Page 141 of The Pact

Damian and I jump out of Cole’s Range Rover before he comes to a stop. The two fuckers are peering through the glass, searching for her. Rage takes over.

I take the guy to the right, coming up behind him and grabbing him roughly by the hair. Damian does the same to the guy on the left. We drag them away from the studio, close to where the car is now parked. Their shouts hardly register. And I don’t care if anyone hears them.

I let the guy I’m holding loose, only to cock my fist back and release it into his jaw as soon as he turns to face me. His eyes roll back and his mouth goes slack from the force. As he drops to the ground, I pull the zip tie from my pocket, taking advantage of his disorientation.

Bringing his arms around his back, I plant my knee into his spine for good measure. I loop the plastic tie over his wrists, thread it and yank tight until it bites into his flesh. His hands quickly start changing color from the restricted blood supply.

He won’t need them anymore, so I don’t give a fuck.

Cole and Sutton jump out and help Damian and I load the men into the trunk.

“Wes, I need you to go in there and handle her,” Damian barks out. “We’re going to deal with this. Give me…” He looks at his watch. “An hour.”

I nod. “I’ve got this. Be careful.”

Cole walks to the studio doors and unlocks them before joining Sutton and Damian. I watch them drive off.

Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself for what I’m going to find inside. Thea didn’t tell me what they did to her, but something in my gut tells me it isn’t good.

Pulling open the door, I close and lock it behind me.

I walk down the hallway towards the bathroom. Beneath the door, I see the glow of light. I brace myself and knock lightly.

“Blue eyes, I’m here. Open up.” I jiggle the handle. It’s locked. C’mon, Thea.

The sound of the water quiets and I hear the faint click of the door unlocking, but she doesn’t open it. In the light beneath the door, I glimpse her shadow, then it’s gone.

Slowly, I turn the knob and push the door open, careful not to startle her. I peek my head in, so she can see it’s me.

“Hey,” I coo softly. Fuck. She’s tucked into the corner of the bathroom, shaking. Her face is red and splotchy. Her hair’s a mess. As soon as Thea realizes she’s safe, she breaks down. Her head falls into her hands, the sobbing makes her whole body convulse.

I get down on the floor with her and cautiously approach, unsure if she’ll want me to touch her. When I’m close enough, I reach out my hand, placing it on her shoulder. She flinches a little. Fury wells up inside of me. I wish I was with my brothers, giving Thea the justice she deserves. However, she needs me here.

A moment later, she crawls into my lap. As much as I hate it, a part of me is healed by that small gesture. She trusts me. My arms wrap around her, pulling her tightly to my body so she knows no one can hurt her. Nothing is going to happen to her. But that’s a fucking lie.

Something happened and none of us were around to protect her. We failed her.

We sit there for a while. I’m not sure how long, although I need to give my brothers time to handle business and I don’t want to rush Thea. I rock her in my arms, smooth my hand over her back, and tell her repeatedly that I’m here for her.

Her sobs eventually calm and I know we need to leave when my phone dings. I need to get her home. “Are you ready?” I ask. Thankfully, she nods. I lift her easily in my arms. I’m not making her walk out of here.

“Where are the others?” She croaks out. “Is anyone hurt?”

Sweet girl. She’s worried that those two pussies might have put hands on us.

I brush a stray hair from her face. “We’re all good. You never have to worry about us.” She nuzzles into my chest. I hate the thought that comes next. It’s not the time or place. I’m definitely falling for Thea. I push it away.

“She okay?” Thea’s head snaps towards Cole’s voice. I see the pain in his eyes when he looks at her fragile body in my arms.

“She will be,” I tell him. I’m going to make sure of it. If I have to spend every day by her side talking to her, holding her, caring for her…I will. And when she’s ready, I’m going to train her. This won’t happen again, yet I’m not naïve enough to believe that we’ll always be around to keep her safe. She’ll need to learn how to protect herself, just in case.

I open the backseat door and slide Thea inside. Cole goes around the opposite side to sit next to her. Reaching over her, I buckle her in. I don’t miss the slightest flinch. It breaks my heart. My fingers brush over her hand. She catches it and intertwines our fingers. She still wants comfort, despite all that she’s been through.

Scooting closer to her, I let our legs touch. It’s not much. Baby steps.

Damian starts the car and pulls away from the studio. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he asks, “Do we need to go to the hospital?” I hate the question. I don’t want to know the fucking answer. It could send me over the edge. However, we need to know.

Her eyes flick up to his. “I-I don’t think so. He…he hit my head against the wall, but I think I’m fine.” Thea’s voice is shaky. She pauses, knowing that she hasn’t answered the real question. Taking a deep breath and pushing it out, she speaks. “He didn’t rape me.” The word sends a flash of white hot rage through me. “He touched me, but I stopped him before he could do…” Thea’s eyes shut tight at the memory.

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