At Mist Bay.


    Ronald said he''d be back in two hours, and true to his word, he was.


    Ste was fighting off sleep, but the thought of Susanna and her current situation kept her awake. So when Ronald returned, she was still waiting.


    As he shrugged off his coat, he stepped forward. "Why aren''t you asleep yet?"


    "Waiting for you," Ste mumbled.


    Ronald raised an eyebrow. "What''s up?"


    He could tell just by looking at her that something was on her mind. Normally, she loved her sleep too much to stay up thiste without a reason.


    "It''s about Susie," Ste said. "Ronald, Susie is really scared of Hull. You might need to send someone over to get her."


    "Did she tell you that she''s scared?" Ronald asked.


    Ste nodded. "Yeah, she did."


    Since Susanna had reached out, Ste felt it was her responsibility to help. After all, Susanna was one of the few genuine friends she had. When the whole Larkin family drama went down, Susanna was right there with her, leading the charge.


    Ronald answered, "I''ll give Hull a call."


    With that, he pulled out his phone.


    Why send someone else when he could just have Hull bring Susanna over to Ste''s ce? Besides, Hull was a lone wolf kind of guy. He probably wouldn''t like having someone like Susanna around all the time. The phone rang only a few times before Hull answered. "Ronald."


    "How''s Susanna doing?"


    "She''s fine."


    "Is she scared of you?"


    There was a pause.


    Ste cringed. Seriously? Could Ronald be any more blunt? Susanna was still there with Hull, after all. Wasn''t there a more tactful way to put it?


    "What''s she not afraid of?" Hull finally replied.


    Ronald continued, "If she doesn''t want to stay with you, just take her over to Ste''s ce by Crimson Mountain."


    Crimson Mountain was where Ste had a small estate. It was a sprawling area with three estates, one of which belonged to Ste.


    "She can''t go to Crimson Mountain right now," Hull said.


    "Why not?"


    "Someone''s after her. Unless we send her to the Quinn family estate, nowhere else is safe."


    "That could work," Ste said, looking at Ronald with pleading eyes.


    "Then take her there," Ronald agreed.


    "Can''t do that either."


    "Why not?" Ronald asked again. Was there anywhere Susanna could go?


    "We need to figure out who''s behind this. I think it''s a setup, maybe even aimed at..."


    Hull didn''t finish his sentence, but Ronald and Ste got the message.


    "No way Susie would be involved in something like that," Ste said without hesitation.


    "She wouldn''t, but the people behind her might be."


    Ste felt a chill. What now?


    Ronald asked, "What''s your n?"


    "Let''s keep her here for now. I''ll look into it."


    Ste was silent. But Susie was scared


    Roof Hull. She kept giving


    pleading looks, but thiel


    he wasn''t swayed.


    "Alright, it''s in your hands," he said to Hull.


    Ste sighed. So much for sisterhood.


    After hanging up, Ronald noticed Ste''s glum expression. "What''s bothering you?" "Susie wouldn''t do anything like that," Ste insisted.


    "True, but we can''t be sure about the people chasing her."


    "But she''s terrified of Hull," Ste said, her heart aching at the memory of Susanna''s fearful voice on. the phone.


    Ronald gently ruffled her hair. "Don''t worry, Hull won''t eat her alive."


    Ste couldn''t help but roll her eyes. wouldn''t literally eat her


    but Ho


    he might just scare her to death.


    "She might give you a call tomorrow."


    "Okay then."


    With that assurance, Ste let it go for the night. It waste, and they''d talk more when Susanna called.


    That night, Ste clung to Ronald tightly without letting go.


    Why did she hold on so tightly?


    Because she was scared too.