Page 56 of Possessive Mr. Pen

I need my gladiator goddess to save me again.

The door slams open without warning.Adrenaline and alarm yank me onto my tingling feet.

“Can you fight now?You look strong, so maybe—”

“What’s wrong?”I interrupt Aisha.

“She’s having a night terror.”She hisses as I push past her but keeps talking.I rush through the living space to the hall.Momo stands in the doorway of the first room with her back to me.“Momo picked the lock, but Hils gave me a black eye last time and felt so bad she said she didn’t want us to wake her up anymore, but…”

I shoulder past Momo.My heart stops.

With unseeing eyes locked on the ceiling and her body rigid, Hilary lies on top of the blankets fighting a battle no one but her can see.I lunge forward.Both sisters make a grab for me, but I jump onto the bed and yank Hilary into my arms.

Her paralysis erupts into violence.She fights so hard I worry she’ll hurt herself, so I roll on top of her and pin her flush against the mattress with my bulk.

Amidst her visceral screams, her sister’s worried voices yell at me.

“Don’t hurt her—”

“She doesn’t mean it—”

Hilary bites my shoulder.Hard.So hard blood trickles down from the skin above my shirt and fiery pain spreads down my arm.

“Good girl.More.Harder,” I growl.

She complies.My bones ache from the force.

“Give me everything, Hilary.I’ve got you.You’re safe.”

Awareness washes over her.

She releases her bite and hides her face against my throat.I loosen my hold on her.She wraps her arms around me and wriggles her face lower to my chest.I murmur words of praise and adoration into her hair.

This is my fault.I took her to see Hannah today and made her recall her stepfather’s attack.She may have claimed to have worked through it and acted tough, but as a survivor, I should’ve known better than to let her be alone.

“I’m sorry, Hilary,” I say.

She takes a stilted breath but doesn’t respond.I lift my weight off her, but she clings to me and growls.

“I taste blood.Who did I hurt?”she croaks.

“Just me, my warrior queen,” I say.

“Not my sisters?”she whispers.

“No, we’re fine,” Aisha says from a few feet away.

She relaxes and takes her first full breath.

“How bad is it?”she asks.

Momo presses a wad of paper towels against my neck before the blood drips into Hilary’s hair.

“It needs a bandage, but I dare say it’s nowhere near as bad as Aisha’s black eye.You let him off too easy,” Momo says.

She must have learned the vicious streak from my gladiator goddess, because twenty-four years ago, she was the sweetest, most timid little girl I’d ever met.

I mouth athanksto her.Her eyes widen.