Page 80 of Twisted Hearts

Her smile widens.

And fuck me, so does mine.

Eilish blushes as little deeper, still looking at me. “What are you doing here?”

“Gavan brought you in, Eils,” Neve says gently.

“You did?”

I nod.

Neve squeezes her sister’s hand and then turns to me.

“I’m not done asking what you were doing with my sister,” she says quietly. “But thank you for finding her, and for bringing her here.”

I nod again, my jaw clenched.

“Right now, though,” Neve says tightly. “I need you to leave.”

My gaze slips past her, to Eilish.

“Thank you,” she mouths silently, smiling at me.

17

EILISH

When Gavan leaves,my heart clenches a little.

I liked that he was here.

A lot.

Neve frowns, and I can see the million questions swirling in her eyes. Just as she starts to open her mouth, Castle storms back in. His face crumples when he sees me, and he comes right to my side, taking my hand in both of his.

“Fuck,Blondie,” he growls grimly, his head shaking side to side. “Fuck.”

I smile wryly at him. “I told you, Castle, it’s not your job to protect me anymore.”

“The fuck it isn’t,” he grunts. “It willalwaysbe my job to protect you.”

“Well…” I wince as I try to shrug in an attempt to lighten the mood. “You can’t be everywhere at once, can you?”

His face ripples with a dark shadow as he glances up at Neve.

“I just got off the phone with Cillian. He and Una are getting on a plane right—”

“No!” I blurt, shaking my head. “No. Tell them to stay on their honeymoon. I’mfine.”

Neve and Castle both look at me with frowns on their faces. Castle shakes his head.

“C’mon, kid. the bravery is great, but—”

“I am asking you again:pleasecall Cil back and tell him that I’m fine.”

Stay the fuck away from Gavan Tsarenko.

The next time you decide to be a Reznikov whore, there will be bigger consequences.

---