Unlocked by Maya Cross Read Free Book Online Page A

for yourself doesn't mean the group should have to clean up after you. Having her here is a liability. We don't know her and we don't trust her."
    "I trust her."
    "Do you?" he asked, bitter amusement evident in his voice. "Perhaps that's the problem."
    I took a step closer, feeling something animal flare in my chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"
    But Ewan was not easily intimidated. "It means that something here doesn't add up," he said, staring me right in the eyes. "Nobody outside of Alpha should even know the council exists. Yet a month or two after you start swapping promise rings with Ally McBeal in there, suddenly our guys start dying."
    "You're joking, right? Did you forget that they took her too?"
    He gave a little shrug. "Maybe they were just finishing the job. Cleaning up loose ends."
    It took every fibre of my being not to knock him to the floor. My hands twitched at my sides, both balled tightly into fists. But I was already walking on thin ice as it was. Hitting him would only make things worse.
    "This is ridiculous," I said.
    "Maybe. Maybe I'm way off. But either way, there's no excuse for breaking the rules."
    I stared at him with gritted teeth. There was nothing I could say. He was right and we both knew it.
    Not knowing what else to do, I moved to leave again. This time he didn't try to stop me. He'd gotten his message across. Sophia's presence here was more than an inconvenience, and it was only a matter of time before she was out on her own.

CHAPTER FIVE

Sophia
     
    The second night was a little better than the first, but not much. More than once I woke flushed and sweating, the sharp tang of my latest nightmare still fresh on the back of my tongue. I wondered if this was post-traumatic stress. Based on what little I knew, it certainly seemed possible. I'd never understood how you couldn't just block that stuff out, but now I did.
    Part of me expected Sebastian to magically appear once more and slip into my bed like a comforting ghost, but the door remained closed. I found myself disappointed about that. It seemed crazy to think about the prospect of 'us', in the context of everything that was happening, but no matter how terrified and out of my depth I felt, there was no denying the strength of my feelings for him. Not to mention my attraction. The energy that had sprung up between us when he'd visited earlier had nearly overwhelmed me. He had this way of looking at my body, like he was preparing to devour me, that ignited something deep in my stomach. I wanted to be angry — hell I was angry — but if, at that moment, he'd kissed me, I wasn't sure I'd have put up a fight.
    I didn't know whether to be touched or offended at the 'holiday' he'd offered. It did feel a little like he was just taking the easy route and trying to sweep me under the rug, but at the same time, everything he said was valid. Things were uncomfortable here, and I knew it must be just as bad for him. I appreciated the predicament he was in, even if it was somewhat his fault. I just wished I wasn't in it as well.
    More than once I considered agreeing to go. An all-expenses paid trip overseas was hardly the worst proposition in the world; but, truth be told, the idea of being out there all alone scared me. My life was here and it was under siege. I couldn't just run away while somebody else dealt with that.
    After several hours of restless turning, I gave up trying to sleep and reached for my phone. Sebastian hadn't mentioned it, but when I woke up that morning, I found a few of my possessions waiting for me in the hallway outside. Apparently he'd sent someone to my house.
    It was a good thing too, because there were already several texts from the girls waiting for me. Another day or two and they'd have started to worry.
     
    Ruth: Hey Hon'. Hope the wallowing is going well. If you need another pick-me-up, I'm willing to take one for the team and suffer through a few more midday mojitos. Let me know.
     
    I'd read them over and