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Taking my hand in his. “Amore, how are you feeling?” His low and raspy voice sounded just as tired as he looked.
“Tired, sore, scared…” I stopped talking before I said too much. “It happened.”
With a heavy sigh, he nodded. “It did.”
“Why did you save me? Why?”
“Because I had to. You deserve to live, to be happy, and to love.”
I closed my eyes as tears escaped my eyes. “I have nothing and no one. How can I ever be happy again? Who would ever love me now? I’m broken into a million jagged pieces.”
I felt his hand cup my cheek as he leaned his forehead against mine. “You have Kaily and you have me. Let me pick up all of your pieces. I’ll help put the pieces back together no matter how much they cut me and I bleed. Let me bleed for you, my angel.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. He picked me up so he could sit on the bed while he held me in his arms. “I’ll keep you safe, amore. I’ll help you to feel strong. Together we will bring your smile back. Until then rest, my sweet Willow. You’re safe.”
“Safe… I like that.”
“Me too, amore. Are you hungry? Do you want some more water?”
I thought for a moment before I answered. “I just really want to wash my body. I hate the way I smell, how my skin feels. I want to remove them from my skin.”
I gasped as he swept me up into his arms. I held on tightly and hid my face into his neck, scared of where he was taking me. “Dante,” I cried out in distress.
“I don’t want you to get hurt further. I just want to take care of you for as long as you need me to. Is that ok with you?”
I pulled back and looked deeply into his brown eyes for several long moments. Finally, I nodded and said, “Okay, I trust you.” When he smiled, I was struck by how big and handsome he was. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes that held a look of gentleness in them. I wasn’t used to that look in anyone in my life. I wasn’t sure how it made me feel but I liked how safe I felt. I closed my eyes and let that sense of safety cover me like a soft blanket.
Chapter 4
Dante
“Okay, I trust you.” Willow’s words as she smiled the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen destroyed any walls I had ever erected around my heart. I didn’t know what they’d done to this sweet angel, but she was mine to take care of now. She cuddled closer to my chest as we walked. She was so light and just fit perfectly in my arms. I carried her into the bathroom, and as I sat her on the counter, I asked, “A lot of bubbles or no bubbles?”
“A lot.” Her soft giggle made me chuckle as I turned towards the large tub and turned on the water. I opened the cabinet that was near the tub. I pulled out a towel, a large terry cloth robe, and of course, soap. I also pulled out a bottle of lotion for her. I was going to make sure that her skin had all it’d been deprived.
I laid everything within reach of the tub before taking the soap solution and pouring a generous amount under the water. Turning back to Willow, I smiled as she watched every move I made. I watched as she furrowed her forehead and bit her bottom lip. Something was bothering her. “What is it, Willow?”
“I’m so… dirty.”
Her nervous way of speaking didn’t bother me, and I knew that the more she was around me, the more confident she would feel and the better it would get. I wanted her to have everything she needed to thrive and be happy, even if she decided not to be with me. Before that, though, “Would you like to take a shower to rinse off before taking a bubble bath?”
She nodded happily. I lifted her off the counter and took her hand, and led her to the shower. “Let me show you how it works. This turns the water on and off. This adjusts the temperature. Up will make it hotter, and down will make it colder. I’m going to leave you be so you can have some privacy, but if you need me, you just call me, okay?”
“Dante… thank you.”
“Absolutely, amore. I’ll also check on you. I’m going to start our food.” Leaning down, I gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before turning to leave, making sure the bathroom door was closed.
As I walked into the room I moved to the bed and started to strip the bedding. Willow deserved fresh and clean. After making a large pile, Dr. Leonides walked in with Leo. “Hey, boss.”
“Where is Willow?”
“Taking a shower and then a bubble bath. She wanted to feel free of them completely. How is she, doc?”
“Physically she’ll be fine. She tested negative for all STDs and negative for pregnancy. She still has that infection but a round or two of antibiotics will fix that. I’m more concerned about her mental health.”
I nodded as I told them, “I want to make her feel as safe as possible here. She doesn’t have any family and from what I can tell was living out of her vehicle. I would like her to stay here if that’s okay with you, Leo.”
“I talked it over with Hazel. She agrees with you. We’d also like Kaily to stay if she wants. It will be good for Hazel to have women around that aren’t the staff. Besides, Gio has a bit of a crush on Kaily.”
