”

Confused, I ask, “Go where?”

“Anywhere you want.” He pauses. Then he amends, “Well, notanywhere. But maybe just someplace local? For an hour or so? I know you’ve been going to work, but aside from that, you’ve been stuck in the apartment. So I thought it might be nice.”

“And it would be safe?”

Matt glances at Erik and Rhiannon, exchanging a silent communication through a series of chin lifts and raised eyebrows. A moment later, he says, “Yes. Two of us can go with you, and the other person can stay here to run surveillance. As long as you don’t want to go traipsing through the woods or something like that…”

A spark of optimism flickers to life. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Absolutely not.” A smile pulls at his lips. “I’d be happy to take you out.”

Out of the blue, my heart rolls over. Flutters.

Stop. Just because it sounds like something you’d say about a date doesn’t mean it’s anything like it.

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