Page 66 of Freeing Emily

Their stares were wide, and they looked afraid of me. I couldn’t stomach it, so I didn’t go back down to the cellar.

“Hello, ladies,” Niall says as he wipes his hands on the cloth draped over his shoulder. “What can I get for you?”

Paige smiles warmly at him as she takes a seat next to me. Sarah takes the one on the opposite side.

“We wanted to come and see if we can talk you into making steaks for dinner.”

“No need to talk me into it, Miss Paige. Your wish is my command.” He dips his chin.

“Can I have him?” Sarah says.

I snort and then freeze at the sudden noise. It’s the first time in weeks I’ve had a genuine reaction with someone who isn’t Liam.

“Hell no, you can’t. Niall is the best and refuse to lose him.” Paige laughs.

Niall shakes his head with a huge smile spread across his face. Pink tints his cheeks when he spins around and sees Declan striding into the room.

Black smoke begins to spread across the countertop, and I tense. I try to ignore the dread that spreads over me and pay attention to Declan as he greets everyone but it’s a struggle.

I roll my eyes when he looks up at me after essentially making out with Paige in the middle of the kitchen.

The smoke darkens and I lose myself in it. There is no sound around me. It’s as though the entire atmosphere has been sucked into its murkiness with no way out. It begins to envelop me; I expect fear to invade my body, but it never comes. I don’t feel anything. My body is completely frozen, I stare unblinking as the smoke continues to grow and grow.

Suddenly Declan’s voice breaks through and I startle. He’s staring at me, and I point at myself.

“Me?”

He raises his brows. “I am looking right at you, Em.”

“Psh, yeah I’m completely good.” I feign a relaxed posture and flick my hand out in dismissal.

When his attention is no longer on me, I find myself lost, once again, to the shadow that hasn’t stopped growing. Time and space no longer exist. Just darkness and complete silence.

“All done, boss.” Liam’s voice breaks my trance, and my skin feels hot when I see him walking into the kitchen. My breath catches at the sight of his black Henley stretching over the broad plain of his chest and wrapping around his muscular arms. He’s wearing black cargo pants and black boots, and it just adds another layer of sex appeal to an already gorgeous man.

I feel Declan’s stare and when I meet his eyes, they narrow.

Shit.

I turn my gaze back to my plate.

Declan’s voice is tense when he orders Liam to meet him in his office.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

It’s not like anything romantic is happening between us but I don’t know what Liam is going to do if Declan tells him to leave me alone.

He gave me up once before. Will he do it again?

“Don’t worry.”

I spin to Paige who is smiling softly at me.

“Worry?”

She peeks over my shoulder at Sarah and then meets my eyes once more.

“About Liam.”