68. Lucian
It’s been hours, and we are lying here. She is wrapped in my arms while Jayme lays beside her, his hand on her back. He is just as protective of her now as I am. It’s more of a brotherly love that he feels toward her now. I don’t want to let her go. I keep feeling like I am going to wake up and she won’t be here. I’ll blink, and she will be gone. I haven’t slept much these past few weeks. Every time I do, I am back there, seeing her lifeless body in a pool of blood. But in my nightmares, I’m too late. I couldn’t save her.
I run my fingers up and down her arm. She’s here. She’s alive. Theo is dead. He won’t ever be able to hurt her again. That’s what I need to keep repeating in my head. I glance over at Jayme, and he is peacefully asleep. He honestly is like a brother to me now. I’m still a bit weirded out by everything, but I am coming to terms with it. Plus, I love West Enterprise, and I am damn good at my job. I don’t want to leave.
Her parents are coming up in a few hours. I texted them, letting them know she was awake but needed rest. Her mother is thankfully behaving. She knows how protective I am of Cassie and respects my decisions. The only people we have allowed in here are her parents, my parents, Sunny, Ash, Odette, and Mr. Snider. We are trying to shield her from the rest of the world. Her kidnapping and survival of the brutal attack was in the paper, letting people know the search was over and she was found alive. The assailant is still listed as unknown. They won’t ever find his body; Snider made sure of that. But, if they everfound out it was Theo who took Cassie, then his disappearance would be traced back to her and also back to us for sure. She shifts in my arms, and it must have caused pain because she shoots upright, wincing from the strain on her muscles and ribs.
“Hey. How did you sleep?” I try to calm her down. Her eyes are wide and panicked. I know she is going to get sick of people asking her if she is OK because how could she be OK with everything that has happened to her?
“Um. I guess I slept OK. You?” she asks, snuggling back to my side.
“Eh, I didn’t sleep yet.” The bags under my eyes would show that sleep and I don’t agree right now.
“Oh.” She lays there, chewing her bottom lip as she looks up at me. “So... Boyfriend, huh?” She smirks.
“Yep, I figure you are stuck with me, so I might as well put a label on it.” I pull her closer and kiss her forehead.
“Yep, and I am just the best friend over here.” Jayme laughs from next to her, standing to go check his phone. She startles, forgetting he was there.
“Sorry, Jayme. I didn’t realize you were still in here. This bed is huge for a hospital bed.” She tries to sit up. She is straining from the pain, so I try to help her. She subconsciously flinches away from my touch. I try to hide the look of worry on my face, but she sees. “Sorry, I’m fine. I got it.”
I feel terrible that I can’t take this pain away. I can’t heal her myself. I hope one day, she will be able to move past this trauma. I want her to be happy. The carefree, lovable, and adventurous Cassie I have always known. She is strong, though; I know it will take some time.
“You should get some more sleep,” Jayme says. He walks over to where the window is and looks out the blinds.
“I’ve been asleep for two weeks. I think that was enough rest. Plus... I just... I don’t want to sleep right now.” Tears flood hereyes, but she doesn’t let them fall. She takes a deep breath in and closes her eyes. Calming herself.
“Why?” I ask.
“I’m honestly just scared. He took me from the hospital before. What’s to say he won’t try again?” This time a few tears do run down her face. I gently cup her unbroken cheek. She doesn’t flinch away and actually leans into my hand this time.
“That would be a bit hard for him to do right now,” Jayme smirks in the corner.
“Why? Where is he? Did they actually arrest him?” A look of relief crosses her face.
“No, sweetheart, he is gone. For good. He can’t ever hurt you again.” He tells her as he comes back over to sit at the end of the bed.
“What? How? Are you sure?” She looks stunned and skeptical. I mean, who wouldn’t fear that a monster like him would rise from the grave?
“Yes. He is for sure dead. Ask your boyfriend.” He says, smiling up at me. Shit. I didn’t want to get into this conversation right now.
“OK, OK. Geeze.”
The memories are flooding back into her mind. I tell her about storming the manor, running over the guards, and shooting the guy in the hallway. I stop before I get to the part about how we found her and taking Theo to the warehouse. She is aware of some of the mafia stuff from Theo telling her, but I don’t know how she will react to what I did. She didn’t react much to me running over and shooting some of Theo’s men, but I’m worried she won’t be able to look at me the same after she knows what I did. The amount of my soul I lost to ensure he would never hurt her again.
“So, how did he die?” She asks.
“I killed him,” I say. She doesn’t flinch away. She barely even reacts at all.
“How?” she asks quietly.
“You don’t need to know all those gruesome details, Cassie. Just know he is dead. He won’t be coming back, and you are safe.”
“No. I need to know. I want to know that he suffered. Please.” She looks at Jayme. “Did he suffer?” He looks up to me. He can see I am internally struggling with my convictions. He nods, and I can see her body relax at the knowledge that the man who caused her so much pain suffered before he died.
“I tortured him, Cassie. For hours. Then we left him to rot.” She looks at me wide-eyed. I hope to God that she doesn’t fear me.
“What did you do?” I get why she wants to know; I do. But I don’t know if I can show her just how tainted my soul is now.
