“Saving you seems to be a habit I don’t want to quit,” he replied with a gentle smile.“I’ll always come for you, little bird.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“To you, I’m Gareth.”
Tears burned in her eyes, thickening up in her throat and making it almost impossible to talk.“I promise I didn’t tell them about you.”
He frowned in confusion.“What?”
“He wanted to know what happened to his men, and I told him I shot them.I wouldneverbetray you like that.”
“You ...you protected me?”
She nodded.“You’re nobility.That could’ve hurt your reputation.”
“My little bird.”Gareth kissed the top of her head before he turned to Brennen.“Kill him.Burn this compound to the ground.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then Gareth turned his back and took her from the awful place.
Chapter Nine
Gareth held her asChester drove them back to the chateau.Now that the adrenaline was crashing, every part of her sore body throbbed.Adalyn tried to ignore the pain, but it was hard to keep from crying.She had a horrible feeling her cheekbone was fractured.Cradling her damaged hand, she was glad that the blood had more or less coagulated.She hoped there were some bandages at the chateau.Some ibuprofen would be great, too.
“How did you find me?”she asked in a near whisper.
“Brennen saw someone suspicious at the end of the street and went to check it out,” he responded somberly.“One of that fuckwad’s men.Chester spotted you being carried out, and it was obvious you were unconscious.He only had enough time to follow, without Brennen.So he did and called me.”
“Don’t be mad at Brennen,” she said.“I shouldn’t have insisted we go back there.”
“You did nothing wrong.”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, ashamed.
He used a finger to tilt her head up.“For what?”
