Page 50 of Vicious Vows

"Shut up Faye," I whispered back and for the first time in my life I did my best to be gentle.

The suds caressed her skin as I swiped the loofah against her skin, washing away the blood and hopefully helping with some of the pain. I made sure not to linger on her chest or between her legs so she would know that I wasn't in there trying to get her to fuck me.

If she offered I'd take it but right now I didn't think that's what she wanted me to do.

After a few minutes of me washing her, she let her head fall against my shoulder and simply melted into me. She'd been put through the wringer and it was all because of me.

Guilt had never been something I'd felt before so now to have it running rampant in my mind was making me uneasy.

"Dominic, I don't think I can do this. I'm not built for this." Faye cried softly against my shoulder and I did the only thing I could do. I held her.

"We don't have a choice, Faye. I got you." The promise was out of my mouth before I could stop it. It was the truth though. I might have killed James because he was about to spill our secret but even if he wasn't I'd still have shot him in the face simply for putting his hands on what was mine.

"I know." Faye wrapped her arms around my waist and held me tight.

Again all the chaos and tension I'd felt with my father showing up unannounced simply drained from my body.

We stayed in the shower for a long time just holding each other and it was only when I felt Faye start to shiver against my body that I picked her up and walked out of the shower.

I wrapped a thick towel around her body and picked her up again, anger flaring in my body when she flinched and I had to move my hand away from the large bruise on her thigh. If James wasn't already dead I'd have fucking killed him again.

Softly, I laid her in the bed and walked back to the bathroom to grab the arnica cream from the first aid box.

"Do you want some of this?" I asked as I made my way back to her, showing the small tube in my hand. I used this myself any time I had any aches and pains I didn't have the time to deal with and the doc said it wasn't life-threatening. It always worked wonders for me.

"Sure." Faye nodded her head and then put her hand out to take the tube from me.

I pushed her hand away and simply got to work putting the salve on her bruises. She flinched as I applied pressure but soon relaxed enough for me to massage some of her pain away.

"Why can't you be like this all the time?" She asked, her eyes closed and her body nearly melting into the mattress.

"It's not my way Faye. I can't be who I need to be and do shit like this." I responded.

"You don't have to be anyone but who you are when you're with me, Dominic." Her eyes were still closed as she whispered those words but they struck a nerve inside of me.

Could it be true? Could I completely let down my guard when I was with her? I don't think I'd ever met anyone I could just be easy with. Everyone in my life was either a killer or a crook. In my world, if I wasn't hard I'd get walked over but with Faye the more I fought her the harder she fought back. It was only when I was easy with her that I got a glimpse of what my life with her could be like.

I'd already settled in my mind that I wasn't going to let her go no matter what happened at the end of this shit show.

I didn't respond to her statement. There was no way I'd be able to promise her what she wanted. There were going to be times when I had to show her that I didn't have time for the bullshit she sometimes threw my way. But right now I could pretend.

After I finished rubbing her down I laid down next to her and pulled her into my arms trying to get the same feeling I had before my father walked in. I don't think I've ever slept that good in my life.

Of course, it was after several of the best orgasms I'd ever experienced.

"I'm glad you were there to help me, even if you ... even if you had to kill that man," Faye said softly as she nuzzled closer to my chest.

"I'm going to have to do that a lot. You may as well get used to it."

"I never will." She shook her head.

Even though the danger was over I could still feel the tenseness in her body. Maybe she was hurt worse than what I saw. Maybe James had been able to do more to her than she was letting on.

"Did he hurt you? Inside?" I asked, squeezing her shoulder a little harder than I should've.

"No, he didn't get that far, only pushed me around a bit." She shrugged and looked up into my eyes.

There was something more hiding in her eyes. A hidden secret that was burning in her soul.

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