Varys' words weren't enough. Nothing was enough. Hope imagined what would happen to Vincent and Max if Ethan got his hands on them and bit her lip so hard blood seeped into her mouth.
"Hope, calm down."
Varys' words were as if they were underwater. She could hear them, but they were dull and couldn't break through the wall of panic.
She was going to lose her only family. She was going to lose him in the most horrible way possible, and Ethan would make sure it hurt her. He would delight in it.
"Hope!"
Varys was nose to nose with her now as he folded her in his arms. "Varys?"
"Hope, I don't know where you're going on in your mind, but you need to break out of it, now."
"I can't," she whispered as she pushed at him. She had the strength of a kitten. "I have to save them."
His hold tightened on her. "Them?" it was the dangerous growl of a predator.
"My uncle Vincent, and Max," she whispered.
"Max again," Varys spat. "Why are you worried about him?"
"He helped me," Hope replied. "And he's all my uncle has. I don't want anyone dying because of me, being tortured because of me." She swallowed. "You've looked into Ethan's past. You know what kind of monster he is."
"If I help you-"
glared at him. "You already said you
he replied with his arms
if?" Hope snapped at
no one else. I want you as mine, Hope. Promise that, and I'll put my life on the line to keep those two safe and take care of Ethan,
held out
just mine."
to my condition, Varys, now," Hope glared at him. After all she was doing, he could
Ethan's life either. If your condition is either of those things, I'm denying
you at least listen before you glare at me?" Hope snarled at him. "My condition is that you come back safe, Varys! If you die on me, or let Ethan get
twitched. "That's your condition? Hope, you need to have more
don't know Ethan like I do," she replied. "Please, just
I want to hear it from your
He might pretend to be tough, but she was the only one that knew what Ethan was truly capable of. Besides, better for budding feelings to die now than for them to deepen and
was a growl on his lips. If the situation
promise to be yours and no one else's,
just a single breath. Had he ever looked so grateful or so
thick as he took her hands in his. "I promise I'm going to save those two for you, and when this
Marriage? "What?" she squeaked.
each other, it only makes sense that we're married. But
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