Page 18 of Daddy's Little Survivor

“Stop!” she screamed.

The person hoisted her up off the ground and held her close to their body. She thrashed around some more, trying to get out of the person's hold.

“Please, let go!” she begged.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered into her ear. “You’re safe now.”

Monroe cried out and pushed against his chest. Everything in her wanted to be out of his embrace. Her skin was crawling as he held her tighter against him.

“Please,” she begged again.

Tears of frustration and panic filled her eyes. Monroe bit down on his shoulder to try and get him off her, but he didn’t even flinch.

“It’s okay, Little Bunny,” he whispered. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you. No one is going to hurt you again.”

Sobs wracked her body as she grew tired of fighting against him. He wasn’t trying to harm her, but help her. It was something she wasn’t used to.

“That’s it. You’re okay,” he said as he started to rock them back and forth.

CHAPTER NINE

MONROE

Monroe’s skin started to crawl as her body relaxed. With the thick onesie surrounding her body and Michael’s arms wrapped around her, her body started to overheat.

She moved her arms so they were between their bodies and pushed against his chest, trying to get away. She needed to get this onesie off her or she was going to start hyperventilating again and pass out.

Michael tightened his hold on her and sat down on the ground.

"You're okay. I've got you now," he murmured into her ear. "No one is going to harm you again. I'll take care of you and keep you safe from everything and everyone."

She didn’t pay any attention to what he said. Monroe continued to push against his chest and whimpered as she grew hotter and her skin clawed even more. She wanted her onesie off right now; she needed it off.

"Hot," she whimpered. "Need off."

Her breathing grew labored as she continued to struggle in his arms. Michael pulled back and looked down at her, concern written all over his face. She didn't think anything about his facial expression. All that went through her mind was now there was a little space between them.

Her hands flew up to the zipper and started to tug on it, trying to get it down, but it wouldn't budge. It was stuck and Monroe started to get frustrated that it wouldn't unzip. She tugged harder on it, trying to force it down.

Nausea rolled in her stomach as she started to get hotter and knew if she didn’t get her onesie off soon, she would be throwing up.

She shivered at the memory of Jared torturing her that way. He loved to crank up the heat and make her get so hot she had to run to the bathroom and throw up several times. It was his sick way of showing her he was in control of everything and she couldn't get away from him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Michael moved his hand toward her. Gently, he moved her hands away from the zipper. She impatiently watched as he unzipped her onesie.

Monroe didn't wait for him to finish as she pulled her arms out of the sleeves and relaxed back into his embrace. She could feel the cold air against her skin.

"That's it. You're okay," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her again.

He was being so kind to her. Michael had helped her calm down and had unzipped her onesie, something Jared would never have done. Maybe they weren’t the same, but she couldn’t be too sure this early.

For a second, she felt content and safe. Her skin wasn't crawling, she wasn't hot, and she liked the feeling of his arms wrapped around her.

Safe. That’s what she felt like with his arms wrapped around her.

She couldn't remember a time when Jared had just held her like this, when he cared for her. She hadn’t even known Michael that long and he had already made sure she was as comfortable as she could be considering all that was happening to her.

Monroe's breathing had evened out and she had calmed down significantly. Her skin wasn't crawling anymore, and she wasn't hot and sweaty.

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