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“Arran, Arran!” The world explodes around me as I milk his cock, and I vaguely hear Arran yell as we find our release together.

Everything gets hazy and dark as I sag against him, but it’s not scary.

“Noor.”

I take a shuddering breath as I open my eyes, and instead of panic, I see peace and bemusement.

“Welcome back,” he says, kissing my forehead.

I huff out a laugh, enjoying the way he holds me. It takes a little while for me to be able to move, and Arran has me take a walk along the beach once we’re dressed. I think he wants to make sure I won’t pass out again when I’m on the motorcycle.

I’m more than ready to crawl into bed with him once we get back to his house, and I lay there rubbing his chest as my eyes get heavy.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you so damn much, baby. Sleep well.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

ARRAN

I’m awake long before Noor, staring at the ceiling as I listen to her breathe. I’ve been going around and around about my personal epiphany that becomes clear at about four in the morning. I want to continue to be her safe place. The one she comes to when she needs a break from the world.

I want to be her champion when people look at her sideways for needing a little help, and be the person who quietly offers her support.

That’s not tangible. It’s not flashy, and she can’t wear it, but it’s something she desperately needs. I’ve watched her bloom over the last several months. Her smile reaches her eyes more, and her son doesn’t look at me with suspicion when he sees me.

This is where I fit in her life. No one can take that away from me, though it’s a place I’ll have to fight to maintain. It’s not selfish, and it means the things she’ll need from me can and will evolve.

She had a nightmare last night, and kept whispering for someone to ‘please stop’. It was quiet, contained, and I may not have woken up if she wasn’t laying on top of me.

All I could do was rub her back and remind her that she was safe over and over until the pinch between her eyes eased. Noor has slept in my arms other nights, and not once has she had a nightmare. The only change is the appearance of three men from her past.

“How long have you been awake?” she asks sleepily.

“A while,” I murmur, pushing her hair out of her face. I can’t get the way her body felt when I grabbed her braid out of my mind. I unraveled and brushed it out before we went to bed, needing to feel it to help me remain calm.

Who the fuck would cut her hair? What kind of bastard would do that?

“I need to talk to you about something.”

Noor looks up at me as she listens, pushing herself up slightly. “Okay.”

“Is Zayn the only reason his father is alive?”

She knows exactly what I’m talking about, and that I’m lumping the other knuckleheads in without saying it.

“No. That’s a bit more complicated,” she sighs. “I thought if I could get some space from Alastair, Draven and Ciaran, I’d never have to see them again after everything that happened. They terrorized me in high school, and the girls at school beat me up because they sanctioned it. I had to drop out and get my GED because I couldn’t handle it.”

“There’s a difference between giving up and deciding your safety is worth more,” I reply. She’s wearing one of my shirts, and she slides off my body to curl up into a sitting position.

“I was only there for a few months, but it felt longer,” she mumbles. “As you know, I have some health issues, but it was so much worse when I was younger. My adopted family saved my life in every aspect of the word.”

“When did they adopt you?” I ask. I’m… I shouldn’t be asking this. It’s digging into shit that isn’t any of my business.

“The day before my eighteenth birthday,” she snorts. “I met Rachelle a couple of months before that. It was insane! I kept asking my social worker if she was sure the Dentons wanted me. In my mind, there was no way they weren’t in some kind of cult.”