Page 88 of Frayed Owner

Fool.

“Look, I don’t know what is going on, but both of you are determined not to give here,” he muttered, glancing between us. “But my aunt and uncle are personal friends of Bevin. That’s why I’m really here. He assigned me here to protect her from her psycho family because he was tight with her grandfather, Henry Millen.”

I swallowed loudly. “So you know. You know the real truth about her?”

“I do. I promise I do and she keeps me in her confidence. If she’s in danger—please tell me.”

“Or at least who broke in past my magic to scare her,” Wyatt pushed.

“What?” Link gasped, fear all over him.

And nothing else. That was what pushed me over the edge.

“She called him Conrad and they talked about him being a councilman’s—”

“Oh fuck, Conrad Hanson figured out who she is,” Wyatt whispered in horror before reaching to grab me again.

Link blocked him though, his focus on me. “Calm down, Wyatt.” He let out a slow breath. “Yeah, this is bad, but we can help. What did he say? Please, I know you’re her friend even if you guys hit a bump. I know you’re grateful she saved your life, Gloria. Help us save her now.”

“Because if he becomes her priest, it could kill her?” I whispered so quietly that I barely heard myself.

“I swear to you that I won’t ever let that happen,” Link said firmly. “Taylor Reid and I are in agreement that if he made a move or tries to hurt her that we would rather put him in the ground. So I need you to tell me—”

“He tried to force himself on her, but she hit him. I heard it. I didn’t want to scare her by storming in or—I didn’t know the right call, but she’s scared and crying.”

“The last thing she needed was someone else putting their hands on her sexually, and he’s fucking thirty-two or thirty-three,” Link said, his tone disgusted. “Okay, get mad later. Right now, tell me everything.”

So I did, and relief flooded me as they were both on their phones getting backup and help. They thanked me when I was done and rushed off to go help her.

I actually plopped down on the nearest bench, the adrenaline and anxiety eating through me.

And maybe even a bit of jealousy that two men like that were so ready to jump on any kind of grenade to help Bevin.

“Hey, I thought you were going to take Bevin out to lunch and apologize?” Kate asked me when she found me a bit later. Worry filled her face when I glanced at her. “Gloria, are you okay? What happened?”

I shook off my worry and feelings. “Yeah, wasn’t my drama.” I might have said more, but Taylor Reid was walking towards me with his mother… And I was very sure I was about to forget what I had learned. “I’ll catch up with you later. I have to talk to Mrs. Reid about something.”

“Yeah, okay, take a rest if you can. You look wiped,” she muttered.

I promised I would and met them. “I didn’t tell her. I was just sitting there kind of zoning out after what I learned.”

“Good. Then you probably guessed why we’re here,” Mrs. Reid said gently.

I let out a slow breath. “Yes, and I understand you need to protect her, but I ask you gag me, not take away the memory.”

She seemed shocked by that, but Taylor’s lips twitched.

“Because you want to keep your ears out for any more potential problems and have access to groups and gossip we don’t,” he surmised.

“Yes.” There was no reason to deny it and again, Bevin had saved my life.

I should do at least this in return.

“Good. I’d heard you guys were on the outs, but I’m glad you’ve got a good heart that’s loyal,” he praised. “It’s the smarter play.”

“So be it,” Mrs. Reid agreed. “Let’s go somewhere more private and read you in a bit more.” She sighed when Taylor gave her a look that it was stupid. “Hanson’s son just threatened Bevin and we’re here two seconds later to clean it up. It—I would doubt us, Taylor. Let her understand that we’re doing all of this to protect Bevin and the future she can bring to our world.”

Oh boy. This was clearly much,muchbigger than I understood.

I swallowed a hysterical chuckle. Her picking anAlice in Wonderlandprank really was fitting because I was about to go down quite the rabbit hole.

Your familiar is a rabbit. You can handle it, Gloria.

I didn’t really have a choice either way.

The End