AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Someone’s coming.” Thomas muttered.
I yanked open my eyes, finding him backing up in front of me. I stared at his strong shoulders under his snug white shirt, then glanced at the corded muscles under his rolled-up sleeves. He wasn’t tall like the others, was shorter and stockier…and different…something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
But as the sound of footsteps grew louder, he pushed into me, forcing us further back into the hall. I held my breath, watching as three men dressed in Armani rushed forward, their faces frantic as they searched for another way out.
Thomas’s fists clenched. His entire body tensed, ready to take on all three of them.
Protect her.
Riven’s command filled my head.
Of course he would…still, there was that feeling about the Priest and, as the sound of the three men faded, Thomas eased.
“You’re not like the others, are you?” I murmured softly.
He stiffened, then slowly turned my way. I could count on one hand the number of times he’d actually looked me in the eye.
“Why?” He asked. “Because I’m not killing myself trying to fuck you?”
I searched his brown eyes. “Do you want to?”
His cheeks grew red before he glanced away. So, he did…
“It feels wrong.” He whispered. “All wrong.”
“It’s okay.” I touched his arm, causing him to jump before I pulled away.
He jerked back to stand on the other side of the hallway, and stared at me, mortified. “You can’t touch me like that. The lightness…I can’t” He winced, and rubbed his arm where we’d connected. “I find some sensory stimuli uncomfortable.”
Almost like he couldn’t handle the contact.
“It’s okay.” I searched his downcast gaze. “You’ll get beaten up and take it, but one light touch brings you undone?”
He lifted his gaze. “You sound like Mel, she used to tease me too.”
In a blinding second, I felt like an ass. “I’m sorry. That was…insensitive.”
He gave a careful shrug. “It’s part of the reason why I leapt into religion. There was structure there, it’s an instruction manual on how to live my life the way society accepts.”
“As long as that society is rich assholes who degrade and use women.”
His eyes darkened. I saw in that moment the sacrifices he’d made to find his sister…the kind of sacrifices they’d all made.
“I hope you find her.” I whispered. “For all your sakes.”
His flinch was instant, his eyes grew wide. “You don’t know?”
I held that panicked stare. “Know…what?”
His chest rose and fell hard. “That woman…the one who sold you…that was…that was our sister, Melody.”
The floor seemed to drop out from under me. Reflex took over. I wrenched my hand away and stumbled backwards.
“No.” I whispered, shaking my head. I could still feel her cruel grip and hear her callous laugh. There was no way she was their blood. No way…
“I didn’t believe it myself. But it was her.”
“Oh, God.” I doubled over as my stomach rolled. I threw out my hand to the wall. I was going to be sick. Then his hand found me and his fingers clenched around mine.
