Celine closed her eyes with the delicious sensation. “I think so.”
“Okay, now what do you want me to do?”
He looked to her for instruction. Celine knew the second she dropped the sheet, he’d see her fully naked. Memories of rough hands danced around her periphery and she lifted the sheet out from her chest, staring down at the glaring marks there. “You’ve already seen me.”
He cleared his throat and a tremor worked through him. “Yes. I had to check and make sure you were stable enough to transport.”
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. He’d seen the bruises left by her first captor then. He must be disgusted. She was disgusted. And then someone had drugged her – when? How long had she been unconscious? Had she been raped while she was out? The tears returned and she slammed her eyes shut, trying to assess her body. She couldn’t feel any terrible pain down there, but her whole body hurt. How would she know?Would she ever know???Somehow. not knowing whether or not she had been violated was worse than if it had happened while she was cognizant. To be so defenseless; so full of questions…
“Celine, I’m sorry. I had to check for life threatening injuries. Do you want me to call the nurse back in here?” Aaron’s voice was harsh and low and filled with hurt.
She kept her eyes squeezed tight and jerked her head to say no. As ashamed as she was for him to see the marks of an aggressor who rendered her powerless, she didn’t want him to leave.
She couldn’t handle being alone.
Chapter 13
Celine was literally falling apart rightbefore his eyes and he didn’t have a damn clue what to say or do to stop it. She’d gone completely white when she looked under the sheet. Was he supposed to hold her? Or would having a man touch her make it worse? Did he need to call the Sister back in here?
She shuddered and silent tears flowed from her closed eyes. Fuck, she might as well have stuck a blade in his chest and left it there to rust. He’d never been so helpless. What was going through her mind? If only he could ask her without invoking more nightmares.
She moaned and bent forward, the first sob breaking free and suddenly he knew what he had to do. His arms went around her, as natural as if they’d been molded for her, and he held her against his chest. Bleeding and sobbing with only a stained sheet between them, he held her.
He’d never let her go.
Her knees gave out, Aaron scooped her fluidly, sensing when she no longer had the strength to stand on her own. He didn’t care about anything or anyone else right now except the woman in his arms.
Celine finally let herself cry and her sobs filled the room, each one ripping a little piece from his heart.
He’d handle whatever she’d been through and he’d be herefor her; hold her up so she wouldn’t fall to her demons. He had no clue about recovering from rape or captivity, but he’d do his damn best to be there for her and right now he did what his instincts were screaming at him to do. He held her.
Sister Mary Catherine eased open the door, saw them together and slowly closed it.
Celine clutched his shirt, holding onto him like a lifeline. He embraced the fierce surge of protectiveness and eased onto the bed, settling her in his lap. Eventually, her sobs turned to sniffles and then to even softer pants as she strove for control.
He remained silent, letting her figure her own way through. When she was ready, he’d be there.
At least for now.The need for vengeance took a back seat to Celine’s anguish. He would avenge her. He had to.
But that couldn’t begin until Celine started her recovery.
As gently as he could manage, he eased her from him and brushed back the hair that had stuck to her wet cheeks. He pulled the sheet tighter around her chest, making sure she was fully covered. Her arm had quit bleeding and now curled up around his neck, stained with dry red blood. “Talk to me.”
He knew he couldn’t fix her problems for her, but he could listen, even if he was terrified of what she would say.
She'd been held in captivity for weeks, there was no telling what type of nightmare she'd lived through. Sister Mary Catherine had seen no recent trauma with her exam, but that didn't mean she hadn't suffered in the beginning.
“I don't know what to say.”
He threaded his fingers through her left hand and eased her head down to rest on his shoulder. “You can say anything you want.”
Her breath caught again as she fought for control, twisting his heart into all kinds of knots he didn't know if he could ever untangle. His job demanded he go to the worst places in the world to deal with the scum that infested humanity. He'd seenwomen beaten worse than Celine, got up close and personal with all kinds of scary shit, but he'd never had it hit so close to home.
God help him if she had been violated – he honestly wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep his shit under wraps.
Celine drew in a ragged breath and Aaron squeezed her to him, trying to make her feel how he was there for her. “It's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to talk about anything. I'm just gonna sit here and hold you for a little bit and if you want to talk you go right ahead, but if you don't want to, that's okay, too.”
“I need to know.”
