Page 7 of Protect Me
“Were you assaulted?” I ask, my voice barely controlled as my anger stirs.
Her dark chocolate eyes shift to mine. “I’m beat to shit,” she deadpans. “I think that’s a yes.”
“Were you raped?” I clarify. “I can see you were attacked, but your attire leads to other conclusions.”
She swallows hard. “No.” Her gaze shifts from mine. “I escaped first,” she whispers.
My hands clench into fists at my sides as I offer her a nod, fucking relieved that she got away even if I am still going to take great pleasure in punishing the fucker responsible for her pain. “Adaya—the healer—will be here shortly, and we will ensure you are brought clothing and food. Is there anything else?”
“Am I a prisoner in this room?” She looks from me to Bracken, who has yet to speak since we stepped inside. I can feel the anger radiating from him through our pride bond, though, and I know he’s impatient to join Killian on the hunt.
“You’re not a prisoner although your current physical condition would only suffer if you tried to leave.” Behind me, Bracken clears his throat. I roll my eyes. “Circus policy dictates that you are not permitted to leave your quarters until we’re sure you can make good on your skills. Once you have signed your contract, you will have the rights of everyone else here. Including access to the gym, Big Top, and dining hall.”
“Contract?”
“Everyone here is under a contractual obligation,” I tell her. “You sign it, or you leave.”
Helen swallows hard, and I struggle to keep my gaze from her delicate throat—and the red handprints wrapped around it. She wasn’t just attacked. Someone tried to kill her. “Thank you,” she says. “For this.” She gestures to the bed, but my eyes flit over her half-naked body, and my lust stirs. “Your name is Duncan?”
The way she says my name has something churning inside me, but I shove it the hell down. I don’t have time for attraction with this woman. I have a strict ‘no fucking performers’ policy for a damned reason. Not to mention this woman is in no condition for it, anyway. “Yes.”
“Who are you?” she asks Bracken.
Despite her injuries and obvious pain, her gaze is direct. She meets his eyes with no sign of fear. Though my beast can sense her nerves at being alone with us, she’s hidden it well.
He clears his throat. “Bracken.”
“Bracken,” she repeats, “and Duncan. Thank you both. And please thank the other one—”
“Killian,” I interject.
“Killian. Please thank him for me, too. You three saved my life.”
“We’re just doing our job.”
A soft knock sounds on the door, so we all turn as Bracken reaches over and opens it to reveal the visitor. Adaya, the water fae who also serves as our healer when necessary, strolls in wearing skintight jeans, a white crop top, and a black leather jacket. “Boys,” she greets with a kind smile that fades the moment she sees Helen on the bed. “You poor thing.” She crosses the apartment and sets her medical bag down then looks to me. “You both can go now. I’ll take care of her.”
Neither Bracken nor I respond as we turn and leave the two women. I set a fast pace, strangely off balance and glad to be out of that room. If Bracken notices my hurrying, he doesn’t mention it.
“She’s a looker,” he comments instead as we step down into the Big Top and head for the exit.
“She’s trouble,” I say.
Bracken chuckles. “The best women usually are.”
“She lied about her name.”
“Caught that, too,” Bracken comments. “Though, given her current state, I can’t exactly blame her for being untrusting.”
“Agreed. Still, we need to figure out who the hell she is and what fuckers need to die.”
Bracken chuckles but doesn’t respond.
Killian is leaning against the building when we step outside to join him, his gaze fixed on the tree line just beyond the apartment buildings.
“Anything?” I ask.
“Movement,” he replies. “We might want to shift to check it out. See if we can catch their trail.”