Page 51 of The Silencer

He straightens up, his dark eyes meeting mine."Clodagh," he says, his voice low and urgent."We need to talk."

I swallow hard."Is this about what's been happening?"

Emmanuel nods grimly."It's worse than you think..."he pauses, glancing around nervously."Not here.What time do you finish school?"

I shake my head.“You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you walk away without telling me what’s going on.Emmanuel, I need answers.Please?”I plead with him.I’m losing my mind.I need to know the truth.I’m far from stupid.I know something is going on.

He runs a hand down his face and sighs.“Come,” he says, holding out his hand.“Let’s get this over with and get you back to school where you’ll be safe.”

I scoff.“That’s not actually true and you know it.When am I ever safe?”

He looks at me, his eyes intense and filled with promise.“No one,” he growls thickly, “is going to hurt you again.I won’t let that happen.”

For some fucked up reason, I believe him.I don’t know why, but I do.I reach out tentatively and take his hand.The second his fingers close around my hand, I feel a sense of calm wash over me.I know he’s going to protect me.With him I feel safe.

Emmanuel leads me away from the school gates, his grip on my hand firm but gentle.We walk in silence for a few minutes, heading toward a small park nearby.

Finally, we reach a secluded bench, hidden from view by a cluster of trees.Emmanuel sits down, motioning for me to join him.I perch on the edge, my body tense and ready to bolt if necessary.

"Jacob's out," Emmanuel says without preamble, his voice low and urgent.

My blood runs cold."What?How?"

Emmanuel's jaw clenches."He’s got some backing, some powerful people backing him.He escaped."

I feel like I'm going to be sick."And he's...he's the one who's been following me?"

Emmanuel shakes his head."No, those men are mine.I need you to be safe.The people Jacob’s working with are extremely dangerous."

My heart pounds in my chest."What do you mean?"

"Jacob's made some...connections while inside.We don’t know how, but he’s got some serious backing."

I struggle to process this information."But why?Why now?"

Emmanuel's dark eyes meet mine.They’re filled with a mixture of determination and something else I can't quite place."Because of his sick fascination with you."

I shake my head, my stomach rolling."I don't understand.I thought this was over.I thought I was safe."

Emmanuel reaches out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking my hand."I'm sorry, Clodagh.I should have protected you better.But I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you.We're going to keep you safe."

As I look into his eyes, I want desperately to believe him.But a part of me knows that nothing will ever be the same again.The past I've tried so hard to escape has come back to haunt me, and this time, the stakes are higher than ever.

"What do we do now?"I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Emmanuel squeezes my hand."We need to figure out what will be the best course of action.How many months have you got left in school?"

I sigh, trying my hardest not to let the tears that are threatening to escape fall.God, this is way too much for me to deal with.Way too fucking much.“Four, then I have my exams, so about five.”

“We’ll figure something out to keep you safe,” he promises me.

I shake my head.“How?”I ask, my voice hoarse.“How, Emmanuel?How can you do that?He escaped a fucking prison, for fuck’s sake.What’s stopping him from getting to me?”

Emmanuel holds me tightly as I sob into his chest, his strong arms providing a brief escape from the terror that threatens to consume me.For a few minutes, we stay like that.The only sounds are my muffled cries and the rustling of the trees blowing in the wind.

Finally, I pull back, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand."I'm sorry," I mumble, embarrassed by my breakdown.

"Don't apologize," Emmanuel says firmly."You have every right to be upset.But, Clodagh, listen to me."He gently tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his intense gaze."Jacob may have escaped prison, but he doesn't have the resources we do.I work for some of the deadliest men in the world and we have connections that go beyond what you can imagine."

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