She didnothing. Not one fucking thing, and he took that as permission to attack her?
Not only does security forallour employees need to be tightened so something like this never happens again, but Quinn is going to have her very own security guard watching her when I can’t be there to do it myself.
“Where are your pajamas?” I ask, looking around her small but adorably decorated room.
It’s not my style, but I also don’t hate it. It’s colorful and cozy, and it smells good. It smells like Quinn. The furniture is mismatched but somehow goes together. Between all the blankets and pillows and even a stuffed bear, her bed looks both comfortable and inviting.
I’ve seen all of this before, of course. As I’ve sat in the small corner chair and watched her sleep, I’ve taken in every minuscule detail of her room. Including the fact that the chair was covered in clothes when I sat on her bed with her all night. It still was when I snuck in here the first time to watch her sleep. Since then, it’s been clean and left empty.
Does she know I’ve been here?
I only planned to do it once. To get her out of my system. Make sure she was okay and getting enough good-quality sleep. But then she called outDaddyin a dream, and I couldn’t stay away. Ihadto see her each night.
Last night was the first time in a week I didn’t watch her sleep, and it was fucking torture. I got lost in a bottle of expensive whiskey instead.
But now, Quinn needs me. As much as she thinks she can take care of herself, she doesn’t need to. Not with me around. And I’m not going anywhere. Not tonight, anyway.
She walks over to one of the dressers and grabs some clothes from the drawers before she tiptoes into the bathroom. Before she can close the door, I’m there, pushing it back open.
“Nope. You’re not shutting me out, sunshine.”
The second she’s alone in there, she’s going to break, and the only place I’m going to allow that to happen is with her head on my chest.
With her makeup smeared and her nose red from crying, she looks damn vulnerable. So beautiful and sad. Someone dulled her sparkle, and that’s not acceptable. Especially since I get the feeling Quinn has had to fight tooth and nail for that sparkle.
From my experience, vulnerability is a weakness. Yet, I want Quinn to trust me enough to let her walls down and bare her soul becauseIwant to be the one who catches and protects her until she’s ready to soar again.
“I won’t look, but you’re not closing the door. Now, get into your pajamas before I come in there and change you myself.”
Her mouth drops open, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. She thinks this is me being controlling; she has no idea. I wouldn’t give her an ounce of breathing room if she were mine. And she would get used to me taking care of herveryintimately.
When she starts tugging her skirt over her round hips, I inwardly groan and turn around, leaning against the wall. My throat is tight as I listen to her clothes rustling. He could have had a gun or a knife.
Quinn is quiet for a second before she sighs and pads out of the bathroom, her pajamas consisting of a thin tank top and a pair of shorts that might actually be underwear.
Fuck.
Did she choose them to torture me, or are skimpy shorts what she always wears at home? There seems to be a theme.
“I’m not sure whether I already said it or not,” she starts, her voice cracking. “But thank you.”
Tears immediately start to fall, and it’s almost as if now, being at home, in her pajamas, safe and comfortable, her walls have collapsed, which is exactly what I’d hoped.
Without hesitation, I scoop her into my arms, loving the way her fullness feels against me. She’s so perfect, and I don’t think she knows it. It’s tragic.
“I got you, baby,” I whisper, lowering onto the edge of her bed with her on my lap before I turn us both, so she’s snuggled on top of me.
Reaching out, I grab one of her soft blankets from the other side of the bed, cover her up with it, and then wrap my arms around her tightly.
As soon as I do, she lets out a sob, and one becomes another and another. I count each one. She might not have any bruises, but these are just as bad. He’ll pay. Dearly. No one will ever hurt my sunshine in this lifetime again. I may not be able to have her, but I will go to my grave doing whatever it takes to keep her safe. Because something tells me my girl has already been through enough scary shit in her short life, and that’s going to end now.
Trying not to jostle her, I flip off the bedside lamp, only the glow of the twinkle lights strung on the headboard illuminatingthe space around us. Quinn buries her face in the crook of my neck, her warm breath a whisper on my skin. I close my eyes and let myself soak in every second with her. There’s nothing I can say to make the pain go away, but the least I can do is be here for her. And tomorrow, when it’s daylight and I have a guard outside her door protecting her, I’m going to go out to the desert and avenge her. And then I’m going to repeat that until I findeveryperson who has ever hurt my sunshine.
I’m not sure how much time passes as I stroke her head. Every so often, she sniffles, and it kills me every time. I hate the silence. Since the moment I met Quinn, she’s been a mix of chatter and smiles, and all I want to do is hear her sweet voice again.
“I don’t like it when you’re not talking,” I finally tell her.
Her fingers move slightly on my ribcage, and she sighs. “I’m sorry I ruined your night out with your brothers.”
