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I grab the back of her neck, rubbing my thumb over her nape. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
No one will hurt her ever again. I’ll make sure of it.
She peers at me, and I don’t like the look in her eyes. It’s the look of someone who is falling apart from the inside out.
“I’m tired of living my life like this,” she admits.
I can imagine she is. She’ll always be sought after. She’ll always be a target. She’ll never get a moment’s peace because of her name.
Because of her parents.
I hate that for her.
“Try to sleep,” I tell her, stroking her nape again.
Aurelia shakes her head. “How can I sleep when my dreams are filled with nightmares? I close my eyes and I’m seeing Jeremiah Wood or Lord fucking Huntsville. I’m being dragged in front of a priest and being forced to marry. My reality is worse than any scenario my brain can cook up.”
“Nothing will happen to you.” I release my hold on her. “Sleep.”
“Stay with me?”
I should say no. I should walk my fucking arse out of the room and leave her alone, but I can’t. I move to the head of the bed.
“Scoot over,” I order. She moves over to give me a little more room, and I sit next to her.
As soon as I’m in position, she leans against my shoulder. I like her being there, even though I know this whole situation is inappropriate. Her brothers would gut me if they could see me.
I’d deserve it too.
But I can’t stop from wrapping my arm around her. I stroke her arm in a soothing pattern as she rests against me. “Ryan?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. I know it’s probably dull being trapped here with me.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” I say truthfully.
“Now I know you’re lying.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I’m not interesting. Not in the same way as my brother is. I imagine you get a lot of excitement being around him.”
“The fuck do I need excitement for? I had enough of that in the army.”
“Do you miss that?” she asks.
“Sometimes.” I trail my fingers over her skin. “I mostly miss the sense of belonging, but I got that with your brother.”
“He sees you as family,” she says.
That hits me in the fucking gut, especially because I have my arm wrapped around his little sister.
“I see him the same way.”
She peers up at me. “And what do you see me as?”
I stare at her, my eyes crawling over her face. I’m too old for her, I’m too jaded, too everything, but as I look at her, I want her.
