Salome’s POV
Barnabas did not even glance in my direction.
He moved with a focused, quiet intensity, stripping off his suit jacket to shield Portia’s bare skin. He crouched beside her, his back a literal wall between us, as if I had ceased to exist the moment she started whimpering. His hand moved to her hair, stroking the strands with a tenderness that felt like a physical blow to my chest.
"Get out," he said. He didn't look up.
I stood there with my heart hammering against my ribs, my lips parted but no words coming out.
"I said get out, Salome."
The air in the room felt too thick to breathe. My lungs burned, and my jaw was clamped so tight I thought my teeth might crack. Before my legs could actually give way, Gideon was there. He caught my arm, his grip steady and concerned.
"Lu
