The Day Our Promise Breaks

Chapter 571

Blake's reflexes were razor-sharp.

Before he could hit the little girl, his foot slammed down on the brakes, coming to a screeching halt.

The front bumper stopped just inches from the girl's frail, trembling body.

The piercing sound of the brakes split the quiet night, startling the little girl.

She jerked her head around.

Through the rain-streaked window, a pair of wide, luminous eyes-bright as stars -locked onto Blake's inside the car.

Their gazes met.

Startled by Blake's icy, intimidating expression-the kind that could freeze over a thousand winters—the girl looked like a frightened fawn. Her big, beautiful eyes went round, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the wet pavement.

It was impossible to tell if she was shivering from the cold rain soaking her or from sheer terror at Blake's presence.

...

Inside the car,

Even after that near-miss, Blake's features remained composed and frosty.

He was the most notorious "Ice King" in the city's legal world-a man said to be born without the capacity for normal human emotions.

But in the instant his eyes met the little girl's, his pupils dilated.

For those few seconds, her eyes looked so much like Yara's.

Realizing he'd let himself think of Yara again, Blake's gaze turned even colder, his emotions locked down tight. The ripple of feeling lasted only a heartbeat before he returned to his usual, impassive self.

After watching the girl collapse, he pushed open the car door, grabbed an umbrella, and stepped out.

Long legs hit the ground, and he strode to the front of the car, stopping just half a step away from the little girl.

He looked down.

soaked, trembling child on the ground -certain she was faking

tossed it at her feet. His voice was

knew perfectly well he hadn't

in front of his car

all ages, some as young as this one. Some were runaways, others used by adults. It was

thought someone would try it

so young, he wouldn't have

...

had been sitting on the ground with

on her

fingers snatched up

A hundred dollars could buy her and Mom so much bread-they

but he could also just hand out a hundred bucks without a second

meant he

was seared of

her mom lying sick at home, she mustered her courage. As Blake

and threw

around his leg.

mom is really sick. Please, can you lend me eight

hard

collected so many bottles and boxes this

even colder at her

giving her that

her, he thought, were shameless and

turned glacial. "Let

"1

like he was her only

Blake shifted his leg.

he could shake her off easily-she was

then he looked down at those big,

the end, Blake leaned into his car grabbed a handful of crisp bills.