Ivan did nothing but blink, and she saw the worry there, tightly reined.
“You’ll be disgusted.” She held back a sob, breathed through it, and shut her eyes hard.
“I won’t.”
“Okay.Okay.” Breathing hard, like she’d run from the woods, though she hadn’t, she reached for the hem of her shirt, started to pull up, and—
“Stop!”
She opened her eyes. God, when had she screwed them shut?
“Come ’ere,” he said. Begging, almost begging.
“I need—”
“Please.”
She hesitated only for a second, then walked to the bed, where she stood for an awkward moment before he reached out and pulled her under the covers, into his warmth.
“Don’t want you doin’ this alone, baby.”
That, after everything, was what sent the tears rolling. Quiet tears.Hertears.
And through those tears, with Ivan watching over her, Uma pulled off her shirt and took back her skin.
* * *
Everything in Ive’s body came to a standstill: his breath, his heartbeat, probably the blood in his veins. Last night’s story had in no way prepared him for this. Nothing could have prepared him. It took less than a second for him to understand.
Ah, fuck.
Breathe.
In for ten counts, out for ten.
And now, focus. You’re losing her. Focus.
Some functional part of his brain found it ironic that he was using those anger management techniques after all. Who knew?
He forced his gaze to her shoulder, her beautiful shoulder, destroyed by that…motherfucking… Jesus,hedidn’t know a word bad enough, strong enough to express how bad it was.
“I’m gonna find tha—”
“Don’t.” She stopped him. “Let me finish.”
This kicked-in-the-gut feeling, breathless and nauseated, was exactly like his first day in prison. No, worse. Like the day Frank had hit Jessie. The worst day of his life. Until today.
Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks, he thought.Maybe she wanted this.But the tattoos looked like nothing you’d choose—not even close to what the guys did to each other inside. This was disorganized, jittery, like the scratchings of a possessed child. Was that anM? He squinted at a series of letters on her wrist, shifted back. and saw with a start what it said—MINE, the letters more faded than some of the others, but still there. The bastard had tried to claim her skin.
“He…Joeydid this to you.”
It wasn’t really a question, but she nodded, drew another deep breath, and met his eyes.
She asked if he was okay.Sheaskedhim, and goddamn it, something broke in his chest.
He leaned in and kissed her, eyes wide open, pushing out the hatred and the rage as best he could, because he wouldn’t lay that on her. Not after everything else she’d gone through.
But fuck if he’d let the dude off.
