“Did the DA remove the device before they sent you home?” Theo asked, running a gentle finger over my bandages.
“No. I got really drunk with Sam before he left and told him everything. I forced him to cut it out.”
“Fuck!” Cam shouted. A snarling growl tore through his chest, and I could tell he was torn between punching something and keeping me on his lap. In the end, he tightened his grip on me.
“What was the nightmare about, precious?” Ben asked, cupping my face with his hand.
“I think seeing Glen on the news last night triggered it.” I paused, unsure how much to tell them. In the end, I decided they didn’t need to know the details. It would only make them hesitant to touch me or have sex with me, and I didn’t want that.
“I dreamed of being on that table with Glen. I was scared the device was still in me.”
We lapsed into silence. I felt drained, but not in a bad way… I felt lighter, grateful we didn’t have this secret between us. I rested my head on Cam’s chest, holding Ben’s hand tightly. After a while, I realized Theo wasn’t touching me. I cracked my eyes open and saw him staring off into the distance.
“Theo?” I asked hesitantly. “Are you okay?”
His eyes snapped to mine, and he forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“No, angel, I’m not okay. I just heard that my mate, the most important person to me in the world, was tortured foryears. And we didn’t do anything about it.”
I scrunched my nose in confusion. “What would you have done? You didn’t know I existed.”
Theo ran his hand through his hair in agitation. The usually styled strands were sticking up erratically. I reached out and fixed a few pieces, and he leaned his face into my hand. I nudged Cam’s arms, and he released me with a reluctant sigh. I crawled over to Theo’s lap, snuggling up to him.
“It’s not your fault,” I whispered, running my fingers down his face.
He took a slow, shuddering breath before wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in my hair.
“We’re going to take those fuckers down,” he said.
A thrill of fear and excitement ran through me. I’d spent the past few years just trying to survive, not thinking about the future, unsure if I would have one. But the thought of taking Glen down, the DA, the entire Designation Government…
“You think we can?” I asked, sitting up.
“Fuck yes,” Cam growled.
Ben smiled. “You haven’t seen these two in action, precious. They’re fierce when someone hurts someone they love.”
A little warm glow settled in my chest. It felt like hope.
“It’s going to take me a while to come to terms with this,” Theo said. “But I’m so grateful you told us. That you trust us.”
“Thanks for being safe,” I said, my voice hitching.
“Sweetheart, what do you need from us? I don’t want to trigger you,” Cam asked, concern etched onto his face. Now that my panic had settled, I realized my mates were all naked. I just had my blanket wrapped around me.
“Umm, maybe just no bondage with metal. And no blindfolds.” Cam nodded seriously. “But, please don’t… don’t be all careful around me. I still want you to see me as desirable. Not like a victim.” I looked them each in the face.
Finally, the tiniest hint of a smile touched Cam’s lips.
“You have nothing to be concerned about there, sweetheart. You are the sexiest,” he gave me a kiss on the forehead, “hottest,” a kiss on my nose, “most desirable woman in the universe.” A kiss on the lips. I exhaled, my shoulders relaxing. I had been worried sharing my past would ruin everything between us.
Theo’s arms tightened around me.
“Why don’t we go back to bed?” he suggested. “We can sleep in my room.”
I sighed in relief. I loved my room but didn’t want to return to my bed tonight. I kissed Theo on the cheek as he stood and carried me to bed.
ChapterFifty-Three
