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“I’ll be in the foyer when you need me,” his bodyguard murmured, and cast me a glance before nodding. “Anna.”
As he followed the Commander when the elevator doors opened, my shaking hands clutched the torn t-shirt across my chest.
I waited for them to leave, unable to move a muscle. But the moment the doors closed, leaving us in silence, I shuddered so hard my knees buckled.
Finley rushed forward to catch me. “I got you,” he murmured, holding me against him.
Tears started, blurring my vision as I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his chest.
“Let it all out, baby,” he soothed as a sob tore free.
My head was screaming. The muscles along the back of my head, knotted and angry, were throwing fists of fury against the inside of my skull. I clung to him, giving into the panic and the terror that’d held me hostage. “I thought…I thought he was going to kill us.”
Hard muscles bulged under my hands. He slid his finger under my chin and forced my gaze to his.
“That’snevergoing to happen.”
There was truth in his eyes, the kind I’d never seen before. Steely.Lethal.Then he lowered his head and kissed me. I closed my eyes to the feel of his lips and the warmth of his body. Gone was that fleeting flare of jealousy I’d felt only minutes ago. I didn’t care about any damn poker night…I didn’t care about anything other than the fact he was here…with me.
Curled knuckles grazed along my jaw as he took my mouth. That tremble inside turned into a wildfire, one that burned through what little control I had left. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him into me. His hands were everywhere, sliding up my back to my shoulders. I stiffened and groaned as he touched the back of my neck, pulling away.
Concern darkened his gaze. “What is it?”
I winced, my fingers probing the base of my skull. “My head, the pain…”
“Jesus, Anna,” he snapped, and gently pressed against my neck. “Did you fall? Did you hit your head?”
I could already feel the throb in my face, my eye was already tight…and starting to swell. “He punched me.”
Merciless rage made him freeze. “Where?”
I pressed gently against my cheekbone and whimpered.
“Motherfucker.”
He gently turned my head and scanned every inch of me. “Here?” He touched my eyebrow.
I gave a careful nod.
“He busted your fucking eye.” He left me then, striding into the kitchen and yanking open the freezer, then grabbed a clean dishtowel, wrapping up a handful of ice cubes before coming back. “Here.” He pressed the icepack against my eye. “Tell me what you want to bring.”
He strode into my bedroom like a man possessed, throwing my bag onto the bed with athud.Clothes flew from my closet, sailing through the air to land on my bed. I watched the frenzy in horror. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” He forced through clenched teeth. “Packing your shit.”
“Why?”
He stilled, then spun.“Why? Why?Because…because you…belong…with…me.”
I’d never seen him so frantic, never seen him so consumed by fear.
“Because you’re not leaving, not now…not ever.”He said the last words under his breath before he turned back to the task of filling my suitcase. But I heard them.
I’d tried…tried to get us away from them…the Salvatores.I'd tried to protect us. Dad was waiting, depending on me to do the right thing…and here I was, doing the complete opposite. When Finley was finished decimating my wardrobe, he disappeared into the bathroom, reappearing seconds later with his arms full of my toiletries, and tossed them into the suitcase right on top of my clothes.
“Finley.”
He didn't stop, just disappeared into the bathroom once more and cast more of my stuff into the bag before yanking the zipper closed. But my clothes were sticking out the side, catching in the zipper.
