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“Don’t,” he growls. “None of this isyourfault. That piece of shit set his sights on you. He took you from me, he hurt you. And you didn’t ask for any of it.” He gently strokes my now wet hair and I lean into his touch, needing the contact to keep me from falling apart.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” I whisper. “I thought it would be too dangerous for you to get to me. There was so much security, and I understand how territories work. That’s what I was most afraid of. That the last time I saw you was in anger and I would never be able to tell you how I felt.” The sobs I’ve kept buried inside finally rise to the surface, the violent cry shattering through my chest.
“I willalwayscome for you, Emerson. There is nothing in this world that would keep me from you. No amount of security. No threat of war. Nothing. You are my woman, and I will always bring you home.” The conviction in his words only makes me cry harder and Rayne’s arms tighten around me, holding me as I cry.
“I’m sorry for getting defensive about the Laurence thing. I know you wouldn’t put them in any danger. It was a knee-jerk reaction I regretted the moment you walked out.”
“Hush, sweet girl.” Rayne brushes the tears from my cheek gently. His suit is saturated, but he can’t tear his eyes off me, can’t look away. “None of that matters anymore. All that matters is that you’re home where you belong.”
I nod, squeezing my eyes shut to stop the tears that seem never ending. “Does Dad know I was taken?”
Rayne sighs. “No. He was dealing with the fire and Wynter told him you had a migraine. We didn’t want to stress him out until we absolutely had to.”
“Oh thank god.”
Once the water runs mostly clear, Rayne turns the faucet off and carries me to the vanity, only putting me down for long enough to wrap a towel around me. The moment his body leaves mine the panic rises again. Even though I can see him and if I really wanted to, I could touch him. Being out of the safety of his arms is like being stripped bare. It’s like losing the air from my lungs and the next beat of my heart.
“You’re all wet,” I say quietly.
Rayne smirks at me, the first real show of the man I know. The wet fabric of his shirt clings to his biceps and his pants to his thighs, showing his impressive length. If I weren’t completely traumatized from everything I’ve been through today, I would probably think about tearing off the wet fabric and having my way with him. “Like what you see, sweet girl?”
“You know I do.”
“I do.” He smiles as he quickly strips from his saturated clothing, leaving it in a puddle by the shower, and then I’m back in his arms. He carries me straight into the wardrobe and sits me on the ottoman in the center as he starts riffling through one of the drawers until he finds what he’s looking for.
I watch with keen interest. Each of his movements seems strained, like he’s trying to move slowly for my benefit. “Are you okay?” I ask as he kneels in front of me, lifting one of my legs to slide a pair of cotton panties over my ankles.
“No,” he replies. “No, I’m not even close to okay, sweet girl. My woman was kidnapped and hurt. I should have protected you. I should have made sure you were okay. I failed you, and I don’t know how I’m ever going to live with myself.”
I reach out and press my palms to his cheeks, bringing his face up until he’s looking at me. “It’s not your fault, Rayne. You did everything right. And you came for me. You and your family risked everything to save me. And I’m home now. You brought me home.” I try my hardest to smile, but the corners of my lips barely turn up.
Rayne blows out a breath as he gently feeds my other foot into the panties, careful to keep the fabric from brushing along the cuts Tony left when he sliced my jeans from my body. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to let you out of this apartment,” he confesses.
I nod. “That’s okay. I don’t know when I’ll be ready to leave.”
Rayne stares at me for long moments, as if looking for a lie in my words, but he won’t find one. The thought of leaving my safe place right now makes my skin break out in a cold sweat and my heart beat uncomfortably in my chest. “We’re getting married.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“No, I don’t mean in a year or two. I mean, as soon as you’re back on your feet.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t answer before.”
“I assumed it was happening regardless of my answer.” I shrug.
Rayne tips his head back and laughs the first real laugh I’ve heard since he saved me and it makes my heart warm. “You’re a quick learner, sweet girl.”
46
Rayne
Once I’ve tugged a sports bra over her head and positioned it so it doesn’t press into any of her bruises or cuts, I tug a pair of sweatpants up my legs and a sweater over my head. All I give a shit about it getting her checked over, and the cuts on her legs and torso taken care of. Even after our shower, blood seeps from the wounds.
As I’m about to scoop her up and take her to the couch to wait for the doctor, there’s one more thing I need to do before I can share her attention with anyone else. Digging a hand into my own underwear drawer, I pull out the box that’s been there for the last two weeks. Even before she moved in, I was ready for this eventuality.
I kneel in front of her again, tugging the box open and pulling the ring free from the felt. Emerson’s eyes are wide as she watches me slide the ring onto her finger. The oval diamond sparkles under the light. It’s more simple than I would have gone with almost any other woman, but when I went through designs with the jeweler, I knew it was the one right away.
