Page 69 of Beyond Question

I try to scream, but no sound escapes my open mouth.

“Paige.”

A hand reaches out from the darkness. It caresses my cheek. I flinch away—

“Wake up, gorgeous. You’re dreaming.”

That hand touches my face again and I jerk away—

My eyes fly open and I stifle a scream. Breathing hard, I scurry up the bed and curl in on myself, staring at the man at my bedside.

Travis raises his hands, eyes wide as he watches me.

I swallow hard.

Travis.

My gaze flicks around the room, a bedroom I don’t recognize. They land on Travis again and a sob slips past my lips. It must sound awful because he grimaces.

Travis.

My heartrate calms, the frantic beat slowing as I register my surroundings.

I’m with Cabot and Rylan. In their penthouse. This must be their guest room. There’s an armed guard by the elevator. I must have fallen asleep.

And Travis is here.

“Travis.” His name comes out on a heavy exhale, and then I’m scrambling toward him before I even realize I’ve moved.

“Paige,” he murmurs, kissing my temple as his arms wrap around me. He turns and sits down on the bed. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Those words blanket me with comfort, pushing away the remnants of the nightmare I just awoke from, and I lean closer to him, tucking my face into his neck and breathing that familiar woodsy scent of his. I twist my hands into the fabric of his shirt and close my eyes, just letting his presence chase away the fear from my dream.

Chase.

A shudder shakes my frame and his arms tighten.

I was running in my dream.

Iamrunning.

Not a dream.

I’m running in real life. I’vealwaysbeen running.

And Acher found me anyway.

I whimper and Travis runs his hand over my hair, “Shh, you’re safe.”

Safe.

I never have been and now I never will be. Not as long as Archer is alive and well. And now he knows where I am.

“Travis,” I murmur, “I’m…” I pause, then say, “I’m not… there’s so much you don’t know.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. There’s time.”

Time.Time is something we don’t have. I sit up with a start, eyes flicking around the room. “Bronte—”

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