#Chapter 45 - Holding Her Close

[Lucian’s POV] Goddamnit! I needed to calm down. The smell of Violet’s fear hit my nose like an overpowering rancid wave of overripe fruit. Her entire body went stiff as stone. Her eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty due to my reaction. I was quick to amend my sudden outburst. “I’m sorry,” I told her. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked. My God. I could have slapped myself across the face for how easily I was letting my insecurity get to me. Violet wasn’t even made aware of Kane Venmer’s proposal for his son. That godforsaken letter had been bouncing around in my head for the last forty-eight hours. I refused to acknowledge it. But I knew that if I didn’t mention it to Violet, then the message was going to reach her some other way. My trust in Kane Venmer was as strong as a one-man army in the face of a horde of wolves. The man believed himself to have the upper hand in the situation when it came to Burmstone and now he was planning on dragging Violet into t