Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

233. Olivia - The Guardian III

Breathing becomes hard. I *hate* the way he's looking at me.

I jab my finger in his chest. "Don't you fucking dare, Ansel. I'm not broken. The abuse I endure doesn't define me. What I did was out of love and if you fucking dare to pity me for one fucking second, this is over. I'll break the bond right now and leave to a place so far away you'll never find me."

The pity quickly vanishes from his eyes and is replaced by love and respect. I feel like I can breathe easily again.

He pulls me into his chest. "You're fucking amazing." The tip of his finger traces a scar on top of my hand. "Badass. My woman is fucking badass! She might be a butterfly but she's a deadly one!" he yells, making Diva howl. I giggle. His mouth falls open. "Laugh again."

I shake my head. "We need to go. The night is almost here and we have to return to the farm before the others start looking for us."

"You don't trust them."

I sigh. "No. I don't know if I should trust you because of...."

"Because of?" Ansel tries to find out.

Stars start to appear in the sky. I finish the cigar. "Of the way you all treated me when you found me in the forest. And after that. If you want my trust, you need to earn it. So far, all you've accomplished is to prove that men are awful and I'm better on my own."

"Olly." Ansel is in pain but fuck, so am I. For years, I've lived with pain. And I'm not referring to the physical one, but the one that destroys hearts and shatters souls.

showed interest in me only when I was healed enough to be fucked. That's

is for me to love you. I'll earn your trust

is hard for me, especially after Camila did a foolish thing. That's why we fought. If I had reacted differently, she would still

the car. After Diva hops into the back seat, Ansel starts the engine. "You never

usually seek physical touch for comfort, but doing so helps me calm my nerves so I can put order into my racing thoughts. "The night Camila and I overheard him talking to Azael, we found something in the place we hid.

in there, but she went ahead and did

car to the left and gets onto

"What was inside?"

That they were meant for her. So we hid them. The Catacombs were Camila's idea. Out of all of us, she was the smartest." Ansel drums his thumbs on the wheel. "Even smart people

out the window. "Are you talking from

ignored my duty the first chance I got, leaving you to fend for yourself, shows how stupid I am. I

as if she

still feels as if I have brain fog. "I really don't understand

accepted what you

the darkness inside me? How

told you?" I couldn't help questioning him

messed up stuff. We will talk once

"Don't forget