Page 55 of The Ties That Bind (Fraser Crime Syndicate 2)

I shake my head. “Jeans and a sweater are fine.”

He nods and gives Gemma a look before he heads for the stairs.

I turn around and give her a smile as soon as we’re alone.

Gemma rolls her eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”

I lead her back into the sitting room and sink on to the edge of the sectional. She perches on the chaise part, unpacking what she needs from the bag, which is full of medical equipment.

“Why did you marry him?” she asks as she pulls out a pen torch.

I flare my eyes at her question. “You’re not big on small talk, are you?”

“The Frasers are poison. They will use you, chew you up and spit you back out again. They don’t care about you.”

That’s possibly true, but even so, her words piss me off. “If you think my husband has claws, you should see mine. And I won’t hold back. You’re not my blood.”

Her lips pull down into a disappointed frown. “You defend him already.”

“He’s my husband.”

“He’s a monster. They all are.”

“And what makes you think I’m not one too?”

She shines the light in my eye, ignoring the question, but I can see I’ve unsettled her.

“You would have to be to marry him.”

“You’ve every right to be angry at Anthony and Charlotte for what they did. Hell, I would be too, but Kane and his siblings didn’t do anything. They’re trapped in this world too, victims as much as you are. Try to remember that. Oh, and don’t bad mouth my husband in front of me again. You won’t like what happens if you do.”

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