Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Good.
“Stay out here,” she said to Lock and Ty as she reached the door.
“Bren…”
She faced Lock. “No matter how nonthreatening you try to be, you’ll scare her. Trust me.”
“She’ll be all right, brother. Spec is in there,” Ty said as he touched Lock’s shoulder.
Her man sighed, then nodded.
“I will be careful,” she said with a slight smile before he could issue the warning.
“That’s all I ask.”
She lifted to her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He turned what she meant to be a brief brush of her lips into a deep taste as he turned his head and caught her lips, cupping the back of her head to hold her in place. Any other time, the passionate kiss would have had her squirming and ready to strip. Tonight, it provided comfort, safety, and love.
Exactly what she needed.
Only when Ty cleared his throat did she pull back, pressing her lips together to capture the feel of him.
“I’ll wait for you here,” Lock said with a wink.
Unaccustomed to overt displays of affection, Brenna avoided Ty’s amused gaze as she hurried into the room that had been her cell only hours before.
Spec stood in the center of the room, his hands up in surrender. As Brenna walked into the space that would star in many of her nightmares, he glanced over his shoulder. “Bren, it’s not safe.”
Beyond him, plastered against the wall, stood Kelsie. Her eyes were wide as saucers and filled with a near-crazed fear that made Brenna wonder if she was aware of her surroundings. She clutched a wicked-looking knife between both hands and thrust forward to ward off Spec. His knife, most likely. The fact that the slight, trembling woman managed to get the weapon off Spec was a testament to his kind, compassionate treatment of her.
“It’s okay.” She slowed her steps as she reached his side. “She won’t hurt me.”
“Bren.” Spec reached for her as she moved past him.
“Don’t touch her!” Kelsie screamed, jutting the knife forward as though she stood a chance against a seasoned special operations soldier. Spec could have disarmed and subdued her in seconds, but to his credit, he didn’t lay a hand on the panicked woman.
“Spec, I’m okay,” Brenna said. She also lifted her arms. “This is Kelsie. We were kept in this room together. Kelsie, this is my friend, Spec. I promise you he isn’t here to hurt you. He won’t even touch you.”
“Brenna,” he muttered in a low growl.
Sure, it was a promise she couldn’t make him keep, but she’d do her best to calm Kelsie and get the knife without traumatizing her more.
She took two slow steps toward Kelsie. “Kels, remember I told you about my boyfriend? How he was in a motorcycle club, and I knew they’d come for me? Spec is part of his club. He’s here to rescue us. To take you home.”
The younger woman blinked and turned her head a fraction of an inch in Brenna’s direction but didn’t fully take her attention off Spec.
“Brenna?” she asked, only now realizing who spoke to her. The poor girl was so emotionally wounded it would take a lot of patience, love, and therapy to help her heal.
“Yeah, honey. It’s me.”
Kelsie began to cry. “You’re okay? I was so scared for you.”
Aww, this poor, sweet woman. Smiling, she nodded. “I am. We’re free now.”
“Y-you look awful.”
That had Spec and her chuckling, making Kelsie straighten and readjust the knife.
“Hey,” Brenna said to capture Kelsie’s attention again. When the woman looked at her, she took another step closer. “I do look awful. I’m banged up and in a lot of pain, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
“Did—” Her breath caught. “Did they…”
“No,” Brenna interrupted before Kelsie had to say it. “No, they didn’t.” It came bone-chillingly close, but she didn’t need to know that yet.
“Oh. Good.” Her fellow prisoner’s shoulders slumped. “You’re lucky.”
Swallowing around a thick throat, Brenna nodded. “I am.” Tears rolled down her face as she imagined the horror the other woman suffered. Now, with first-hand knowledge of the fear and disgust the unwanted touch brought, her heart cracked in half. Kelsie had been through what Brenna had and so many more horrors.
“You took my place,” Kelsie whispered. “Why did you do that? You shouldn’t have done that.”
Lock would be flipping his shit if he heard that. “You suffered enough, honey. I couldn’t let you go through more.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered again.
This was a conversation for another time. “Kels, can I hug you?”
The woman stared at her for a long moment before nodding once.
Victory. “I’ll need you to put the knife down first.”
She flicked her gaze to Spec.
“He won’t touch you at all.” Brenna walked into Kelsie’s line of sight, blocking Spec, who growled in frustration. “I promise. No one will touch you but me. These men here are good. They’ve gotten rid of everyone who hurt you. They’re all gone, and you are safe.”