Page 49 of Where We Ended

“My gosh, Natty, look at this.” Red picked up the cuff, inspecting it then turning toward the crowd. “Anyone have a key?”

I stood behind Natty as Red addressed the club, holding my wife’s wrist. “Usually a universal key will work. She needs to get out of these cuffs.”

Someone pushed forward holding up a paperclip. “I can try picking it. I’ve done it quite a few times. I’m pretty good at it.”

The man was in his early twenties or so; he gave Natty a shy smile before gently cradling her wrist in his hand. I gripped her hips, leaning over her shoulder to watch him work. I relaxed when she leaned into me.

“Thank you, Rune.” Natty smiled at him as the metal cuff unconnected and her wrist was freed.

He gave her one last smile before looking up and catching my gaze. I remembered his name, Killian and Wes used it when they were trying to fuck with me over her being handed over to a club member. I glared and he stumbled once on his way back into the crowd.

I heard Wes laugh distantly behind us.

Taking her hand in mine once more, I turned us toward the stairs and ignored everyone else who wanted to say hello to her. We needed to be alone for one fucking second. I hadn’t had her all to myself where I could touch her in over two years.

“Wait.” She stopped, pulling on my hand.

I turned with her, worry feathering my brow when she looked behind her at the group.

“I need to talk to Killian; his mother was the woman who ran out of the kitchen. She needs help and we have to?—”

Pushing closer, I pressed my thumb against her bottom lip to stop her from spiraling. She needed to focus on herself, not some woman who got herself tangled up in Fable’s bullshit.

“I’ll tell him, I promise. Just let me get you settled and I promise you I’ll tell him.”

She hesitated for one more second before giving in, then she followed me up to her room. I produced the key and unlocked her door.

“You have a key to my room?” She asked, sounding surprised.

I looked over my shoulder and smirked. “You think all this time you were in this club I wouldn’t have a way in?”

She pushed past me, walking toward her closet.

“Yet, you never used it a single time.”

I smiled, securing her door with the lock.

“How do you know I never used it?”

Her eyes rolled, her blonde hair curled in waves down her back. The sun slid into her room through her windows, lighting up the white carpet, the green vines along the ceiling and the different sketches along the walls.

“So you what, snuck in and watched me like Edward watched Bella?”

She moved to the bathroom where she turned on the shower, letting the room fill with steam. My chest felt tight as I watched her hesitate in the middle of her floor, her hands curled into fists. She didn’t want to touch the shirt she was in…or maybe she didn’t want to see what was under it. Or did she not want me to see her naked?

Fuck that. She wasn’t pushing me out, I wouldn’t stand for it.

I moved, slipping out of my boots and my cut, so I was just in front of her with my t-shirt and jeans.

The steam curled around us as I stared down at her disconnected expression and then I tugged on the hem of the shirt she was hesitating with and slowly pulled it over her head.

She gave a tiny hitch of breath as unbidden tears began trailing down her face. I checked her stomach, her breasts, all of it seemed unscathed, but entirely more perfect than I remembered. Relief swelled for only a second before she grabbed a clean rag from her shelf, stuck it under the hot spray of water, then began scrubbing at her stomach with so much force I worried she’d tear her skin.

She just kept scrubbing as she sobbed.

It ruined me seeing her like this, so I stepped closer, gently reaching for the rag from between her fingers and let it fall to the floor. She continued to cry as I pulled her into my arms and stepped into the shower.

She curled into my chest, her arms going around my neck as I tried to soothe her.

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