Page 54 of Under Fire

He kissed her. “You’re safe, Delilah. I’ll make sure you stay that way.”

When she woke two hours later, Delilah heard a rumble of voices in the living room. She put on her shoes, dragged a brush through her hair, and opened the door.

To her surprise, the rest of Bravo lounged around the living room. All but Liam, she corrected herself. He was at the French door, scanning the area for trouble.

The men turned at her entrance. Matt scanned Delilah’s face. “You look more rested. How do you feel?”

“Better.” She joined him on the couch. “What are you doing here?” she asked his teammates.

“Heard the action was here,” Simon said. “Didn’t want to miss out.”

Delilah frowned. “How are you able to leave PSI? You’re covering for Durango.”

“Adam Walker’s team needed to train for a mission. They agreed to cover for us at PSI while they train. If Maddox needs them, they’ll deploy from Otter Creek,” Trent said.

“We’re a team and best friends,” Simon added. “We have each other’s backs. Matt’s and Cade’s priorities are protecting you and Sasha. We’re here to help them and support you.”

Liam glanced over his shoulder. “Because you’re with Matt, you’re one of us now. We take care of our own.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Trent turned to Matt. “We secured rooms across the hall. We’ll coordinate the security watches to allow you and Cade more time to recharge. Tell me about this latest incident.”

Between the four of them, they detailed the events at the restaurant and the aftermath.

“Classmates,” Simon said, his voice thoughtful. “Did you have trouble with them in school, Delilah?”

Did she have to go into everything she’d been through in high school? The idea of baring her soul and weight issues to a bunch of super fit men filled her with dread. Matt wouldn’t be happy that she hadn’t told him and Detective Russell everything. Her cheeks burned with remembered embarrassment and shame.

“Delilah.” Matt’s soft voice brought her gaze to his. “There’s something more?”

She nodded.

“Tell me what happened.” His fingers entwined with hers.

“I’ve already told you the Randolphs and Sebastian Norris were close friends of my brother and cousins. You know how my family treated me during high school. Ace, Cage, and Sebastian were as bad as my family with their comments.”

“Comments?” Trent rested his forearms on his knees as he leaned forward to hear Delilah better.

Delilah turned his direction.

Matt captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger and angled her head toward him. “Look at me.” Although his gaze remained locked with hers, he addressed his team leader. “After the loss of her father, Delilah developed a weight problem. Since high school, this amazing woman has lost almost 200 pounds.”

He stroked his thumb over her jawline. “Don’t look anywhere else, just at me. Tell me the rest.”

Man, she didn’t want to talk about this, especially not in front of Matt’s teammates.

“Every piece of information could be critical to figuring out who’s targeting you and stopping them. You had the courage to totally change your life. A few sentences among friends who care about you is nothing compared to that.”

He was right. Two minutes of discomfort was nothing compared to the degradation she’d suffered at the hands of the terrible trio of boys. She dug deep for that courage Matt insisted she had. “I stayed after school one day in the spring of my senior year. I tutored a girl who was failing English. Our session ran long and by the time we finished, the school was empty except for the janitorial staff. At least I thought it was empty.”

Delilah closed her eyes a moment. “Ace, Cage, and Sebastian were still at school. They saw me walking toward the exit, cornered me, and shoved me into the bathroom. They said some ugly things.” Her throat closed up at the memories flooding her mind.

Matt brushed his lips over hers in a brief caress. “Finish it,” he whispered. “I need to know everything.”

She dragged in a ragged breath and spilled the secret that had been hiding in the darkness since she was eighteen. “They stripped me to the skin and put their hands all over me, slapping, poking, and pinching, all the while making lewd remarks.”

Rage filled Matt’s gaze though his hold on her hands remained gentle. “Did they rape you?”

---