Page 327 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

He’d left in a fury, leaving her to fall in an exhausted, aching sleep in which she continued to endure the strokes of his belt and his fumbling until she honestly couldn’t tell which was worse.

She drifted back to sleep.

A shuddering crash against the door startled her awake again. Alarms were going off. She could hear the distant blaring, punctuated by what sounded like thewhoop-whoop-whoopof helicopter blades and explosions.

The men came in from the balcony, ducked down behind the doors, their guns at the ready. Watching whatever was happening outside, they didn’t draw attention to themselves by joining in the sporadic gunfire she could make out between the booms and shockwaves that rattled her in her bed.

With a bang, the door slammed open. Three whisper-soft snicks of air punctuated the darts that hit each of the men as they turned, guns at the ready to meet this new invasion.

All three fired back at the door before slowly, one after another, they dropped unconscious to the ground.

She needed to roll her head to see who had come in. She was so heavy, so achy, so tired, she’d throw up if she had the energy to do so. She alternated between fevered sweating and teeth-chattering chills. And pain, there was so much pain. The agony was specific, then everywhere. There was no escaping the malaise that had overcome her.

The bed shook under the weight of someone hurriedly clambering onto it.

“I’ve got you, Princess.” Christian’s voice was gruff, but his hands were gentle as he cut through the ropes that bound her. Pulling her into his arms, he dragged her to the edge of the bed. “I have you. I need to use my guns. Can you stand?”

He tried to force her upright, but her legs melted out from under her, and she slid right off the mattress onto the floor.

“Am I dreaming?” she asked as he bent, hooking her arm over his shoulders and hugging her to him as he picked her up.

“No, Princess. It’s me.”

She sucked a sharp breath as the pain that ratcheted through her when he dropped her to sit. Her back had caught the worst of Fariq’s fury, but he’d lashed her ass as well and sitting hurt. Maybe the pain was a good thing, helping to clear some of the fog out of her head.

The tiny capsule Christian snapped under her nose did the rest.

“Oh my God,” she gasped, grabbing her nose. “That’s awful! What is that?”

“Ammonia. Take another whiff, then we need to run.” Leaving her at the bed, he ran to the closet, grabbing a yellow sundress and a pair of white shoes.

“Where are we going?” She obediently took another sniff, scrunching her face as the irritant worked its way through her tingling nose and into her lungs. “Ugh!”

When he didn’t answer, she realized he’d stopped in the process of bringing her clothes to her. He stood there, his expression an open wound.

She looked down, though she already knew what he was looking at. She had two marks that could be seen from her front. One where the belt had curved over her left shoulder, leaving its bruising bite in the paleness of her arm. The other at her waist, where the belt had wrapped to bite into her hip and abdomen.

He tore his gaze from her, but not before she saw the glimmer of what might have been tears. Steadying himself with a breath, the suspicious glimmer of wetness was gone when he turned back to her and very carefully helped her into her dress.

“I’m okay,” she said.

He got down on his knees to help her feet into her shoes, one-inch heels, the lowest of the pairs in her closet.

“I’m okay.” She touched his shoulder only to have him flinch away. He doggedly put her shoes on her. “Christian… I didn’t tell him anything. I was strong. I didn’t say a word.”

His head snapped up, and he looked at her. She didn’t know what she expected. Maybe for him to be relieved to know Fariq wouldn’t be coming for him next. That he was still safe and could continue to do… whatever it was he was so focused on doing in his mission to bring her brother down. Instead, in a flash, his eyes darkened furiously.

He looked angryat her.

“Oh, Princess.” Cupping the back of her neck, he brought her down until their foreheads touched, and his breath warmed her lips. She couldn’t pull back, even if she’d wanted to. His grip on her was strong and absolutely in control. She liked it. Drawing back, he looked her in the eyes.

“The next time someone asks you questions, you answer them. You tell them everything they want to know. Immediately.Completely. One hundred percent. Honestly. Do you understand me?”

“B-but… I was strong.”

“And now you’re hurt.” He gave her a gentle shake. “You’re hurt because of me, and I can’t bear it. I swear to you—I swear it—what I am about to do will guarantee he never lays another hand on you. Nothing like this will ever happen again. I’ve done some terrible things, and if, somewhere down the road, someone tries to get to me through you, baby, I want your solemn word you will tell them anything and everything they want to know.”

She shook her head.

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