She sprinted alongside a large barn, and around the back.As she started down a path that led into some woods, she heard heavy footfalls gaining on her.“No.”Her heart seized.She glanced over her shoulder.Brennan’s large size was recognizable, even in darkness.She didn’t stand a chance of getting away from him.She pushed herself to move faster, even knowing she’d never outrun him.She braced herself for the force of his hands on her body, but it never came.
She could still hear him behind her, and he easily could have caught her, but he didn’t.He just continued to run with her.Was this some sort of sick game?“Why are you doing this?”Please just let him trip.Tears blurred her vision and she struggled to breathe.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
As she looked back again, her foot caught on a rock, and she crashed down onto the hard ground, gravel biting into her palms.She scurried to get away from him, but he still didn’t grab her.“Please don’t do this.”
ChapterFour
He was large, and she knew the kinds of pain he could inflict upon her.
He held up his hands.“I’m only here to make sure you’re safe.Are you injured?”
Her body shook violently, fear and confusion disorienting her.Why was he just standing there?Did he enjoy making her beg?
“Are you hurt?”he asked quietly.
Sobs ripped from her, but he didn’t come any closer.Instead, he slowly lowered himself and sat down on the ground.She didn’t understand.Why wasn’t he forcing himself on her, or at the very least, dragging her back to the house?
She cried for a long time and he never moved.Never said a word.He didn’t tell her to stop or to be quiet.Slowly, her fear of him diminished.If he was going to hurt her, he would have by now… presumably.
“What are you doing out here, Brennan?”
He shrugged.“I don’t get to come to the country very often.The air is fresh, and look at all the stars you can see.”
“That’s not what I meant.Why are you here, just sitting on the ground?”
“Because you are.”
“But… I don’t understand.”
“I saw you leave the house, in obvious distress, alone, running into the dark.If I had just let you go and something happened to you…” His cheeks puffed as he blew out a breath.“Let’s just say Ash would not have been happy with me.Not to mention your brother.Apparently, he’s more dangerous than his stature would lead you to believe.”
Was he making a joke?She was lost, as if her mind were stumbling through a maze.“The maid said someone who was facilitating fake marriages worked here.I don’t want that again.”She could barely see his eyes through the darkness but tried to look into them as she begged.“I’ll do anything you want.I know all the best ways to please you.Just please don’t do that to me again.”She sucked in a shuddering breath.
“That’s not going to happen.Not a single bit of it.”
How could she possibly trust that he was telling the truth?
He sighed and shifted, brushing his palms over his thighs.“I’m going to tell you about something I probably shouldn’t, but I think it will do you good to know.”
After a moment, she nodded.
“I was with Ash the night he doled out punishment to one of the men involved in that scheme.I can promise you, he won’t allow anyone to hurt you like that.”
“What did he do to him?”She probably shouldn’t ask, but she needed to know.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything.
“I won’t tell anyone you told me,” she assured him.
“He flogged him, nearly to death.”He hesitated before continuing.“And I held the man down while he did it.None of us will ever hurt you.Nor will we turn you over to someone who would.”
So these men were all capable of violence, and yet, they never used it against the women in their care?Simon was the only man she’d ever known to be that way, but he was her brother.These men weren’t.
“Thank you for telling me, Brennan.”
“Samantha!”She recognized Trent’s voice from somewhere in the distance.He sounded panicked.
