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I smile. She found a weapon, but that’s not enough to protect her. I’m her only
hope.
The fear is palpable in the room. It oozes from her body and fills the air. A man like Milo gets off on it, but me it pisses off and takes me to a dark place. A place where Kai was hurt, beaten, and tortured. A place she endured for six years because I was too stupid to go and save her.
I could save a thousand women like the one standing in front of me, and it still wouldn’t be enough to absolve me of my sins.
“Let me help you,” I say, not bothering to extend my hand. Even if this woman hasn’t already been beaten like Kai, I’m sure she still won’t want to be touched. Kai taught me a lot about what is needed to get permission to touch a woman—trust. And I haven’t earned this woman’s trust yet. Even if I save her from Milo, it probably won’t be enough.
“Leave me alone,” she hisses.
“I can’t.”
She trembles. She doesn’t see me as her ally. She sees me as her enemy.
I’m desperate to take a step toward her. I want to quickly scoop her up and drag her out of here. But she’ll yell and scream and draw more attention. And I don’t want to traumatize her if I don’t have to.
“I’m a prisoner too. I was the man in the hallway. The man with the bruises and crooked nose. The man with the two guards watching me.”
I hold out my hands, trying to show her the permanent scars on my wrists from the rope Milo used. But it’s dark, and we are twenty feet away, I doubt she can see the marks.
“Just leave,” she says sadly.
“I can’t. I need to help you escape. I can’t let you get hurt. I made a promise to a woman to save her, and by extension, any innocent woman like her. I won’t let Milo hurt you, which is what will happen if you stay. He will rape you. He might even try to get you pregnant because he needs an heir. But either way, the end will be the same. He will kill you.”
She gasps.
Fuck, maybe I messed up. I shouldn’t have been so crass and honest with her.
“Trust me. I may not be an angel, but I’m in the business of saving angels.”
I hold out my hand, hoping she will come to me. Because I really don’t want to frighten her.
Her arms tremble from holding the heavy lamp up. She finally sets it down on the floor.
Progress.
I hear a noise in the hallway, and I know we don’t have much time.
“I need you to take my hand or tell me that you can’t. And if you can’t, I will save you anyway,” I say.
I watch her chest rise and fall. She has brown, almost black hair like Kai, but not quite as dark. Her body is thin, but her eyes look brown, unlike the piercing green-blue of Kai’s.
This woman has only been here a few minutes, and Milo has already taken her strength and fire. She will live the rest of her life scared, looking over her shoulder, assuming every man is bad. Milo already took so much from her; he doesn’t get to take any more.
“What is your name?” I try.
“Ariel.”
“Ariel, I need you to trust me. Can you take my hand?”
She shakes her head.
Fuck!
Her body shakes along with her head. I really don’t want to hurt her.
“Can I pick you up and take you somewhere safe?”
