Trusted Bond

made.

    WHEN I arrived at the suite of rooms where Laurent Bruyere was being
    held under house arrest, there was no one there. Mikhail made me stand
    against the wall, and he stood close to me, keeping everyone else away,
    pacing restlessly. Others joined us piece by piece. I was glad when I
    finally saw Logan striding down the hall toward me with everyone else
    walking fast to keep pace with him. I darted over to him, and when I was
    close, he reached out, grabbed my elbow, and drew me up against the solid
    wall of muscle that he was. I wrapped my arms around him fast, burying
    my face in the crook of his neck. He smelled like him, like heat and musk
    and rain, and it was so much more than comforting.
    ―I hate this,‖ he growled into my hair.
    But he didn‘t forbid me from going into the room.
    ―It‘s for his family,‖ I told my mate. ―The guy‘s family.‖
    ―Yeah, I get that,‖ Logan grunted, ―but that doesn‘t excuse the fact
    that I never, ever wanted you anywhere near Laurent Bruyere again.‖
    I could only nod.
    He left me with my back against the wall, Crane on one side of me,
    Mikhail on the other, Markel and Delphine close by, everyone tense and
    worried. I noticed the semel-aten then and saw how furious he looked. The
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    197

    priest of Chae Rophon appeared seconds later with Jamal and others. He
    walked over to talk to me, to make sure I was up to going in the room.
    ―Yes, your grace,‖ I assured him with much more conviction than I
    felt.
    He nodded and left me after placing a gentle hand on my cheek.
    ―Jin.‖ Logan said my name softly as he stepped back in front of me.
    ―Yuri‘s going in the room with you. I told them that without your sheseru
    you did nothing.‖
    I glanced up into my sheseru‘s eyes. ―I‘m glad.‖
    He scowled at me. ―I will never allow you from my sight again, my
    reah.‖
    And even though he was growly about it, I smiled at him.
    ―Jin.‖ Logan said my name, returning my attention to him. ―If for
    any reason you feel weird, you just say, okay?‖ he said as a very elegant-
    looking woman in a gray suit joined us.
    ―Jin Rayne.‖ She extended her hand to me. ―Georgia Manning.‖
    ―Oh,‖ I said, grasping the offered hand. ―Who are—‖
    ―This is the sister of Laurent‘s yareah,‖ Logan told me. ―She was
    killed in a skiing accident two years ago.‖
    ―I‘m so sorry,‖ I told her.
    ―And she was always sorry for attacking you, reah,‖ she told me,
    squeezing my hand for emphasis before she let it go.
    I didn‘t believe her for a second. Laurent Bruyere‘s yareah had
    wanted me dead.
    ―I could never prove that he hurt her,‖ she said, sucking in her
    breath. ―And perhaps… if you ask him now… perhaps he‘ll tell you.‖
    ―I‘ll try,‖ I promised.
    ―Thank you, reah.‖ She exhaled deeply.
    As she was still holding my hand, Adam Bruyere joined us.
    ―I appreciate the horror of this for you,‖ he told me, ―and can only
    offer my sincerest thanks for the family of the murdered boy.‖
    I felt Logan‘s hand fist in my hair.
    ―And you, semel-re,‖ he said, looking at Logan, ―thank you for
    allowing your reah to be here.‖
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    Mary Calmes

    ―My sheseru will tear his throat out if he comes near Jin. Do you
    understand?‖
    ―I do. Emilio‘s family needs the portfolio,‖ he told me, and his voice
    was deep and clear. ―They need Laurent to not to be able to take anything
    more from him. He promised to tell us all we want to know… you just
    need to go in there, Jin.‖
    I nodded.
    ―Listen,‖ he said quickly, and I looked up into his dark blue eyes.
    ―After this there‘s nothing, no reason for you to ever lay eyes on him
    again until you watch him die in the pit.‖
    Even Laurent‘s cousin knew that my mate would not leave the man
    who attacked me alive.
    ―Enough already,‖ I said, taking a step sideways into Logan, turning
    so I could reach up and put an arm around his neck and pull him down
    close. He buried his face in my shoulder, and I tried not to shake.
    ―Listen to me,‖ he said gently, one hand on the back of my head, the
    other on the small of my back, holding me to him. ―No matter what
    happens in there, you get to sleep in bed with me tonight.‖
    I nodded.
    ―Okay? I‘m not leaving here without you.‖
    He could not have known how comforting his simple words were.
    ―Yes.‖ I pulled back, taking a quick breath before turning around to face
    Adam. ―Sorry.