Page 99 of Captive of Outlaws

“LJ,” I say softly. Even in my anger, I can find that for him, summon a small good feeling. “Don’t.”

He puts his hand to mine, lets it linger there a moment, and then pushes me gently away.

“I’m sorry, Princess.” He blows out a breath. “God, I don’t even know if I’m doing the right thingnow.But when Will changed the locks the other day, that was the last straw. I couldn’t—it’s not right.”

“The locks?” I repeat. The skin at the back of my neck prickles with warning.

LJ looks away. “The new security system isn’t just to keep your uncle out, Maren. It’s—”

“To keep me in?” It’s a guess, one I’d hate to be right, but LJ just nods. I shake my head.

“No,” I say. “They wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t they?” LJ says. “You know our secret now. Theydon’t want to hurt you, but they can’t risk their own necks. You could lead the sheriff right to us if you wanted.”

“But I wouldn’t.” Except even as I say the words, I’m not sure they’re true.

“Wouldn’tyou?” LJ raises his voice. “Now that you know what they did, you wouldn’t fucking jump at the chance to hand them over and get your revenge?”

There’s a long stretch of silence.

“They can’t really be locking me in here,” I say. It’s crazy that I still won’t believe it, won’t think badly of them. Even knowing that they’re the reason I’m an orphan. The reason I grew up with nothing. That I was screamed at, hit, burned, abused, worked to the fucking bone.

“Well, they are,” LJ barks. “That’s how they think, Maren. How all of us think. It’s always about the greater good, the bigger benefit. They don’t want to clip your goddamn wings, but they also don’t want to compromise our whole mission. That leaves a lot more people much worse off.”

“Yeah, and keeps their asses safe and sound,” I mutter. “Pretty fucking convenient.” I wait a beat. “I still...can’t believe it.”

“Go ask, if you want,” LJ says, his voice low and steady. “Ask Will why he has all those locks in place. He won’t lie to your face. I know he won’t. He—all of them—were just hoping you’d never catch on. But I couldn’t let that lie.” His broad shoulders slacken slightly. “I owe them loyalty. I owe them my fucking life. But I owe you...at least the honor of the truth.”

I swallow, hard. Then I lean forward on my tiptoes and give LJ the barest kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you,” I say.

LJ says nothing, just wraps his massive arms around me.

It’s warm, and safe, and all too short.

But it has to be.

When he lets me go, I look up into his eyes.

“Where’s Will?”

I’VE NEVER BEEN INWill’s room before, and it’s weird that these are the circumstances I’m seeing it for the first time.

It’s neat and sleek, as is to be expected, decorated not in the deep tones of black leather and polished mahogany from elsewhere, but in steely grays and blonde wood, all Scandi style. Hidden LED lighting softly illuminates the mist-colored walls that surround an artfully simple bedframe—no doubt something designer—and a few carefully-decorated bookcases on either side of a desk.

Which is where Will is sitting, his back to me, as I hover in the doorframe.

“No, no, I got them right here, I believe...”

My heart slows, then skids back up. He’s on the phone with someone, presumably, and hasn’t heard my footsteps. It’s strange, getting to see him alone and unaware like this, in just a T-shirt and jeans instead of his usual button-down. The way he leans back in the chair, stares out the window as he talks, rubs the back of his neck with his broad hand...it’s tempting. I hate that it still is, but it is.

In the time it took me to get from LJ’s apartment back to the main house, I’ve talked myself in circles. I know these guys—but not that well. I trusted them with my life—but maybe not for a good reason. And I want what he said to be anything but the truth. It’s so fantastical, so unlikely...

...but then again, literal shapeshifters are real.Anything’s fucking possible, it seems.

Still...I want good news. I want the misunderstanding, the coincidence. I want it all to blow over so I can laugh and roll my eyes and peel that shirt off Will’s body so we can rumple up those perfect sheets of his.

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