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Marco
She opens the door, and I don’t give her a second to say a word. I push inside, then march her down the hall and into her room, giving the door a good slam once she’s inside.
“Marco.” Her eyes wide, she backs up until her knees hit the bed, and she sits.
I lean down and brace my hands beside her on the mattress. “What is going on, babydoll? And don’t give me any of that crap you tried to sell me this morning. What’s he done to you?”
Her breath hitches, and she swallows hard.
I clench my eyes shut and take a breath. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to protect you.”
“You shouldn’t be here.” She glances to the window where the curtains are still drawn tight.
“I’m not afraid of him. You shouldn’t be either.” I grip the bed, my fists clenching. “Has he hurt you?” If she says yes, I don’t think I can stop myself. I won’t be able to avoid bloodshed. Not that I’d try. I’ve already cleared it with Nick, gotten his blessing to do whatever’s necessary to secure Evangeline and her grandmother.
She shakes her head.
“Has he touched you?” I grit the words out, still raging from the way he’d put his hands on her earlier.
“No, not really.” Her eyes are watering, tears threatening. “Not more than you saw.”
“That was plenty.” If I could’ve dragged him out of that classroom without risking her, I would have. But I couldn’t. I had to bide my time.
“I know.” She nods and a tear drops down her cheek.
I drop to my knees in front of her and wipe the tear away. “Tell me, babydoll. You can trust me.”
“I’m sorry.” She sniffles.
I cup her warm cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I know that wasn’t you. You think I’d ever leave you? Ever walk away?” I lean closer and graze my lips against hers. “You’re mine. This isn’t some stupid puppy love. It’s real.” I take her hand and press it to my heart. “This beats for you. It’s yours. You can do whatever you want with it. Love it, break it, mend it--whatever you want, but it will always belong to you, no matter what.”
She cries more, and I kiss her, giving her as much emotion as I can, showing her that I mean every fucking word. Her hands go to my hair, her fingers pulling the strands as she answers my kiss and opens for me, her tongue a particular taste of ecstasy. I grip her hips and pull her to me, open and warm, her legs straddling my hips as we kiss. But I can’t get carried away. Not when there’s business at hand.
Pulling back, I drag my thumb across her lower lip. “Now, babydoll. I need to know.”
Her cheeks are pink now, her nipples so hard I can see them through her sweater. I want to take her, to shove into her until all her doubts are pounded away and the only thing left is me. But first I have to get her somewhere safe. This apartment is done. I’ve got movers on their way.
“Trent, um.” She shakes her head, then meets my gaze. “He threatened me.”
I grit my teeth.
“But you have to promise you won’t hurt him.” She takes my hand. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I can’t promise that. I refuse to make any vow to you that I might break. There will only be honesty between us, understand?”
“I can’t tell you, then.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want you to get arrested or, or hurt.”
“I won’t.”
She chews her lip. “Promise?”
“Yeah.” I don’t tell her that I could murder the entire Bradford family without catching so much as an arrest, but it’s true.
She worries her bottom lip. “Promise me you won’t kill him. You can promise that. Please.”
I don’t want to. But I pull her hand to my lips. “I promise.”
Letting out a breath, she nods. “He threatened to fire Grams if I didn’t go along with him. He wanted me to pretend to be his girlfriend, and he said he wanted me to come to his room tonight.”
