Chapter 70

• *Isabel*
• The words struck me like a blow to the chest I hadn't been prepared for. My fingers tightened around the glass, and I felt the first stirrings of panic clawing at my chest. I didn't need to ask which of the rogues he was talking about. I'd tried to distract myself all day to take it off my mind. I shook my head slowly, my denial rising back to the surface. He finished his water in one go. “That’s not true. I don’t even know why I’d be a target. I-”
• His eyes caught mine with a sharpness that cut through my words. “Isabel. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s the truth. The rogue had a reason. We don’t know what it was yet, but it’s clear. He was after you.” Opened my mouth to argue, but the words died before they reached my lips. The look in Dante’s eyes silenced me before I could even try. It wasn’t just concern that burned in them; it was a kind of quiet, unyielding certainty. He was right, and the thought of someone hunting me sent a chill crawling up my spine, even though I knew he was right. Why would anyone hunt me? I wasn't important. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.