Page 92 of Her Remarkable Protector

“Hang tight. I’ll be there in three.”

“Three?” My throat tightens. “You’re close?”

“Hours, Honor. Three hours. I’m still down south looking for Chase.”

“Three fucking hours?” I slam the wheel with my palm. “I don’t care what you do. Just get here. Now!”

Ethan grumbles something under his breath. “Okay, okay! Gimme an hour.”

When I reach Aunt Beth’s house, the groceries in the back seat are forgotten. I don’t waste a second as I step inside, scanning the room until my eyes land on Oakley.

“Are you okay?” I ask, crouching to his level.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Why are you acting so weird today?”

“Stay inside, okay? Stay close to Laramie.” I brush a hand over his shoulder. “Go and get to her.”

“What’s going on?” Aunt Beth probes.

“Stay put,” I say, moving quickly from room to room, my eyes darting to the windows to scan the yard outside.

“Honor,” she presses, stepping closer. “What is it? What’s happening?”

“I have to go, but help is coming.” I refuse to explain further, knowing it’ll only make things worse.

The sound of tires crunching on gravel pulls me back outside, where a familiar figure steps out of a vehicle.

“Honor!” Ethan calls.

Oakley is faster than me in getting to him. “Ethan!”

“Hey, Oak.”

“Go back inside,” I say to Oakley.

“Listen to her,” Ethan says.

I step closer to Ethan. “Guard them.”

“Where are you going?” he asks, his expression shifting.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But guard Oakley and Laramie with your life. Do you hear me? And if you want Chase alive, don’t come looking for me.”

He hesitates, but I don’t wait for a response. My path is set. If Damon wants me, he’ll get me—but I won’t go down without a fight.

36

HONOR

Chase is at the top of Damon’s list—I know that much. What I don’t know is what Damon has in store for me, or the truth about how the Circle managed to find me here. Whatever his plan is, it’s working. He’s pulling the strings, and I’m dancing to his tune.

But where is Chase?

My mind races, sifting through every interaction, every scrap of intel. Damon’s words play on a loop in my head. ‘If I ever find him, I’ll string him up in…’

The Chapel.

The word slams into me. The Chapel isn’t a myth. Damon had mentioned it before—back when I was still inside the Circle. A place where debts are paid and power is solidified. But I never found out where it is.

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