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“They happen pretty often, but she’s learning to deal with them. She has therapy sessions twice a week and it seems to be helping,” Tom added.
“Her anxiety is complicated by her brain injury. It makes her flashbacks and nightmares more vivid and extreme,” Trent went on.
“It doesn’t matter, since I think it’ll be a while before she feels ready to be alone with you, no offense. It’s just gonna take time for her to trust you enough,” I told Luca, hoping he understood, but not giving a shit if he didn’t. All I cared about was keeping Blake safe, while making sure she felt secure. If she didn’t want to be alone with Luca, then she wouldn’t have to be. I’d take time from the business and be with her 24/7 if that was what she needed.
“I completely get that,” he agreed. “Whatever makes her feel comfortable. I can do what is necessary to protect her from a distance.”
“I think that would be best for now. Blake obviously needs some time,” Simon told him.
We all looked up as Grey walked into the house with Blake. She was shaking so hard I could see it from across the living room, and she was curled into him as tightly as she could.
“Grey?” I questioned as I jumped to my feet and started toward him.
“She needs to lie down,” he told me as he crossed the living room and headed for the hallway. “I’m taking her to her room.”
“I’m coming,” I told him as I strode after him.
“Tom, Declan, you should go too. She’ll need you all close,” I heard Nan order, and instantly felt them both at my back, their footsteps following me down the hall.
“Is she okay?” Tom asked as Grey leaned over Blake’s bed to lay her in the middle.
“She got sick, and I think it wiped her out. Let’s lay with her and let her rest,” Grey suggested, and we all silently agreed. I bent down to pull off my boots and climbed in beside Blake. I lay on her right side and wrapped my arm around her, pulling her against my front, and Tom laid beside me, reaching a hand over me, and placing it over one of Blake’s.
“We’re right here, jellybean,” I told her as she just lay on her back, her eyes clamped shut and tears running down her cheeks.
Grey laid down at her other side and wrapped an arm across her waist. Declan climbed onto the bed beside him, sitting up against the headboard. He reached an arm over top of Grey’s head and laid a hand on her forehead, smoothing her wild hair out of her face. It was obvious she needed the comfort of our touch, which was good because we all needed to be touching her in that moment, just as badly.
“Rest now, Blake. We’ve got you. You’re safe,” Grey whispered to her.
“You’re always safe with us, love,” I added and she seemed to relax further at the sound of our voices and the feel of us all around her.
After a few minutes the tears stopped and the shaking seemed to ease some, which we were all so fucking grateful for. It was agony seeing her so scared. There was nothing we wouldn’t do to try and make it stop for her.
Eventually the shaking ceased all together and her eyes, which she had been clamping shut, relaxed a little as her breathing evened out. Then a quiet snore slipped from her and we knew she was out.
“Thank fuck, She was exhausted,” Tom whispered after a few minutes of us all making sure she was sound asleep.
“We can’t leave her alone with Luca. She’s terrified of him,” Grey pointed out. I completely agreed. I had seen the fear on Blake’s face when she looked at the giant security consultant, and could almost hear her racing thoughts of the million different ways a man that size could hurt her.
“She might come to trust him, but until she does, I agree – someone needs to be with her,” I added.
“Trent will be home for another week, and we don’t have as much on now that the inspection on that new office building is done,” Tom said as he glanced to me for my agreement.
“We don’t both need to be at the site anyway. We can switch out and be with Blake,” I nodded.
“I have a week of night shifts next week, so I can be here through the day,” Grey offered, but I shook my head.
“You need to sleep during the day, bro. The last thing Blake needs is you getting hurt on the job,” I warned.
“We can figure it all out. We’ll make sure someone is here with her,” Tom concluded and we all nodded.
“What we need to figure out, is who the fuck is threatening our girl,” Dec growled, keeping his voice low, obviously not wanting to wake her.
“Luca and his partner are on it, and the police are still investigating too. They’ll find something,” Grey said.
“I still think you should let me talk to Abby. She’d piss herself if I threatened her, and tell us everything.”
“No, Dec. We discussed this. She will report you if you threaten her, and you getting thrown in a cell will devastate Blake. Just let the cops handle it,” Grey scolded, just as he had when Declan and I had raised the suggestion several times before, since Blake was hit by that fucking car. If this was Abby, then Dec and I threatening her would likely be all it would take to make it stop. She may be bat-shit crazy, but she didn’t have a death wish.
