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I closed the door and leaned against it for a moment. Now that I was alone, truly alone, my body seemed to collapse in on itself. My brain was utter mush. Maybe I’d process the last several hours after I slept—but how was I supposed to sleep? Slash wasn’t next to me. He was out in the middle of the night doling out violence to the man who’d placed his hands on my throat and squeezed.
My limbs finally caught up with the trauma of the evening and I began to feel it. My teeth started to chatter, and my hands shook.
I stumbled in the direction of the guest bathroom, noting the fresh lemon smell, and quickly got into the shower. I sat in the tub and let the water rain down on me. I covered my belly with my hands and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Tears leaked out of my eyes and the water washed them down the drain. I let them go—I didn’t try to hold them in. I’d have my feelings now, sleep off the rest, and tomorrow, I’d be strong. I’d be ready for whatever life threw at me.
I got out of the shower and toweled off. When I went back into the bedroom, Monk was in the middle of the bed, staring at me with his face between his paws.
“You’re such a sweet boy.”
His tail thumped against the comforter.
There was a narrow, three-drawer dresser against the wall. I opened the top drawer and found two pairs of Slash’s boxers. I grabbed one and slid into them. Next, I opened the second drawer and saw a few of his black T-shirts. I took one of them and put it on.
I turned off the light before crawling into bed.
Monk set his head on my leg and soon the sound of his heavy breathing filled the room.
I was glad I wasn’t alone. I was comforted by the dog and knowing Linden and Boxer were nearby.
But nothing would be right in my world until I saw Slash with my own two eyes, hugged him firmly and never let him go.
Chapter47
I came to,wondering what had awakened me. My heart had jumped into my throat, but all I heard was the enthusiastic snore of a dog at my feet. I gently tried to extract myself, but Monk was heavy, and eventually I had to give him a little nudge to get him to move.
Finally, he got off my feet and I was able to roll out of bed. I reached for my phone and checked the time.
A little past three.
My dreams had left me unsettled and I had no desire to go back to sleep. I went into the bathroom and turned on the light. I winced when I caught my reflection. My neck was painted with bruises.
I touched one of the dark spots and grimaced.
Monk stood at the doorway of the bathroom. It was like he knew I didn’t want to be alone.
My skin was pale, and my eyes were bloodshot.
“I’m not going to even try and go back to sleep,” I said to Monk. “Should we venture out of this room?”
I slowly opened the door and poked my head out into the hallway. I heard no sounds and saw no one. Monk and I went into the kitchen. I couldn’t stand to look at the mess, so I began to clean up. It didn’t take long until there was some semblance of order and I could see the counters again.
My head was stuck in the refrigerator when someone said, “Brooklyn?”
Duke startled me so effectively that I nearly smacked my head.
“Sorry,” he said.
“It’s fine. I just didn’t expect anyone else to be awake at this hour.”
Monk ran over to Duke for a scratch, which Duke obliged.
Duke wore a pair of basketball shorts and a white T-shirt, and his hair was mussed.
“Jesus.” He stomped toward me.
“What?” I demanded.
