Page 57 of Under Their Protection

“It was quite a show,” Rowan says.

“It’s funny because she didn’t learn a single lesson. She will still be a brat,” Mia says.

“It’s true,” I laugh.

“Annie has you in for a video call on Monday afternoon. I want you to do me a favor and start writing or typing out your dreams,okay?” Theo says to me. “I know you don’t remember the nightmares, but you still dream.”

“Okay. I was thinking about starting to write again anyway,” I say.

“Oh?” he says, surprised.

“Yeah. The writing is for me, and I know that no one is going to read it without my permission, so I think getting things on paper is a good first step.”

“I agree. Write about the good and the bad though. All of it matters,” he says.

“Alright. I’d like to go home and go to bed now,” I say.

“Meet me outside of courtroom one at eight-thirty. If you see any of them, do not acknowledge them whatsoever,” Emma says.

“Okay,” I say with a sigh.

“I am also filing for a restraining order after today's incident,” Emma says.

“There is no proof,” I say.

“Mom has a camera on her porch. She sent the video to me, and it has audio. It picked up every word he said,” Rowan says.

“It’s going to make them angrier,” I say simply. “It’ll get bad…”

“It’s never easy but it’s necessary to get them away from you before they pick away at you enough that they cause a breakdown,” Theo says, and I nod. He’s right though. My family will literally drive me insane one day.

We all stand to get ready to leave. Max and Rowan make sure the room is clean while they talk. I am looking at my phone but listening to them.

“We can have Anika leave with Max and Rowan first. It's important no one knows that she was your sub before tomorrow,” Emma says.

“It will be far easier on her as far as looks if she isn’t walking with the lot of us,” Theo says. I could keep my mouth shut. I don’t have to disparage myself openly, but I’m dumb enough to do it in front of them.

“Never seen a man do the walk of shame,” I say to myself with a chuckle.

“What did you just say?” Theo asks in a tone that tells me I just fucked up. He turns and takes a step toward me. I put my phone down and almost trip over myself to back away from him.

“It-It was a joke,” I say promptly.

“No it wasn’t,” he corrects as he advances on me.

“What happened?” Max asks.

“She said something bad about herself,” Mia tells him. She explains what I said, and he chuckles.

“See, it’s a joke,” I say to defend myself.

“No, I’m laughing because you were warned what would happen if you did shit like that with him. Now you’lldefinitelybe walking funny tomorrow,” Max says.

Theo backs me against a wall and boxes me in with his hands on either side of me. I am trembling at the thought of him fucking me against this wall or over a table.

“What did I tell you I'd do before we left?” Theo asks me. His tone is unlike what I have heard from him before. I glance at Annie, trying to find out how badly I’ve fucked up. I know I should not have said that. “Don’t look at her. Look at me and answer my question.” Yeah… This is Dom Theo. I must have hit the right button because he looks almost feral.

“That degrading myself was punishable,” I say quietly.

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