“Elena,” I whispered against her lips.
“Hmm?” Her eyes were still closed.
“Can I clean you up?”
“Mhm.”
I made my way down her body with gentle kisses to the bruises on her torso, and she didn’t so much as flinch. But I did hear her quiet sigh.
After I carefully ran the wash cloth between her legs and tossed it to the floor, I crawled back up to cuddle my girl. We lay tangled together—our sweat-slicked skin cooling in the hotel room air—until our breathing evened out and we both fell sound asleep.
Chapter Fourteen
CHASE
Then, January 2024
It wasdark outside when we woke from our power nap. I was hungry as shit, but before I could even think about food, Elena and I needed to have a serious conversation.
“It’s time to talk about it, Sweetness.”
She tensed in my arms. Her cheek was pressed to my chest. While my fingertips trailed gently up and down her spine, my other hand held her head to me.
“You can’t go back.”
“I have to,” she said quietly.
“No fucking way,” I snapped.
Elena sat up so quickly, I was worried she might have sprained something. She turned and swung her legs over the bed before standing and hurrying to her suitcase. She pulled on sleep shorts and a tiny camisole that barely covered any skin.
“Elena.”
“You do not control me, Chase,” she said as she whirled on me, dark hair flying as she spun.
“What?” I asked, taken aback. I climbed out of bed to stand before her, stark naked. “Of course, I don’t control you. But you can’t go back to that house”—I pointed, in what direction, I wasn’t sure—“if he ishurtingyou.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I told you, I have to.”
“Why?!” I threw my arms up in the air, frustration getting the better of me. “Explain it to me, Elena, because you have bruises on your body that tell me it isnot safefor you there.”
“I’ve survived this long,” she whispered, eyes trained on the floor. “What’s a few more months?”
My chest cracked wide open. I reached out and pulled her to me, tucking her against my chest. “You’re killin’ me here, Sweetness. Why can’t you just stay?”
“Because I have a plan, Chase.” Her arms were pinned between us, fists curled under her chin as I held her in place. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I could hear the determination in her voice. “If I stick to the plan, everything will fall into place in a few more months.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t let you go back there.”
Wrong thing to say, jackass.
Elena pushed against my chest to free herself, and I let her go. I would never use my strength to overpower her.
“You don’tletme do anything.” Her voice wavered, but she didn’t move. “I make my own decisions, and clearly, spending tonight with you was a bad one. You can’t handle this, so I think you should go.”
My jaw dropped. “You— What? No.” I reached for her, but she took a large step backward, away from me.
Fuckfuckfuck.She was building her walls right back up, right in front of my face, brick by brick. I finally had her, and I was already screwing it up.
