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There was a beat of silence followed by Ian swearing. “Fuck.”
“I’m fine,” Jack insisted.
“You’re obsessed with her.”
“And you’re not?”
Ian let out a long sigh. “No, I am. You’re right, I am.”
“She’s ours. Our girl.” Jack ran his fingers lightly over her arm. So delicate.
“Come on, get into bed with us. She needs us both tonight.”
“I should stay up. Keep watch.”
“No one is going to get to her again, Jack.”
No. Because he’d be watching. He’d keep her safe.
“Just eat a few bites, Little girl,”Ian coaxed.
She just shook her head at him, smiling slightly. “I’m all right, thanks.”
Frustration bit at Ian. But it all came from a place of worry. It felt like she was fading away from them.
Two days had passed since they’d gotten her back, and the most she’d talked to them had been that first night. Since then, she’d started drawing away from them.
He could feel it. But it felt like there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t force her to eat, to talk, to fucking live. She’d just been fucking kidnapped.
Ian would never do anything that might remind her of her kidnappers.
So all he could do was gently coax her. Try to convince her to let them care for her.
She’d asked about her uncle once, but they’d managed to distract her. He guessed she knew something was wrong and that she also knew she wasn’t strong enough to cope with it. She spent most of her time daydreaming.
Even Ziggy didn’t garner much interest.
She was slipping away from him and it felt like there was nothing he could do.
Turning, he glanced over at Jack, who was sitting on the corner. Just watching. Waiting for something. Jack hadn’t really left her side since she had been returned to them. He was completely obsessed and it wasn’t healthy.
“If she doesn’t want to eat, then she doesn’t have to eat,” Jack told him.
Fucking hell.
Jack was in uber-protective mode. But what he didn’t realize was that he needed to protect Maggie from herself.
“She needs to eat, Jack.” Jameson had removed the IV, but he’d kept the needle in her hand and had been threatening to hook it back up if she didn’t start eating and drinking properly.
“She can do what she likes,” Jack said.
“I’m fine, Ian,” Maggie said. “Stop worrying so much. I’m just . . . really tired. I think I’ll go to sleep.”
He didn’t point out that it was ten in the morning and she’d only just woken up.
Instead, he sat there and fucking prayed that they were all going to get through this.
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