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Time to suck it up. I have no idea how long they plan on keeping me, but I can’t carry on like this. I need my glasses and some real damn food. I make my way back to the living room, this time finding Jagger leaning against the counter with his cell phone to his ear. I take a quick look around but don’t see Slade. I’m not sure if I should feel relieved or disappointed.
When Jagger spots me, he lifts a finger to tell me to hold on.
“Alright, if you’re sure, we’ll be there in five.” He hangs up and slides his cell into his pocket as his eyes move over my body, taking in my borrowed clothes.
“You look cute in my things.”
I dip my head when I feel my cheeks heat.
“You want to come to the main house and get something to eat?”
My head snaps up so fast that I almost hurt my neck. “Really?”
He nods. “That was Zig on the phone, telling me to bring you over.”
I bite my lip, wondering if I’m about to walk into another interrogation.
“Just food, Astrid,” Jagger reassures me, as if reading my thoughts.
“Okay,” I say quietly.
I wait for him to say more, but he just holds out his hand for me. After a moment of hesitation, I reach for it. When his hand closes around mine, I let him guide me toward the door, stopping him once we reach it.
“Um…shoes?”
He looks down at my feet, then looks around the room and curses. “I have no idea where Slade put them,” he admits before bending down and scooping me up in his arms.
I yelp in surprise but wrap my arms around his neck so that I don’t fall as he steps outside and kicks the door closed behind us. I look around and notice that all the construction vehicles are gone. Before I can take in much more, we’re already inside the main building.
I hear voices talking and laughing, which all stop when they catch sight of Jagger and me.
Fighting the urge to jump out of Jagger’s arms and run, I offer them a small wave. “Hi,” I say softly as I take in the faces sitting around the table. Some I recognize, others I don’t.
“What the fuck?” Greg—I think his name is—snaps, jumping to his feet as he approaches. I burrow my head against Jagger as he holds me tighter.
“What the fuck happened to her face?” he yells as he gently lays a hand on my arm, startling me more than if he’d hit me.
Dammit, why is kindness always so shocking to me? I turn toward him, his concerned eyes meeting mine.
“She tried to run. I told you that. Slade stopped her,” Jagger answers with a sigh before I can say anything.
“Slade did this?” Greg’s voice drops into a low growl, which, I’m not going to lie, is incredibly sexy, even though he’s far older than me.
“He didn’t hurt me on purpose,” I whisper, wondering why the hell I’m defending the man. For some reason, I don’t like the idea of them thinking he took his fists to me.
“If you put her down, I can—” Salem’s words are cut off by Oz’s.
“No.”
The room goes quiet after that, the atmosphere so tense that I’m about to tell them I’ll just go back to my room when Greg slides a finger under my chin and tilts my head back.
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” I admit, my stomach rumbling loudly in confirmation.
“Well, then, let’s get you something to eat. Jagger, you can put her down now.”
He seems reluctant to do so, but eventually, he lowers me to my feet. Greg motions for me to follow him when the door behind us opens and slams closed again.
