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Her eyes were unfocused—stuck in the past and whatever horrors had happened to her before my brothers and I came to their rescue.
“Eyes on me.”
I used my best dominant voice, the one that had my enemies shiver and the subs in the club quiver. And it had the desired effect on Fee.
Her gaze slowly became focused on me, though the agony in them took my breath away. Then, her eyes filled with tears, and she started shaking uncontrollably.
Holy fuck.
There was a sharp pain in my chest, as if someone had stabbed me, and my throat tightened.
What had I done?
I’d witnessed a couple of trigger situations but never one like this.
Never one where I was so imminently at fault, in charge, and feeling utterly helpless at the same time.
I lifted her trembling body up, walked with her to the bed, then laid down with her sprawled over me.
“Look at me, listen to my heartbeat, and breathe with me, princess.”
I pulled the blanket over us, pulled her against me, and exaggerated my deep-breathing.
Her heartbeat against my chest was pounding. “In and out, princess. In and out.”
It took a while for her breathing and heartbeat to slow down, and she calmed down.
She broke eye contact, then settled her head more firmly against my chest and sighed as if everything she had been holding in was too heavy to bear.
I cupped the back of her head, let my fingers dig into her hair, and massaged her scalp.
While beating myself up.
Here I was bullying her, kissing her, fingering her—all without consent. When she was clearly traumatized.
I’d been an asshole. A cocky bastard all my life. It came with the territory of growing up in a family like mine. Of thriving in that environment.
But I’d never taken a woman against her will—didn’t have to since women usually couldn’t wait to take off their clothes around me.
And the one time I did—I groaned, pressed my eyes closed and my face into her hair. I inhaled her sweet scent.
She was right. I was an asshole.
Ruthless, unhinged.
Maybe sending her back home would be the right move.
Her breathing deepened, and as soon as she was asleep, I turned us sideways, tucked the blanket around her, and stood up. I crossed the room and gave her peaceful sleeping silhouette one more glance over my shoulder before leaving the room.
Once outside, I hesitated for a second, then pulled out my keyring and locked the door. I couldn’t risk her taking off.
Not before I knew if I could even risk letting her go.
Not before I wanted her gone.
And that wouldn’t happen before I found out exactly what had happened to her and who had done this to her.
I turned, then dialed Gabe. “We need to talk. In private.”
