Page 80 of Slave

I brought my knees up to my chest and tried to force the things I was seeing from my mind. Ian couldn’t hurt me anymore. He couldn’t hurt me.

Stephan

Ever since I’d left Brianna with my uncle I couldn’t concentrate. I was largely unaware of the conversation around me.

Diane had brought Lily a cup of tea to help “soothe her throat” while trying, without success, to include her in a discussion she was having with Samantha. Jimmy wanted a day of fishing out on the lake with Logan and me. He’d tried to engage me in the conversation, but was having about as much luck as Diane was with Lily. After I’d given him nothing but vague noncommittal answers a few times, he just carried on the conversation with Logan and left me out of it.

It had only been fifteen minutes, but I had to force myself to stay in my seat and not go and hover by the door. I kept looking at the clock on the wall every thirty seconds.

Then I heard Richard call my name. It wasn’t panic filled, but I knew that something must be wrong.

I didn’t bother to excuse myself or acknowledge anyone at the table before taking my leave and hurrying down the hallway to my uncle’s study. What I found there wrenched my heart.

Brianna sat in one of Richard’s high-backed chairs with her knees to her chest, her arms wound so tightly around her legs that her knuckles were white. She was chanting to herself something that sounded like he can’t hurt me in a barely audible voice.

I said her name before reaching out and trying to loosen her fingers. Somewhere in her mind she must have registered my presence because, although she didn’t look up, she did stop chanting the phrase she had been saying and changed it to the word yellow.

Before she’d said her safe word, I knew that she’d been at least at an eight given our experiences together so far. I was still happy that she had used it, though.

Once I’d released her hands from their death grip on her legs, I placed both of her hands in one of mine and used the other to cup her face. “Focus on my voice, Brianna. You’re safe, love.”

It took repeating these words three times before I finally began to feel her calm. She looked at me and that was when the tears started to fall. I didn’t hesitate picking her up into my arms and then sitting back down with her in the chair.

After settling her in my arms I looked up and found that although Richard was still the only one in the room, everyone else, including Lily and Logan, were standing in the doorway. I gave Logan a pointed look. He whispered something to Lily, and then motioned for everyone to move away except for Richard and Lily.

With everyone else out of view, Lily moved into the room and came to kneel in front of Brianna. Her hand came up to where Brianna’s hand rested in her lap. It didn’t take long for Brianna to recognize the gesture and for her to take Lily’s proffered hand.

We sat in our little bubble until Diane returned with a glass of water. I took it and thanked her before offering it to the fragile woman in my arms. Brianna surprised me as she had so many times by reaching out, taking the glass from me, and drinking.

Diane reluctantly left the room, leaving the four of us alone once again. I looked down at Brianna. “I need to speak with Richard. Are you okay here alone with Lily?”

“Yes,” she whispered. Slowly, I lifted both of us from the chair and placed her back into its comforting depths.

I waited until both Richard and I were out in the hall before leveling a look at my uncle. “What happened?” I snapped.

“I was honest with her. I told her I wasn’t sure her being with you was the best thing for her. She defended you and started spiraling into a panic attack, which is when I called for you.”

“You were just supposed to make sure she was okay. That was it. Why did you force her into having to defend me?” I hissed.

“Stephan, she is in very real danger of developing . . .”

“I don’t care what she’s in danger of developing. It’s not your concern. She is my responsibility.” Without letting him say anything else, I marched back into the study.

Lily was still kneeling on the floor, but now so was Brianna. As I walked into the room what I heard Lily say brought me up short. “You’re not a slave. Talk to Stephan. He’ll explain everything.”

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Brianna

I watched as he left the room to go speak to his uncle. There was a part of me that wanted to call him back. To ask him to never leave my side, but I couldn’t.

Lily’s voice brought my attention to her. “Are you okay?” Instead of answering her, my arms flew around her neck, nearly toppling her over, and I started crying once again.

Her hands came up to rub comfortingly on my back. “It’ll be all right,” she said, trying to soothe me as she regained her balance.

She didn’t understand why I was crying. “You can . . . talk,” I choked out.

Arms squeezed me tighter before she pulled me back and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I sat facing her on the floor, watching as she looked at me with a strange expression on her face. “I need to apologize to you, Brianna.”

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