Free My Guardian Knight by Lynette Marie Page A

you talk like that again, do you hear me?  You have a little boy counting on you. 
    Don’t give up so easily.”
    She laughed humorlessly.  “I’m tired of fighting.  I always knew this day would come and finally it has.  I’ve no
    more spirit left.  No choices, nowhere to turn.”
                  Sebastian turned away, seemingly deep in thought. 
    When he turned back to her, he was smiling.  “I can help you, Amanda.”
    She touched his cheek.  “No, you can’t.  I thank you for trying, but no matter how much I want to lean on you I can’t--” She broke off suddenly, eyeing him thoughtfully.
    He stood up, running a hand through his hair.  “It’s time for truth, Amanda Darcy.  I know, have known from the beginning, actually, that you are running from something.  Don’t bother trying to deny it, your every action gives you away.  The way you move from job to job, trying to save enough money, I assume, to move far away where you won’t have to run anymore.  I want to help you, and I need to know
    the truth here and now so I can.”
    “You’re right, you can help me,” she said, sitting up in bed and skirting the issue of why she was on the run.  “All these years, moving from one place to another, I haven’t been trying to save money so I could find a permanent hide-out.  I know that is impossible.  I have hired myself out as governess and maid time and again not for money, but in the hopes of finding a home for Matthew.  I have searched high and low for a family that I could trust to take Matthew in and treat him as their own.  But in all the time I’ve been out there in the cold, hard world, I’ve only met one person who I could trust to love him.  You.”
    Sebastian was floored.  He felt as though he’d been kicked in the gut.  The only emotion he could feel took hold of him and filled every cell in his body.  Gone was the sympathy he’d felt for her being alone.  Gone was the admiration he bestowed upon her for taking care of her child in the best way she knew how.  All he could feel now was rage.  Hot, blinding rage.
    He stepped back from the bed, fisting his hands so he wouldn’t hurt her.  “How could you possibly even consider dumping that child in someone else’s lap?  Look at him!” he bellowed, pointing to the small bundle in the corner.  “He loves you!  He needs you!  And, after you push him out of
    your life, what do you plan to do?!”
    Tears formed in Amanda’s eyes.  She could barely look at him, his anger was so potent.  “Turn myself in,” she whispered.
    He sank into the chair by the bed, his legs suddenly too weary to support him.  “What did you do?” he demanded.
    “Sebastian, there is no reason for me to tell you.  I am a wanted woman who has been running from the law for too many years.  If you take Matthew for me then, when I’ve finally been caught, he won’t have to bear the repercussions.”
    “How can you say that?  He’ll have no mother.”  “But at least he’ll have someone to love him.  And he
    won’t have to see me carted away to jail.”
    “How bad is it?  How long are you looking at?”  She smiled fearfully.  “I can say with strong
    conviction that I am sure I will hang.”
    Energy returned to his legs with such force that his chair slid across the room as he stood.  “I’ll not let that happen!”
    “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Sebastian, but you can do nothing about this.  If you take Matthew, at least I can meet my punishment knowing that my son is well taken care of.”
                  “I can help you.”
                  “No, you can’t.”
    “Are you guilty of this crime you supposedly committed?”
                  “Yes!”
    He leaned down until his face was barely an inch from hers, and she thought she’d never seen eyes so hard.  “Let me tell you something, Amanda Darcy.  Over the past two weeks I have gotten to know you