Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
But these two women and the others we’d freed were far more innocent. At least, they had been until now.
In the van, I held the tiny woman close, meeting Finn’s eyes over her head. I was certain that his grip on Una was equally as tight. I looked down, wondering why bringing her with me was so important. Why it felt as if I should be the only one who held her and made sure she was okay.
I shook my head, not understanding what was happening. Why did I care so much for a stranger? I didn’t even know her name.
I felt the drift of fingers on my cheek, and I looked down, meeting the dark, scared eyes of the woman I was holding.
“Anna,” she whispered. “My name is Anna.”
I must have spoken my thoughts out loud. “I’m Niall,” I said, unsure if she’d heard me earlier in her terror.
She nodded. “I know.”
Then she buried her head back into my shoulder, as if that was her spot.
And I was surprisingly okay with that.
At the hotel, we headed up to our private floor. I knew the two floors below us were clear and ready to help everyone we’d freed. Medical personnel, food, blankets, medicine—all was prepared. I also knew Finn had rooms for our friends and their wives so they could rest after the mission was complete.
I paused at my door. Finn looked at me. “Let her get cleaned up, and you can arrange to take her downstairs,” he murmured.
I grunted, not liking that idea, for some reason. I carried Anna to the en suite, setting her on the floor.
“I’ll run a shower for you. Find you some warm clothes.” Reaching inside, I turned on the water and made sure the temperature was acceptable. “It’ll warm you up.”
I headed to my room, searching in the drawers. I had nothing to fit someone her size. When I had stood her on her feet, she barely reached my chest. And she was so…minute. She would drown in my clothing.
Shaking my head, I grabbed a pair of warm sweats, a heavy sweater, and some socks. At least she would be covered and warm. I placed the clothes on the bed, glancing down the hall, surprised to find her still standing where I had left her. I hurried toward her.
“Anna?” I asked gently. “What’s wrong? Is the water too hot?”
Her voice was quavery as she spoke. “I don’t know.”
I became concerned as I saw how hard she was trembling. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” she repeated. “I’m too scared to move. As soon as you left, I became frightened.”
“I’m right here,” I soothed, unsure what to do. “Please get in the shower. The heat will help.”
She nodded, not moving.
“I’ll stay,” I promised. “I’ll stay with you.” I shut the door, trapping the heat in and turning my back to give her privacy. “I won’t look.”
There was silence for a moment, and then I heard fabric rustling and the sound of the shower door opening. Her fast inhale of air made me turn. “Too hot?”
“No,” she replied. “It feels like heaven.”
I faced the door again, but not before I saw her. Wet, naked, vulnerable. Covered in bruises and scrapes. Cuts. I tightened my hands into fists, wishing I could go back and kill them all over again. Take my time and make them suffer the way she obviously had at their hands.
“Are you all right?” she asked hesitantly.
“Fine,” I muttered through tight lips.
“You made an odd sound. Like a growl.”
“I’m hungry,” I lied.
“Please go eat. I’ll be all right.”
Except as my hand curled around the doorknob, I swore I felt her anxiety ramp up. My own chest tightened in fear as if it was absorbing hers. I let go and sighed, dropping my head to my chest.
And I stayed where I was.
I led her to my room, indicating the clothing I put out, and then I pointed to the door. “I’m having a shower. Right there. I’ll leave the door open so you can hear me. You get dressed, and then we’ll have something to eat, okay?”
She nodded, clutching the towel to her chest. Her skin glistened, and the bruising I’d seen in the misty glass was vivid and dark.
“I have a doctor coming to see you as well.”
Her trembling started again, and I stepped close. “A friend, Anna. All you will encounter here are friends. No one will hurt you. I swear it.” I took her hand, lifting it to my face. “No one will get near you. I won’t let them. Do you understand?”
She swallowed and nodded.
I quickly headed to the shower, anxious to wash off the blood and the smell. I raced through it, returning to her in less than ten minutes. She was dressed, looking like a child in my too-large clothes. She was attempting to brush her hair with her fingers, and I handed her my brush.