Chapter 36
Vee
Iwakewithagasp.
Fear overtakes me, and for a moment I don’t know where I am. A sheen of sweat glistens on my body and the sheets are tangled around my legs like restraints.
I’m immediately back in that room. With them. My heart pounds in my chest. A scream works its way up my throat but before I can expel it into the room, my hand slams across my mouth, choking any sound it would’ve made.
No. No. No. That's all I can think other than this isn’t right.
I can’t be back there. My rescue couldn’t have been a dream.
My fingers dig into the soft fabric of my comforter.
My eyes drop down to the emerald sheets and black and emerald comforter.
It’s not the horrid sheet that was in the room. My hands are free and so are my legs.
This is my bed. My room. My apartment.
I force myself to breathe.
In. Out. In again.
Slowly the realization I’m just having a panic attack takes over. As horrible as what happened to me was, it’s over. I’m safe and the people who hurt me won’t be able to do it again.
My brother, Luke, and Josh will make sure of that. I have a gut feeling that I won’t be let out of their sight for a while.
Now that the sound of my heart pounding is no longer taking over me, I can hear it. Voices. Low, deep, and familiar. Their voices are drifting through the cracked door of my bedroom from the living room.
I just sit there listening, trying to make out what they’re saying. But as hard as I try, it’s too hard to make out. I know it has to be about me and their plans for Abraham and his son. I still haven’t decided what I want to do.
I throw the blankets back and swing my legs over the side of the bed. My legs feel weak when I stand and I drop back down onto the edge. I take a few deep breaths and then stand again. The hallway light creeps into the room, lighting my way as I quietly cross the room.
The door doesn’t make a sound as I open it wider, step into the hall, and make my way to the living room.
I see them there. Luke and Luca are sitting at my dining room table.
“Luca,” my voice cracks as my eyes tear up. All hopes of being strong fade away.
My brother’s head snaps up and before I can say anything else, I’m moving. He’s doing the same. He stands so quickly the chair falls backward, and he’s headed to me. We crash into each other, our arms wrapping around the other. His arms tighten around me, crushing me to his chest like he’s afraid I might disappear again.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs roughly against my hair. And then his voice breaks. I can hear him holding back the tears. “I’m so damn sorry, VeeVee. I’m sorry they took you. I’m sorry you gothurt. I’m sorry I never thought he would still be an issue…that he’d still be looking for you.”
The words shatter something inside me. My fingers grasp the back of his shirt as a heart wrenching sob rips from my chest.
“I thought…” My voice shakes violently. “I thought I wasn’t getting out. That they were going to…” I can’t even finish that sentence because I know if they didn’t show when they did, that they were going to rape me repeatedly.
His arms tighten around me, comforting me. “You’re here,” he whispers. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.”
We just stand there like that, holding on to each other while we both cry. My big bad MC brother is crying. Neither of us wanting to let go of the other, but eventually we pull apart, both of us wiping the tears from our faces.
But standing just behind Luca is Luke, waiting for his chance to hold me. His eyes soften when they meet mine, and he steps past Luca and wraps his arms around me. I melt into his embrace. He pulls me close, one hand cradling the back of my head as if he’s shielding me from the world.
“You’re safe,” he murmurs into my ear.
I breathe him in. The familiar scent of his leather cut, the smell of cigarette smoke. He tends to smoke when he’s stressed. Or worried.
