I keep my eyes down, handing the food to Nessa and Rona. He steps closer and Nessa starts crying softly. She’s only six and that evil bastard loves it.
“Didn’t I tell you to shut the fuck up? No noise! I told you that!” He’s about to push me aside and go after her and I shove him as hard as I can. “You bitch!” he shouts. “You want it? You’re going to regret that.” He pulls his butterfly knife out of his pocket, opening it with a grin.
“Feck you-” It’s all I can say before he backhands me, knocking me to the concrete floor. Straddling me, he rips my shirt off my back.
***
“Don’t don’t don’t!” I’m screaming.
How long have I been screaming my throat hurts are Nessa and Rona okay my back burns like fire don’t don’t don’t-
“Sorcha. Shhh. Hush now. You’re safe.”
I know the words but they don’t make sense.
A cool hand smooths my hair back from my sweaty forehead.
“No one will hurt you here. Shh… you’re safe.”
“Promise?” I moan. The voice is deep, and kind. The hand goes behind my head and lifts me as a glass of water is put to my lips.
“Yes. I promise. Drink some water now, you’ll be all right.”
I drink the water, not opening my eyes. I don’t want to see reality and ruin this moment. This is the safest I’ve felt in so long, even if it’s just a dream.
“Good girl. Lie back and go to sleep.” The hand is brushing my wet cheeks and I grab it.
“Stay?” Not waiting for an answer, I roll to my side, laying my cheek on the nice cool hand.
There’s a long sigh. “I’m here. Sleep now.”
***
Alastair…
What am I doing?
My hand is still trapped under her cheek, her lashes a thick fan on her cheekbones, and her mouth slightly open as she sleeps.
The screams that roused me from my office were horrifying, piercing, terrified wails that could shred vocal cords. She screamed like her soul was being ripped from her body, hands up against an unseen assailant. Like the first night, even though she opened her eyes, she never woke up. She must have thought the hand smoothing her hair from her face belonged to someone she trusted.
She clearly should not trust me, but here I am, kicking off my shoes and settling back against the headboard, unwilling to disturb her sleep by taking her comfort object - my hand - away from her.
Fortunately, this is a king-sized bed with a very comfortable mattress and an excessive number of pillows, something I thought my designer was silly for insisting on, but they’re suddenly quite useful.
Pulling out my phone, I start checking my endless array of emails, but my gaze keeps coming back to her. She’s wearing a long-sleeve t-shirt and some little sleep shorts, and they are rather distracting.
Stop staring, you pervert, she’s sixteen years younger than you.
I remind myself of why I’m here, because she had a horrifying nightmare. She needs rest, nothing else.
To be honest, for the first time I can remember, I don’t have a plan. I bought the girl because of the potential to fuck with the MacTavishes. But every time Alec says something vicious about her, it stirs something in my gut. She’s innocent of her family’s sins, in fact, she paid a terrible price for them when she was a child and she was kidnapped the first time. I have no doubt that her excruciating nightmares stem from that period of her life.
If I’m being truthful, I have no plan because I can’t countenance truly hurting her.
Chapter Thirteen
In which Sorcha is not quite as sneaky as she thinks she is.
