And there was just something so fragile about her now.
I nodded. “All right. I’ll take you home.”
“And you’ll h-hold me?”
“I will hold you so tightly, no one will make me let go. Any bastard who tries will be a dead bastard.”
She took a deep breath, as if my words comforted her, and nodded.
I squeezed her to me once more before letting her return to her seat. Then I made the short drive home.
19
KAI
Gemma wasnaked and tied to the bed.
After we got home, I made her a quick dinner by heating up the leftover lasagna from the night before.
I fed her most of the meal, and I thought I would need to start doing that now because, as drained as she had been, I had never seen her eat so much on her plate.
After that, we took a quick shower together and went to bed.
I tied her up because I needed some control.
I needed to reassure myself that she was safe and right here with me and wasn’t going anywhere.
She seemed to have taken comfort in that as well.
I sat on the bed with Gemma sound asleep next to me.
The covers had fallen a little and there was a hint of pretty pink nipples showing through every time she breathed in and out.
I didn’t know how long I stayed like this, watching her, but it was long enough that my back muscles were getting sore.
I rubbed my eyes.
I should probably try to get some sleep.
I didn’t think I could, though.
Not yet.
I grabbed the laptop on the nightstand.
Then I did what I should have done when I’d first looked into Gemma.
I searched for her on the dark web.
* * *
Holy.Shit.
Quietly, I climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweats before grabbing my laptop and making my way out to the living room.
The streetlights outside my apartment twinkled, and I didn’t bother to turn on the lights.
I called Dad.
