Page 35 of Twisted Truths (The Sunburnt Hearts #4)

Not that I can do much if it were a foe. The thought sobers me. I have no way of protecting myself if someone were to come for us, and it makes me a liability to Nash. We may not have a future together, but I have no doubt he would give his life to protect me.

It’s in his nature.

I think that’s why Zara’s death has hit him so hard. He feels guilty he wasn’t there to save her … and the rest of his family.

There are no raised voices, Nash doesn’t sound panicked, and while I can’t make out what they’re saying, it’s clearly a male voice.

I remain hidden, not wanting to raise questions.

Whoever it is may not be an immediate threat, but the fact is, we don’t really know who murdered Nash’s family, so it’s best for me to keep a low profile.

The visitor is in no hurry to leave, and eventually I move away from the door and settle on the bed to wait.

My thoughts drift to Franklin and what’s happening to him at the cult.

I agree with Gabriel that Seraphina won’t hurt him.

Not when she’s been waiting for him all this time.

I wonder if he senses his mother is gone.

How much would he understand at such a young age?

Surely, this won’t have any long-term effects on him.

I hate that I’m not there to watch over him like Zara asked me to. It’s yet another reminder of how weak I am, unable to protect myself.

Footsteps sound up the hall, and I hold my breath. It’s not until I hear a car start up outside that I relax. The bedroom door pushes open, and Nash’s familiar frame fills the space, silhouetted from the light behind him.

“Who was it?” I ask, reaching over and switching on the lamp, bathing the room in a soft light.

“It was only Levi coming past to check on me.”

“Levi?”

“Our half-brother on our father’s side,” he prompts, like I should already know this.

His own confusion is clear on his face when I shake my head.

“He was at the funeral with his wife, Paige. I was supposed to have dinner with them tonight. They were worried when I cancelled.” He studies my face for any sign of recognition, but I’ve never heard of this man before.

“He was the one who helped Zara get out of the Circle. Surely she spoke of him?”

I shake my head again. Zara never mentioned anyone by that name .

“That’s weird,” he mutters, more to himself than to me.

Something niggles at my mind. “If he got her out, did he know about Franklin?”

Zara loved her son so much, and his safety was her biggest priority. I never understood why she left in the dead of night, leaving him behind.

Nash’s brow furrows. “He would have told me if he did. Maybe she didn’t have time. She was murdered only a few hours after getting out.”

I press my lips together. Nothing about this is sitting right. I don’t know what Zara’s dynamic with her half-brother was like, but … Why would she willingly go with him but not tell him about her son? If he got her out, why couldn’t she have taken Franklin with her?

The silence in the room grows heavier, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Eventually, mine get the better of me, and I can’t help but ask, “Are we safe here?”

He seems a little surprised by my question. “You know I won’t let anything happen to you, right?”

I hesitate before nodding.

A small sigh puffs from his lips as he runs a hand through his curls. “You’re safe with me.”

“I know you’ll protect me, but I also don’t want to be the reason you get hurt.

I’m a liability, but if I knew the basics of how to defend myself…

” My voice trails off when he shakes his head.

“Please, Nash. When this is all over, and you go back to the States, I need to know how to take care of myself.”

A pained expression flashes over his face before he schools his features and nods. “Fine.”

My face lights up, and I scramble off the bed in excitement.

His eyes widen. “You want to do this now?”

“Why not?”

His eyes run over the black dress I’ve been wearing for two days now, and heat floods my cheeks. “You need some workout clothes.”

My hand finds my locket, rubbing the filigree between my fingers. “We didn’t exactly have time to pack a bag after we were exiled.”

Nash grips the back of his neck and exhales deeply. “I’ll get you some of Zara’s clothes.”

“You don’t have to,” I rush out, feeling awkward.

“It’s fine,” he says. “She’d want you to have them.”

My stomach flips. “Thanks.”

He nods, but his eyes are shuttered, and he makes no attempt to move.

“Nash?” My voice is barely more than a whisper.

His throat bobs as he swallows. “Sorry, I haven’t been in there since…”

“You don’t have to,” I tell him, taking a tentative step into his space. “I could borrow something of yours instead.”

A smile tugs on his lips as he looks down at me with a raised brow. “They’d swim on you, little possum.”

My breath hitches at the endearment and my insides turn to molten lava. I blink slowly, trying to calm my racing heart. I tell myself it was a slip of the tongue. He doesn’t mean anything by it.

“No, it’s fine,” he says, ripping me from my thoughts. “I have to go in there, eventually.”

Still, he doesn’t move.

I close the distance between us, slipping my hand into his and squeezing it as I gaze up at him. “You don’t have to do this alone.”