Page 23 of Saviors

Her mouth pulled at the corners, but she didn’t say a word. I watched her shaking hand as she picked up the fork. It clinked against her plate as she poked at her eggs. A piece no bigger than a dime clung to the metal as she brought it to her lips.

Satisfaction filled me, but it stopped dead as her sniffle echoed in the air. That tiny sound was like a gunshot in the quiet. Cracks formed in my heart as a tear tracked down her smooth cheek.

Her soft whimper followed. Her nostrils flared with the movement. Her eyes pleaded with me to stop this.

She was acting like I was going to murder her. Not like we were trying to feed her. Get her healthy again.

My chest constricted as I grasped her wrist. She flinched, and the eggs fell to the plate with a plop. I should let her go, but I couldn’t.

Everything in me screamed to draw her close. To keep her safe. To heal her.

I removed the fork from her grasp, setting it on the table. She stared down at it like it held the key to her freedom. But I knew she was just afraid to meet my gaze.

I kept my hands gentle as I grasped her chin, tilting her face to mine. Her tears wet my palm, and I hated myself a little.

“I’m not trying to hurt you, pretty girl.” My thumb stroked along her cheek. Her skin was unbelievably soft. “I’m trying to take care of you.”

She blinked, and I lost that green gaze for a moment. It was the longest moment of my life. “Why?”

I felt what Maverick and Connor did. This undeniable pull to her. To her brokenness.

But I pushed it aside. We could heal her. Protect her. But we couldn’t keep her.

“Because you’re ours to take care. For now.” I took a deep breath, hoping she’d feel the truth of my words. “Trust me when I say I understand. What I’ve gone through isn’t the same. But the need for control, I understand that. It lives in me.” My heart gave a tug. My free hand tapped my chest, trying to soothe it. “I don’t feel safe unless I know the people around me are taken care of. I can’t relax until you’re not in danger of dying from malnutrition. So please eat something for me.”

I saw the shift in her eyes. A piece of her clicking back into place. “H—he drugged my food. I didn’t know what day it was or even everything he did to me. So I stopped eating because I was afraid h—he’d poison me.”

My fingers curled into the fabric of my shirt. I fought not to grip her chin tighter. I felt her fear like it was my own. He would pay for doing this to her.

“Okay.” I nodded; dropping my hand, I gripped hers. Violet’s sock covered feet slipped as we walked the few steps into the kitchen.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as I turned towards her. She squeaked as I grasped her hips, placing her on the island. I should’ve asked permission, but I wasn’t used to it. I gave orders. Demanded and everyone listened.

She didn’t say a word as I picked up her plate and threw the food in the trash. She watched as I grabbed the carton of eggs from the fridge. I set them and a bowl beside her.

Her gaze burned my skin as I cracked the shells, then whisked them together. I tossed butter into a pan and bread into the toaster. Within minutes, she had a fresh plate of eggs and toast. I even cut up a few strawberries.

She never stopped watching.

I placed the new dish in her lap. Her hands still shook as she stabbed a piece with her fork. Her breathing wavered as she brought it to her mouth. At the last second, I dipped my head.

Her eyes widened as I closed my lips around the fork. They stayed focused on me as I swallowed. A spark flashed behind them as my tongue came out, swiping away any crumbs.

“You’re safe, pretty girl. I promise.”

“Thank you.” There was so much meaning in those words. And I hated it. Hated that she kept thanking us for doing the bare minimum. For being decent human beings. Because we weren’t.

I didn’t tell her that. Instead, I picked up the toast and brought it to her mouth. “Open.” Her brows furrowed, but that was the only sign she’d heard me. “Let me take care of you.”

Her lips parted as she obeyed. A warmth spread through my veins as she bit the food and swallowed. With that movement, I realized I was in danger.

In danger of forgetting, she wasn’t ours.

13

Violet

Reid said he had work to do, so I was left wandering their house. It was clear they had money. It was in the expensive fixtures and furniture. But I got the feeling they had even more than it appeared.

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