43 Chapter 43

“Did you hear me? Go away,” Elias murmured, but his voice wavered.

“I won’t leave,” Thomas answered, also quietly. “I am here and I won’t leave. Don’t you get it? I won’t let you down.”

Those words had an effect on Elias because Thomas saw him shaking a little—maybe it was a shiver, maybe it was a happy shiver.

“Let’s do something,” Thomas continued. “If you don’t want to see me because you think I don’t want you anymore after what happened, you’re wrong, even though I would like to know why you went to your brother’s house. I know exactly what happened, and what Paddy wanted to do to you. I know that Anne arrived just in time, and I can assure you that it’s only because I’m a policeman with honor that I haven’t put a bullet in that piece of garbage’s head. Or your brother’s head. Now that we got rid of the embarrassment of what you didn’t want me to know, or the reason you didn’t want to see me—because honestly I don’t see any other option—could you please turn and look at me?”