“Don’t say something like that. They each offered to help as soon as they found out what you’d been through.”
“They did?”
“Of course, Sophie.” He reached for my hands. “You’re part of our family now. Whatever you need.”
Because I was more terrified of being alone than feeling weird about Elton being put out, I agreed to have him protect me while Jackson trained.
“Okay.”
“You’re good, then?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Now there’s just one more thing.” He squeezed my hands and paused a moment before continuing. “I’d like to take pictures of your bruises. The cops said they’ll document them, but I don’t trust that they won’t accidentally get misplaced.”
He made a good point, and although the situation would be uncomfortable, it was necessary because I didn’t want there to be any reason for Mitch to get away with what he’d done to me.
38
A month had passed since Sophie was attacked, but the memory of seeing her bruised and afraid stayed with me as if it happened yesterday. I’d gone with her to the police station so she could make an official complaint, and a female officer documented the incident further by taking photographs of the bruising around her neck and the tops of her breasts.
Mitch had been arrested but had been released on bail. I hired someone to investigate his case and found out that he’d been suspended without pay from his job. He had several complaints in his jacket about excessive force, and I supposed his arrest was the last straw. Along with filing charges, Sophie was also granted a protective order. If Mitch contacted her or came within five hundred feet of her, he’d be arrested again.
When I wasn’t training, Sophie was glued to my side. Elton had only watched over her for two days before she told me she wanted to come back to work. She needed to take her mind off everything that happened, and after everything she’d been through, I wanted to do what I could to give her back some semblance of the life she had before she’d been attacked. She busied herself with mundane administrative work whileI trained, which worked out because I hadn’t backfilled her original position. Lance and Elton had been helping, but they weren’t as organized as Sophie.
Every day her bruises faded, but my anger whenever I saw them was as fresh as the day it happened. I did my best to shield her from any signs of my fury, not wanting to keep reminding her of what happened, although I was sure she’d never forget.
“It’s getting closer. Are you nervous?” Sophie nestled into my side, peering up at me with such innocence, I wanted to stay frozen in this moment forever.
“No.”
“I’d be terrified stepping into the ring, not knowing if I was going to win or lose.”
“You think I’m going to lose?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I was talking about me. I’d be worried.”
“Last I checked, you weren’t a fighter.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. “Scratch that, youarea fighter. The bravest one I know.”
“That’s because I have you in my corner,” she replied, shifting on the couch until she sat on top of me, her legs on either side of my waist. “Thank you, Jackson.”
“For what?”
“For protecting me. For caring for me.” She trailed her finger down my bare chest, the desire laced behind her eyes blazing like an inferno. “For not rushing me. But I’m ready now.”
We hadn’t had sex since the attack, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t missed her. But I waited for her to make the first move; she needed to be ready.
“Are you sure? Because I can wait for however long you need.”
She removed her shirt and tossed it to the floor. “I don’t want to wait any more.” The bruising around her breasts was barely visible now, but I was afraid to touch her there for fear she’d still be tender. Sophie must’ve sensed my hesitation, because she reached for my hand and placed it on her left breast. “I need you, Jackson,” she said, pressing her mouth to mine. “Please.”
I gently pushed her back. “If at any point you want to stop, you tell me. Okay?”
“Okay.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, stroking my protective side to pay extra attention to her needs.
I wrapped my arms around her and stood from the couch. “Wrap your legs around me.”
“Where are you going?” she asked, tightening her hold on me.
