Page 35 of Rescuing Ally: Part 1
I swallow hard. “Ever since the first time,” I admit, voice barely above a whisper. “It wasn’t bad at first… just nightmares, mostly. Then it started happening when I was awake.”
Hank nods, brushing his thumb along the edge of my cheekbone, keeping me grounded in the present. “Triggers?”
My lips press together before I sigh. “Loud noises. The sound ofhelicopters. Being restrained—sometimes.” My fingers twitch slightly where they rest against the sheets. “I never know when it’s going to hit. Sometimes, it’s nothing. Other times…” My voice falters, my throat working around the words.
Hank catches my chin gently, tilting my face toward his, ensuring I see him. “Tonight was one of the times?”
I nod, slowly.
“It’s gotten worse since Kazakhstan.” The words fall like an admission. “I thought—” I swallow again, frustration flickering across my face. “I thought maybe after getting out, I’d be better this time.”
Hank nods, still stroking my cheek, his fingers barely there, soothing rather than demanding. “Have you seen a therapist for it?”
A ghost of a smile flickers at my lips, wry and a little bitter. “I have. But it’s different when you live under a microscope. No matter how good they are, I always have to wonder—who are they loyal to? Me? Or my father?”
Gabe exhales, his fingers trailing lightly along my arm, the touch slow and deliberate. “That’s a shitty way to live.”
“He means well, but …” I huff out something like a laugh. “Welcome to my world.”
Hank brushes his thumb across my lips, silencing the bitterness before it settles too deep. “Well, you’ve got us now. We’re not going to let you fight this alone.”
My breath catches, and something shifts inside me—hope, fragile but blooming, and a longing to trust these two men.
Slowly, hesitantly, I nod.
“How about you try to sleep,” Hank murmurs against my hair, his hand drifting lower, settling at the small of my back. “We’ve got you.”
Gabe tucks the blankets around me, his hand finding Hank’s across my body, locking me between them.
For a long time, I just breathe.
And finally, for the first time—I relax.
Just as sleep begins to claim me, I make a decision. I don’t want the nightto end like this.
My lips brush Hank’s, soft and sweet, but when I turn to face Gabe, something bolder takes over. The kiss I give him is neither hesitant nor chaste. My body arches, creating a bridge between them, and a sound escapes me that I barely recognize as my own.
Hank watches, shock and arousal in his gaze as I kiss Gabe while grinding against him. I’m offering myself to them both, no longer afraid.
But Hank catches my hip in a firm grip, stilling my movement.
“Sleep,” he orders, his voice rough but leaving no room for argument. I make a slight sound of protest, but he holds me firmly. “We’ll have you soon enough, but not tonight.”
“But, I don’t want to ruin?—”
“You’ve ruined nothing, luv, but tonight we sleep. Tomorrow—” The promise in his voice makes me shiver.
His body tells a different story than his words. The hard length of him presses against my hip as he holds me, and tension vibrates in his jaw, the tight control in every muscle. He inhales sharply when I shift against him.
“The rule applies to all of us,” he says, voice strained. “Even me.”
He gently kisses my forehead and then looks at Gabe over my head. Some silent communication passes between them. Gabe nods almost imperceptibly.
Hank shifts beside me. “Much as I’d love to stay here … ” He eases away from my warmth, careful not to disturb me too much. “Got some business to handle.”
I watch him walk toward the bathroom, the realization dawning slowly. The shower starts moments later.
“Is he … ?” I whisper to Gabe, not quite able to form the question.
