Page 77 of Captive Bride

Tristan

My heart pounds in my chest the moment I open my eyes.

Frustration pools in my core. The Capulets know where we are.

We’re in trouble.

Isobel sleeps calmly next to me, her blonde hair fanned around her like a halo. I can’t bear the idea of waking her.

Wherever her dreams have taken her, it’s almost certainly better than reality today. I let her sleep.

Quietly, I stand, throwing clothes on in a rush.

There’s no way of knowing for sure when they’ll come, but a voice in my mind feels certain it’ll be today.

There’s work to be done. If not today, they could come tomorrow or the next.

The only certainty being that they’ll find us eventually.

The door clicks softly shut behind me as I make my way into the hall. I’m anxious to make sure the place is secure.

I pull the phone from my pocket the moment I’m out of Isobel’s earshot.

There are many calls to make. Things have to be put in order.

Maybe I should’ve torn myself away from her last night to see to the details myself, but I just couldn’t. Besides, Merc and Benny have it under control.

I begin checking in with the security teams. We need as many guards as can be spared on short notice. I move around the mansion making sure my guys are there.

My heart aches in my chest. My worry’s so strong it’s damn near painful.

I’ve only just found Isobel. The thought of her being taken away makes my blood run cold. Before I met her, neither life nor death really mattered very much to me.

I’m a cold-blooded killer, born and raised.

An untimely and painful death was all but guaranteed.

Since first laying eyes on her though, that has all changed. I never knew what it was to have someone to live for. I intend to follow through.

I’m going to live, if only for her.

And Isobel, well—she has to live. The world couldn’t survive a loss like that.

Neither could I.

I’m on the phone with my head of security, demanding more men come out to Estbow Manor. I want the place more secure then ever before. I raise my hand, running my fingers through my hair, breathing deeply.

It has to be enough.

I scan the room with my eyes, taking in the dark furniture and dim lighting.

It relaxes me. This place is the closest thing I’ve ever had to an actual home. The penthouse is one thing, but a mansion out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by dense forest—well, that’s something else entirely.

I head back towards the stairs, needing to feel Isobel now more than ever.

I climb the stairs wearily, knowing I won’t feel quite human again until she’s back in my sight. I reach the room and open the door, again quietly.

She’s just as I left her, sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware of my problems.

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