Page 229 of Dare To Live

“I’m not sure I can forgive him for what he did. Not telling us like that.”

“What did he say?”

“That he understands, but he’s going to fight for my forgiveness. He said he doesn’t want to lose me.” Miles glances away from me, but not before I see the sadness in his eyes. “I just can’t be around him right now.”

Eli reappears. “They’re meeting us at the door. Let’s go.”

My stomach twists into knots of anxiety as I’m wheeled toward the exit. The doors whoosh open, and four hulking men in black suits enter. With a nod at Eli, they surround us. I burrow deeper into my hoodie … Eli’s hoodie … and duck my head. A beat later, a crowd of shouting reporters are clustered around us with microphones and cameras. I keep my gaze focused on my lap.

“Miss Gray, can you tell us about Evan Ridley?”

“Were you sexually involved with him?”

“Mr. Travers, did Ridley murder your best friends because he was jealous of you?”

“Is it true the other students called you the Monster of Churchill Bradley Academy?”

“Miss Gray, did Mr. Travers force you to perform in sexually explicit videos when you were a student at the Academy?”

“Can you tell me how you felt when you shot Evan Ridley?”

“Did you know Ridley had been in contact with former students at the school?”

“Were you one of them, Miss Gray?”

“Mr. Travers, were you the leader of a cult at Churchill Bradley Academy? One that included Zoey Rivers and Kellan Fraser?”

Eli stiffens beside me.

I reach for his hand and hold on tight. The reporters shout more questions, but they all merge into one deafening wall of sound. Our bodyguards push through them and make a path to the car. Two of them keep the paparazzi back while the others help us into the rear seat. The doors slam, muffling the chaos outside and then it’s just the driver and us.

I sag into the seat. “I hope they don’t follow us.”

Eli’s jaw is tense. “God only knows what Maggie and that fucking bitch, Lacy, told them. I’ll put out a statement when we’re ready.” He lifts my fingers to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “I’ve had electric gates installed at the house. They won’t get past them, or the security guards posted there.”

The car pulls away from the hospital.

“Security guards?” I repeat.

“We’re not going to the cabin.”

“But I thought—”

He turns to me. “I can’t look after you the way I want there. Not while I’m still healing. Plus, with the babies coming … you need to be somewhere we can get to the hospital when it’s time for them to come. Twins can be born prematurely—”

“How do you know that?”

“I researched it.”

I arch an eyebrow. “You’ve been thinking about this a lot, haven’t you?”

“It’s all I’ve been thinking about since you told me,” he admits roughly. “We can still use the cabin for our vacations. Family time.”

That sends a tingle of warmth through me. “What about your art?”

“I can have it transported to the house. I already have a studio there. We can adapt one of the other rooms for you, so you can carry on with your stained glass.”

At that moment, I love him a little bit more. I want to climb onto his lap, lose myself in his touch, but I resist. Miles wouldn’t appreciate being a spectator for the things I want to do to Eli.

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