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I pick her up and carry her bridal style to the bathroom. She’s way too thin, probably close to a hundred pounds. Had I not found her when I did, she may have died from starvation. Holding her with my right arm, I turn the shower on with my left hand. I set her on her feet in the shower and she tries to cover her body with her hands.
“Don’t look at me. I’m gross.”
Tears roll down her cheeks, her gaze locked on the water flowing down the drain, “Please.”
“I’m looking at your face, Sassy.”
She tilts her head back, her eyes connecting with mine, “I always hoped I’d see you again. But not like this,” she whispers, “I’m not the girl you knew, Hunter. I’m ugly now. Inside and out.”
I pull her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest, “Baby girl, you are still as beautiful as you were then. You’re not ugly inside or out. The girl I knew, is still there somewhere. I’m going to help you find her again.”
When she wraps her arms around my waist my heart nearly fucking explodes.
“Let’s get you clean.”
I move her head under the spray and gently massage the suds into her long red hair. Her eyes close, and when she opens them again, a serene look crosses her beautiful face.
Jesus Christ, I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so much in my life. I won’t but fuck me if I don’t want to.
I know why she doesn’t want me to look at her body. The night I brought her home, I saw it all, the bruises, welts, and scars marring her beautiful skin. Grabbing the body wash, I pour some into my palms. Starting with her arms, I run my soap-covered hands over her flesh. Moving to her neck, I wash there too, “I’m just washing you, okay.”
I take her hands, pour body wash on them and cover them with mine and move lower.
She nods, as I move to her breasts. Her nipples pebble under her touch and I’m about to lose my goddamn mind. I force myself to move her hands down to her abdomen. Kneeling in front of her, I wash her legs, front and back before standing back up.
“Wash between your legs, Sassy.”
She does as she’s told and cleanses the spot I want to taste. My eyes travel down her body while she washes her pussy. Fuck me. I haven’t gotten laid since I found her, and this is killing me. It’s not fuckingjustanyone. This woman is my first, my everything. I want nothing more than to claim her once again. But as much as it pains me, I can’t.
She moves under the water and rinses the suds from her body. When she turns away from me, I let myself take in her body when I see it. ‘626’ is tattooed on her lower back. How the hell did I miss this when I gave her a bath? I touch over the tattoo, and she turns to me with a glare, “Don’t.”
“Who did this to you, baby girl?”
Jade shakes her head, “Please don’t.”
Taking her face in my hands, I growl, “Anybody who hurt you will pay with their life. Now tell me. Who. The. Fuck. Did. This. To. You?”
“Your father,” she whispers, “When I was sold.”
Jesus Christ. I’m never going to get past this guilt. This is my fault. I left her with him and look what happened. I should have known something wasn’t right. She never would’ve willingly agreed to marry him. Jade never would have left me.Nineteen year old me was a goddamn fool.
I turn the water off and step out of the shower and get a towel for her.
She takes it from me and dries her body while I get another towel and dry myself off. I walk silently to the bedroom and pull my pants and shirt back on and get jeans and a T-shirt for her.
Jade comes out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around her. I quickly look away, “Clothes are on the bed. Get dressed and come downstairs. We’re going to talk.”
Much to my surprise, she says, “Okay.”
I turn away from her and leave the room while my heart is swimming in emotions threatening to break me as much as my father broke her.
CHAPTER FIVE
JADE
Iwalk over to the bed and get dressed in the clothes Hunter set out for me. I don’t know what he wants to talk about for sure, but I have my suspicions. It’s only natural for him to have questions about what happened all those years ago.
With as much bravery as I can manage, I make my way downstairs. This is the first time I have left the bedroom since I got here. I’m terrified to have a conversation with him. Hunter was always kind when we were kids but the day his father took me, he looked at me with a different set of eyes. Hateful ones. I remember that day as if it just happened. The hurt and anger in his gaze imprinted on my soul. I’ve carried it with me every day since then. I never wanted to hurt him. I didn’t have a choice. Somehow, I expected him to know that, but he didn’t. Instead, he walked out of my life and left me to deal with the abuse on my own. I know being angry with him over something he didn’t know about is irrational. Irrational or not it doesn’t change my feelings. For weeks I cried for him as if he’d hear me and come running. After dozens of beating while Craig reminded me Hunter didn’t give a shit, the tears stopped.
