Page 73 of Guarded from Corruption

“You got here in time,” I tell him as soon as my mouth is freed. “It’s not your fault.”

But judging from the look on his face, he doesn’t agree. Instead, he pulls out a small switchblade and sets to cutting through the ties around my ankles and wrists. His fingers stroke across my skin tenderly and he keeps murmuring, “I’m so sorry, Jade. So sorry.”

A flurry of new noise enters the room, and a familiar voice says, “We got here as fast as we could. But it looks like you have things under control.”

I glance over to the doorway, where Dante is glowering in the direction of Dr. Regan. Xavier crosses the room and gives the doctor a not very gentle kick before growling, “You think you can hurt our Jade?”

Now that my wrists and ankles are free, I start to sit up, but Niall sweeps me into his arms instead. He stands up while still holding me and hugs me to his chest. His lips brush across my forehead. “He tased her,” he tells Dante with a scowl. “I want to make sure Jade’s okay.”

“I’m okay,” I start. A little sore, shaken, but overall, okay.

“I want to know for sure,” Niall replies quietly.

Since I can see the fear still shadowing his gaze, I just nod at him.

Dr. Regan bleats from the floor, “It was self defense!”

“Shut up,” snaps Xavier. “You don’t want to test me.”

Footsteps clatter down the hallway, accompanied by the rise and fall of more voices. Police, I imagine.

Niall is still holding me with this desperate look on his face, and something shifts inside me.

Yes, I was terrified. But so was he. “I’m okay,” I whisper. “Can we go home? Dante can look at me there.”

He closes his eyes for a second. On an exhale, he opens them to look at me. “Okay, sweetheart. Let’s go home.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

NIALL

The guilt keeps hitting me in punishing waves.

It comes in a storm of what-ifs and how did we miss this and will she be okay?

I’m not supposed to be standing out in the hallway again with Dante in a terrible version of déjà vu, discussing yet another attempt to abduct Jade.

She was supposed to be safe. The FBI said it. We thought it was true.

We were wrong.

And it happened while I was right there. In the same building. That fucker hurt Jade. Terrified her. Brought back all the trauma she’s worked so hard to deal with.

If I hadn’t seen that photo… He could have hurt her even worse. Drugged her. Touched her.

“Fuck.” It’s a low curse as I fight the urge to punch the wall. Since we got back to B and A yesterday afternoon, I’ve been shoving down the rage so I can be the calm, supportive boyfriend Jade needs. But it’s still bubbling inside me, desperate to get out.

“Are you doing okay?” Dante looks at me with a concerned gaze. “You want to spar later? It might help.”

“No.” Although. It could help. “Maybe. Depends on how Jade’s doing.”

He leans against the wall. “How’s she holding up?”

“Honestly?” I glance at the cracked door and listen for any sound of movement inside. It’s still early, just past seven, and Jade is thankfully still sleeping. So Dante and I are having another one of our impromptu meetings in the hallway so I can be in range in case she needs something. “I think she’s doing better than me.”

His brow creases. “It’s not your fault.”

My jaw tightens until my teeth grind together painfully. “It doesn’t feel that way. I was there, Dante. I brought Jade to that place. And then I just watched her walk in to meet with that guy.”

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