"Emily," I called softly. "Emily, sweetheart, you're dreaming. You're safe."
She didn't hear me, still trapped in whatever horror her mind had conjured. I sat carefully on the edge of the bed and touched her shoulder. "Emily. Wake up. You're safe."
Her eyes flew open, wild and unfocused, and she jerked upright. For a moment, she didn't seem to recognize me, her body tensing to fight.
"It's Dion," I said, keeping my voice low and steady. "You're in my house. You're safe."
Recognition dawned slowly, and she collapsed against me with a sob, her small body shaking violently. Both dogs crowded the bed.
"I'm sorry," she gasped between sobs. "I'm so sorry."
"Shh, nothing to be sorry for." I gathered her close, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other rubbed soothing circles on her back. "It was just a nightmare."
But we both knew it wasn't just a nightmare. It was a memory.
Emily clung to me, her fingers digging into my bare shoulders as if afraid I'd disappear. I held her until the worst of the trembling subsided, murmuring reassurances against her hair. It was almost like Emily was two different people. Her strong, independent warrior persona battling for the kids and for those women in that auction. Reports from those that had been rescued told us how strong Emily had been. Often putting herself between a terrified woman and one of the guards despite how scared she must have been herself.
Then there was the Emily I held in my arms while she cried, and I thought back to the way her parents had refused to support her, simply because she didn't share the same vision as them.
Who did she have to talk to?
"It might help to tell me about it." I tried again when her breathing had steadied somewhat.
She shook her head against my chest.
"Okay," I soothed, and wondered if she might talk to a therapist. All the women had been given counseling, but it had only been a month since her rescue, and she was back at work. I was betting she hadn't spoken to anyone. I was also betting she thought she was going to deal with this on her own, just like the rest of her life.
Good thing she had me whether she liked it or not.
I started to pull away to reach the tissues, but her grip on me tightened frantically. "Don't go," she whispered, her voice small and broken.
The vulnerability in those words cut straight through me. This wasn't the independent woman who had insisted she was fine on her own. This was someone who had reached the end of her rope.
"I won't leave you," I promised, grabbing a tissue and instead of passing it over I wiped under her eyes then her nose. "I'll stay right here."
Relief washed over her face. She scooted over, making room for me in the bed. I hesitated, suddenly aware that I was wearing only boxers and an old t-shirt, and that was only because she was in the house, but Emily's pleading eyes made the decision for me. I slid under the covers beside her, careful to maintain a respectful distance.
Emily had other ideas. As soon as I was settled, she curled against my side, her head finding the hollow of my shoulder as if it belonged there. Her arm draped across my chest, and she released a shuddering sigh. Settling instantly, both dogs curled up on the floor but positioned themselves between the bed and the door.
"Is this okay?" she whispered.
"More than okay," I assured her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
We lay in silence for a while, her breathing gradually slowing to match mine. Just when I thought she might have fallen asleep, she spoke.
"They kept me in a closet," she said, her voice so quiet I had to strain to hear it. "Between... training sessions. It was small and dark, and I couldn't... I couldn't breathe."
My arm tightened around her instinctively. The urge to hunt down every person involved and make them pay was overwhelming.
"They soon worked out that I wasn't going to cooperate, but then they just threatened the others if I didn't behave."
"You're not there anymore," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. "You're here with me, and I won't let anyone put you in a dark place ever again."
She nodded against my chest, her fingers curling against my skin. "You make me feel safe."
The simple admission filled me with a fierce protectiveness I'd never experienced before, even during my years of military service. I pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of my shampoo in her hair.
"Try to sleep now," I murmured. "I've got you."
