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It allows me this quiet moment with Perry first. My utter and complete relief at seeing him. Feeling his strong arms come around me, the solid weight of his body pressed to mine. His warm, soft lips finding mine, the utter relief I felt in his kiss. Since escaping Seamus, I never truly felt safe until Perry appeared and now I know everything’s going to be all right.
Though he hasn’t really said anything to me yet, which is odd. Perry is a talker.
Silence isn’t his thing.
“We’ll leave you two alone,” Arthur says.
I lift my head to watch him and Martha exit the back room, and I’m grateful for the privacy. Maybe that’s why Perry hasn’t spoken yet. Maybe he wanted to keep whatever he has to say between us and no one else.
Once Arthur and Martha are gone though, my husband still remains quiet. I press my head against his chest once more, sniffing as I concentrate on the rapid pounding of his heart beneath my ear. I’m hyperaware of his hard, lean body. His fingers in my hair. His other hand resting on my hip. He’s holding me carefully, as if I’m fragile. Made of glass. I tighten my arms around his middle, wishing I could burrow myself into his body and never let go.
A ragged exhale leaves him and I wait for the words, but still they don’t come. Why won’t he talk to me? I need his reassurance. His care. Even possibly his…love.
Can he give that to me freely? Will he ever?
Suddenly all hell breaks loose.
“What the hell? Charlotte!”
We spring away from each other as my older brothers push their way into the back room, their matching expressions full of a mixture of rage and relief when they spot me. They both shove past Perry, Grant wrapping me up in a bear hug first, followed immediately by Finn.
I let them embrace me, in absolute shock. I think this is the most affection my brothers have shown me ever in my life.
“What happened to you? How did you get away from him? Did you call the cops just now? Please tell me you didn’t call the cops.” This is all from Grant, who’s standing directly in front of me with his hands on his hips and a snarl on his face.
“Leave her alone,” Perry snaps as he grabs my hand and pulls me back to his side. He slips his arm around my waist and holds me close. “She’s been through enough. When she’s ready to talk, she’ll talk.”
Grant’s expression darkens. “We don’t have time to waste. We need to find this asshole, and she can lead us back to him.”
“Why does it matter if she called the cops or not?” asks Finn, looking confused. “I know Winston doesn’t want us to, but shouldn’t we get them in on this and let them handle it?”
“No,” Grant and Perry both answer at the same time.
I rest my hand on my husband’s chest, surprised he’d be in agreement with Grant. “Why not?”
“We’ll handle this on our own,” Perry bites out and despite everything that just happened to me, the traumatic afternoon and evening I’ve had with someone I used to think I loved, a chill still races down my spine at the dark tone in my husband’s voice.
Handling this on our own could mean a myriad of things, and not a one of them good.
“It might be better to get the police involved,” I tell him, my voice low. “We should call them.”
His voice is flat. “No.”
Frustration ripples through my blood. He won’t even listen to me, and I’m the one who was kidnapped.
He’s just like all the men in my life. Treating me like a useless doll. Demanding I do this or that. Never allowing me to have a choice.
“Let’s get her home,” Finn suggests, changing the subject.
Grant shakes his head, his gaze finding mine. “Let’s try and figure out where that asshole is. Can you tell us what happened?”
Taking a deep breath, I give them a brief description of my escape. How I took advantage of the situation and flung soup in Seamus’s face, then ran out of the apartment and kept running until I arrived at the deli.
“Holy hell, Charlotte, really? You did all that?” I turn to look at Perry, noting the admiration in his expression. He reaches out, his fingers streaking across my cheek. “You’re so strong.”
“I didn’t think anyone was looking for me,” I admit.
His hand drops, the anguish on his face obvious and I immediately feel terrible for saying such a terrible thing, but…
