Page 48 of Tame Me

“I need you. Please, I need you. I don’t want to do this. I don’t, I swear to God, I’m trying so hard,” I sob. “Please, I need y’all. I need you to make it shut up. Please…”

“Whoa. Baby. Slow down, baby. What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“At home. They found me, Reid. I need help. Please, don’t let me do this. I need you.”

“Who found you, Ayla. Are you alone?” Reid asks hurriedly.

“J-Josh L-Larson. Joe’s b-brother,” I weep.

“Shit. We are on our way home, Ayla. Where in the house are you?”

“In the tub,” I whimper as I curl myself up on the bottom.

“Do you have a razor? A knife?”

“A razor,” I cry. “Please, I just need to make it shut up. I’m trying so hard.”

“We’re coming, baby. Keep talking to me, okay? What happened?”

“He s-said he was g-going to take something from Th-Thane as he took from h-him. He said h-he would make me marry him and… and he would get me p-pregnant,” I explain through tears. “And then he just… made me do it. I kept gagging, but he wouldn’t stop. He just wouldn’t. I didn’t want that. And then he…. It’s all over me. I just need my mind to shut up. Why won’t it shut up?”

“You are panicking, baby. I need you to breathe with me, okay? Can you do that?”

“I can try,” I choke out.

“Good, baby. Good girl. Deep breath. Close your eyes and just focus on your lungs slowly filling,” Reid says gently. I take a long, ragged breath in and slowly blow it out. “Good. That’s so good, Ayla. Go again. We are almost home.”

I try my best to focus on just breathing. I get so lost in meditation that the time passes quickly. The next thing I know, the blade is being taken out of my hands as Thane scoops me into his arms and takes me straight to the shower. He sits me on the bench so he and Giovanni can undress me while Reid handles the razor. When they are all with me, they get undressed and turn the water on. We are all silent as they start washing every inch of my body. I continue to just focus on breathing as I let their hands soothe me. When they are done, and I am wrapped in a fuzzy towel, Reid cups my face.

“I am so fucking proud of you, Ayla. You did so fucking well. You hear me? We are proud of you for getting help.”

“He’s going to hurt me,” I whimper.

“You are stronger than he will ever know, baby girl. You have survived far worse than anyone could ever imagine. We will do everything within our power to keep you safe, but please believe me when I say that you will survive him. You will survive yourself. Okay?”

“Okay,” I whimper.

“How can we help?” Thane asks, kissing me.

“Uhm… A flogger…” I say. “Or… something sharper.”

“A whip?” Thane asks, and I nod. “Say it, baby. Own it.”

“I want you to whip me. All of you.”

“Are you comfortable with that, Gio?” Thane asks.

“Absolutely. I’ve always wanted to whip her ass,” Gio says, making me smile a little. “We’ve got you, Bunny.”

“Okay. Let’s lay you on the bed,” Reid says. “After, what do you want as aftercare?”

“Uhm…” I say. “It’s… weird.”

“Nothing is weird, sweetheart,” Gio reminds me.

“I want to be fucked… violently… like… Like I don’t want it, and you don’t care if I do or not,” I say quietly, looking anywhere but at them.

“I’m down,” Giovanni says without hesitation.