“Baby Doll…” Jack’s voice startles me out of my dream. “Good, you are awake.” His face leans down over mine, and I can smell the cheap beer on his breath. I hold back a gag.
Turning my head quickly to avoid his breath and any possible attempts at him kissing me. Jack jerks my head back around to look at him. His fingers are rough against my cheeks. Refusing to allow him to see me break, I glare back into his eyes. I will break when he’s gone, but I will not let him see me cry.
“Shall we play, Baby Doll?” The evil smirk on his face tells me all I need to know about what kind of play he wants.
He stands from the edge of the bed and pulls his knife out of his pocket again. This is it, he is going to rape me. There is a shatter of glass from the main room, and Jack whips around to face the door.
Smoke slowly trickles into the room. Are the Devil Dogs here? Did they find us? My world goes dark as my mind shuts down.
I come to as I am being carried out of the cabin. Nyx is in the back of a white cargo van being tended to by a woman with short, hot pink hair. Oh shit, I think that’s Alyra. I met her at the Halloween party. I look up at the face of the person carrying me bridal style into the woods.
Callum.
“You found us.” My voice is weak, and I’m not sure he actually heard me.
“We will always find you both.” He presses a soft kiss to my temple and wraps me in a warm blanket.
A little while later, Alyra approaches us. “Hey, honey, I don’t know if you remember me. My name is Alyra, but you can call me Aly.” Her voice is soft and comforting when she sticks her hand out for me to shake.
“I remember you.” She hands me a bottle of water with a warm smile.
“Did they hurt you? Do you have any injuries I need to tend to?” Callum lets out a low growl at Aly. “Calm down, guard dog, you know I’m not going to hurt her.”
I just shake my head at her. Nyx appears from behind her, letting us know that she’s going to head in with Dee and Graham. She will get her revenge for both of us.
“Send them back to hell where they belong,” I say to her as she walks back towards our prison.
I am safe.A deep breath leaves my body, and Cal clings to me. I have a feeling I won’t be able to shake this boy after this.
CHAPTER 12
CALLUM
It’s been hours since we got the girls back to Graham and Demitri’s house. Kyra spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom with the shower running while I paced outside of the guest room, waiting. Waiting for her to decide to look at me the same way she did when I carried her out of that shit hole. Waiting for her to believe me when I say that she is all I could ever want. All I will ever need. Waiting for her to break, and needs me to hold her. Something, anything.
Kyra is finally settled into the guest room, sleeping peacefully for now. She wouldn’t allow me to help her get cleaned up or stay with her while she fell asleep, but I will not leave her alone. I head out to the guest house, being as quiet as I can, because I know everyone here has had a long day, and I don’t want to startle anyone.
Unlocking the door, I walk into my living room, flipping on the small lamp, casting the room in a soft glow. Once the door is closed and locked, I let out the breath I think I have been holding on to since Graham said he had found them.
She is home.
She is safe.
I just have to keep reminding myself of those two things when I feel like the world is caving in. Her kidnapping took me back to a time when things were completely out of my control. No amount of training would save my team or my knee. That explosion still haunts my dreams. I can see the blood every time I close my eyes. Hear their screams anytime the world is quiet. My earbuds have a permanent place in my ears, with some sort of music playing most of the time. The only time that the world isn’t loud is when she is there. She doesn’t have to say a word; just being near me is enough.
“Hey, Alexa. Please play my rock playlist.” I call out to my speaker.Just Pretendby Bad Omens plays quietly, while I start to remove my clothes from today. A lingering smell of smoke has permeated the fabric. Throwing the clothes in the laundry basket, I head for the bathroom.
The water washes away the day’s dirt and grime, but it can never just wash the trauma down the drain. To see Kyra bound to the bed, in the dirty clothes she was in the day she was taken. I don’t ever want to take my eyes off her again, and she’s not even mine. There is no guarantee that she will ever be mine. But I will work to gain her love and trust until she tells me to stop.
Deciding I can’t leave her alone all night, I wrap up my shower quickly and change into black sweatpants and an old, ratty high school football shirt. Snagging my pillow off my bed as I exit the bathroom and then draping the fleece blanket from the back of the couch over my arm, I leave the guest house to make my way back inside. She may not let me sleep in her room, but I will sleep on the floor outside of her door, so I know that no one can enter the room without my knowledge.
Sneaking up the stairs, I lay down in front of her door and curled up under the blanket I brought. Hopefully, my brother won’t care. Although knowing them, they won’t let Nyx out of their sights for a while after this. I allow my thoughts to wanderto the future. To what could be with Kyra. I don’t even know what dreams she has, but I will learn every single one of them, and I will fight to make sure she gets everything she has ever wanted.
I have spent hours on this floor, not sleeping but not really awake. Years spent overseas have taught me to rest but not to fully sleep, and to still be able to function as a human being. Listening for any noise that can possibly be heard, a low groan comes from beyond the door. Followed quickly by thrashing in her sheets. As quickly as my knee will allow, I jump up off the hardwood with a moan.
Fuck, my body isn’t designed for this anymore.
I quietly open her door and look at the bed. She is fighting for her life in her dreams, where she should be safe. I can make out the tears running down her cheeks through the low daylight that is coming through the window. The morning is quickly approaching; thank goodness she was able to get a few solid hours of sleep before those assholes came for her again.
