Page 186 of Micah

“Before we left last night, I talked to him.”

My eyes snap back to his.

“Patrick admitted it.”

I swallow hard.

“He needs help,” I whispered, feeling so much shame that tears pricked my eyes.

“He does. He needs help, Princess,” Micah says and he reaches for me, steadying me with his immovable strength.

“And that facility? They’ll help him there.”

He nods.

“Yeah, they will. I know the people who run it.”

“You know them?”

“I trust them.”

He says it with such quiet certainty that I find myself believing him before he explains another thing.

“It's secure. He'll detox there.”

My breathing catches.

“What if those men come looking for him?”

“They won't get to him. They’ve got expert surveillance equipment. Mine.”

The answer comes so quickly it's obvious he'd already anticipated the question.

“But he won't have contact with anyone for the first eight weeks.”

“Eight weeks?”

“He needs to focus on getting clean.”

I close my eyes for a moment.

“Is he...”

I can't even finish the sentence.

Micah does it for me.

“He's safe.”

I open my eyes again.

“He was scared, Princess. Has been for a while.”

That surprises me.

“He didn't look scared.”

“He hid it.”