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“Celeste.” The sound of his hitched voice saying my name delved deep into a part of my soul that called back in ways I knew it shouldn’t.
I lifted my chin and pried my eyelids open. Fury, vitriol, rage, and understanding stared back at me.
“What did he do to you?”
I pursed my lips then let out a ragged sob. “He . . .”
I couldn’t say it out loud. I couldn’t form the words to express what he’d done. Because it wasn’t just the physical violence he’d committed, but what he’d been doing for years. He’d never been interested in foreplay. Didn’t care if I ever had an orgasm unless it was a special occasion. He’d built our relationship from the ground up to be all about his needs and pleasures. Duncan had been working up to violence, but he’d been forcing himself on me from day one.
“I’ll deal with him later.” Vassago pulled me into his lap.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my body relax into his. There was a strong sensation of something pulling at the air around us, then darkness. He snapped his fingers, and a light clicked on somewhere in the new space.
I knew we’d gone somewhere because we were no longer sitting on the hard tile of my cramped bathroom. We’d been transported to a spacious but cozy bedroom with warm, forest-green wallpaper. A bed in the corner wasn’t made fully, and Vass’ leather jacket was tossed haphazardly on the black linen duvet.
“Where are we?”
He held me close to his chest. Sweet fig and spice, I realized, was settled into his bedroom, not just on his skin.
“My brother’s home in Malibu, California.” He walked us across the room toward one of the only pieces of furniture, a dresser.
“You took me to the other side of the country?”
I watched his face as he lowered me from his hold and my toes pushed into the plush carpet. He kept one arm firmly around my waist as he rummaged through a chest of drawers.
“I brought you somewhere safe. What safer place is there than a house that two princes of Hell live in?”
“P-princes?” My stomach churned.
“Here, they may be a bit big on you, but I’ll bring you back a change of clothes in the morning.” His voice was soothing but firm, but the crease in his brow had my stomach squirming.
I took the pair of sweatpants he was offering and held them up to my hips. I wasn’t scrawny, but he was tall and his hips were wider than mine.
“I . . .” My face heated and my eyes filled with tears again. “I need to shower.”
Vassago pulled me into him once again. The muscles in his arms and torso tensed for only a moment. His heavy breath in my hair felt like relief. I fought against the urge to fall apart again.
“I’ll get you a towel.” He made to move away, but my hand clutched the side of his T-shirt. I didn’t want him to leave me, even to walk down the hall.
“I needed you.” I looked up into his eyes and saw the regret there. “And you came. Thank you.”
“I shouldn’t?—”
“Don’t.” I stopped the apology I knew he was about to give. “Even you couldn’t have known what Duncan was capable of.”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me down the long hall to a linen closet. The rest of the house was dark except for one room at what seemed to be the top of the stairs. If there was someone else in the house, they were busy. Or at least I hoped they were since all I was wearing was a pair of soiled underwear, a ripped blouse, and my bra.
“The house is beautiful. From what I can see of it.”
He turned around, two large fluffy towels in hand. “I’ll give you a proper tour tomorrow.”
“When are you going to take me home?”
The lines of his face deepened. “Let’s talk about that after you’re comfortable.”
I nodded.
He held my hand and led me back to the bedroom we’d landed in, then into the en suite bathroom.
