Page 114 of Torin

She folds her arms across herself. “It’s happening again.”

I wait.

“Everyone who helps me…” She swallows. “My dad finds a way to hurt them. Bennett gave me somewhere to hide, and now he’s in jail. And you saw what my dad did. He made him sound like some kind of sexual predator.”

Anger burns through me again.

“And now all of you are involved.”

“We chose to be.”

“That doesn’t make me less frightened.”

“I know.”

Her voice drops. “He’ll come after you next.”

“Probably.”

Her head comes up. “And you’re saying that like it doesn’t bother you.”

“Of course it bothers me. But we know what we’re dealing with now.”

“He could hurt you.”

“Yeah.”

“Torin—”

“Hannah, you didn’t drag any of us into this. We know what your father’s capable of, and we’re still here.”

She looks at me for a long moment.

“I’m frightened for you,” she says.

I step closer. “I know.”

“And Gunnar. And Orson. Alexandria.”

“I know.”

“I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me.”

I reach for her and draw her against me.

For a second she holds herself stiffly. Then her arms go around my waist, and she presses her face against my chest.

I hold her.

“Hayes is frightened too,” I murmur. “He just doesn’t know it yet.”

A small laugh escapes her.

She lifts her face, and I kiss her.

Her arms tighten around me, and she kisses me back.

Fuck.