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“No!” I screamed, and I was almost about to pass the couch to get to the hall when something locked around my waist. I tried to wriggle and thrash against what felt like a restraint across my hips.
“Don’t you touch him!” I yelled at Mr. X.
Mr. X didn’t even spare a glance back at me as he stepped into the dark hall, disappearing from sight.
“I’m the one you want!” I thrashed harder to get free. When that didn’t work, I threw myself forward toward the floor and the restraint slipped down to my thighs as I went down. Before I could face-plant into the wood floor, I caught myself on my hands. The thing holding me came down with my lower body and I felt a weight on top of my legs. Using my training, I rolled the weight off of me and started to crawl. I made it about a foot away before my calves were grabbed and I was pulled back. I let out an angry, frustrated scream and what was pulling on me stopped, but didn’t let go.
I kicked to get free and dug my nails into the floor as I tried to crawl forward again. What was latched onto my legs moved up my body to my waist. Using all the strength I had, I dragged myself a few inches forward.
“Shi!” I heard Creed call again, but this time there was panic in his voice.
“If you hurt him, I will kill you!” I roared in a way that sounded feral as I made it forward another inch. “I will cut your fucking heart out!”
I was yanked by my waist from the floor and lifted up to sit. My back collided with something hard yet soft just as weight came down on my legs and my arms were squished against my chest.
“Shiloh, it’s not real!” a voice yelled right behind me. “Wake up, baby!”
* * *
All it took was a blink and I knew I was awake. The sun was up. The hall that Mr. X had disappeared down was no longer dark and Creed was standing in front of it. I looked to the left and saw Colt and Knox standing in the living room. All three of them were wide-eyed and held panicked looks on their faces.
I was on the ground in the same exact spot I had been in my dream. The thing that had been restraining me hadn’t been a thing at all, but someone on the ground right behind me. By process of elimination, I knew it was Keelan. His legs were hooked over mine and his arms were wrapped around me in a rear bear hug hold.
I was breathing heavily. Rage and fear were riding on the back of my adrenaline as it still surged through my veins.
“I think she’s awake,” Knox said.
I did my best to relax in Keelan’s hold. “Did I hurt you?” My voice came out calm, but my tone was a different story. It had a sharp edge to it, revealing how mad I was. I didn’t think I’d ever been so angry. Since I’d really started buckling down and working with Dr. Bolton on healing, I’d been getting tastes of anger. This was different. What I was feeling now was a six-course meal. The magnitude of it was altering. I had felt a shift in me coming after what had happened to Isabelle. At first, I hadn’t understood it, but I did now. I was done being the victim. I was done being afraid. I was truly done.
If Keelan hadn’t stopped me, I might have really tried to kill Mr. X in my dream. I had been so angry I might have followed through on my threat and cut his heart out.
The sigh of relief Keelan let out pulled my attention back to him. His legs lifted off of mine and his arms fell away. He then scooped me up and turned me around to sit facing him. “No, you didn’t hurt me,” he said as his golden-brown eyes bounced all over my face. “Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head.
Keelan nodded and cupped my face. “Good, because you fought hard.”
“He was going to kill Creed.” My tone was still angry.
He gave me a tight smile. “So it was my brother you were going to cut X’s heart out for.” It was obvious that he was trying to lighten the mood.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was more than likely dead in my nightmare. Remembering the blood all over Mr. X made me downright murderous.
Keelan’s forced smile turned genuine at whatever he saw in my expression. His hands dropped from my cheeks, and he wrapped an arm around me before flipping us. Next thing I knew I was on my back on the floor with Keelan on all fours above me. My legs were bent to frame his. Cold air hit me right between my legs, bringing to my attention that I wasn’t dressed like I had been in my nightmare, but was only wearing Knox’s shirt.
“I’m flashing everyone my vagina,” I deadpanned as I laid my arms out on the cool floor.
“No one in this room is unhappy about that, Shi,” Creed said.
Keelan gave me a mischievous grin. “With how loud you were moaning last night, I wouldn’t be surprised if Knox took your panties as payment.”
Knox didn’t correct him. So I didn’t, either.
Keelan stroked my cheek with a finger. “Not a single blush.”
“I’m too angry to blush.”
“I can see that,” he said and sighed. “I wonder what I can do to bring back my blushing girlfriend.”
