A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 498

It took Elissa a second to process what he meant. Under his intense scrutiny, a prickle of guilt flared in her chest, almost as if she were the one who had done something wrong.

She lowered her lashes. "I was going to." Even if he hadn't pushed the issue last night, she would have found the right moment to ask him.

Rowan looked highly skeptical. "When exactly?" Elissa remained silent. He clearly didn't believe a word of it.

She went quiet for a moment before snapping her gaze back up to him, deciding to go on the offensive. "And what kind of explanation were you planning to give me? Were you just going to walk out without a word, exactly like you did last night?" she asked sharply, hitting right where it hurt.

Her voice had dropped a few degrees, her resentment bleeding through.

A muscle feathered in Rowan's jaw. Knowing better than to push her too far, he softly stroked her hair. "Nine, talk to me. How do you want to handle this?"

Elissa stopped wondering if he was going to protect Paige. She enunciated every single word. "I want the people who did this to pay for what they've done. Is that too much to ask?" Her gaze was clear and unyielding, analyzing his every micro-expression.

Rowan knew instantly that if he showed even a sliver of hesitation or displeasure, the girl in his arms would immediately bare her fangs. He would be permanently exiled from her life, never allowed to get close again.

Fortunately, between the two of them, this wasn't an issue at all.

His hand slid up from the small of her back to weave through her silky hair. "It's not too much," he murmured smoothly. "In fact, I'd say that's letting her off easy."

Rowan frowned slightly. The hand resting on her head slid down to cup the nape of her neck, gently but firmly forcing her to maintain eye contact. "She doesn't have to be."

"I'm thirty-one years old. I can count the number of times I've actually spent time with Paige, or even shared a meal with her, on two hands."

Ever since he was a child, Paige had despised his parents, and by extension, him. That sickeningly sweet narrative of a doting grandmother and her beloved grandson had never existed between them.

Their relationship had been deeply toxic from the start. If his parents hadn't been incredibly paranoid and left behind an ironclad will, he likely would have quietly vanished shortly after their deaths.

But right now, Rowan had zero interest in relitigating his hostile history with Paige. Instead, his gaze remained fiercely locked on Elissa's. "But you and me... do you remember exactly how many days we've spent together?"