Page 56 of Deadly Oath

She lets out a long, shuddering sob, and before I realize what I’m doing, I smooth one hand over her hair, trying to soothe her. I’m angry with her, relieved that she’s alive and relatively unharmed—and something else, too, a feeling I shove away without examining. It’s a feeling that I don’t want to have, and that has no place in what I’m doing here.

“Come on,” I say quietly, leading her away from the bodies as we turn towards the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

—

Sabrina is silent as I lead her into the house. It takes everything in me to hold back my anger—which has only stoked itself on the drive back, as I’ve turned the situation over in my head—to remember that I need to be careful in how I approach this. I could run her off for good if I’m not cautious.

Or I could make sure that I get to keep her for as long as I want.

“Kian, I’m sorry.” Her voice is a quiet murmur as I put a hand on the small of her back, directing her towards the shower. “I didn’t think?—”

“You’re right.” My voice is cold and hard, but that’s better than letting her hear the hot anger that’s swirling through me. “You didn’t think. And we’ll talk about that later. But right now, I need to make sure you’re not hurt, and get you cleaned up.”

“They didn’t really hurt me,” she says, biting her lip as I open the bathroom door. “My wrists are a little sore, but?—”

I pick up her hand as soon as we walk into the bathroom, holding it in mine as I turn on the shower taps to start heating up. Her wrists are reddened where the men tightened the zip ties, and I feel a fresh wave of fury at the thought of them touching her, hurting her.

“I’m glad I fucking killed them,” I growl, looking down at the red marks, and Sabrina looks up, startled.

“All of them?” she whispers, and I nod.

“Don’t try to tell me it was the wrong thing to do, Sabrina,” I say flatly, adjusting the water as I start to tug her filthy t-shirt up over her head. “They kidnapped you. Hurt you. Would have tried to ransom you for their own gain. They deserved to die more slowly than they did, and they should all be grateful in whatever afterlife they’re in that it was only a bullet that killed them.”

A shiver runs through her, and when I look down at her face, her eyes are glossy. I’m surprised that she doesn’t argue with me—shewas quick to be horrified at what I did to the man I caught outside her house. But she might be in too much shock to argue just now.

“I didn’t mean for all of this to happen,” she whispers. “I just—I couldn’t stand being cooped up, and I thought as long as I was in a public place…I didn’t think they’d come so far into town?—”

“Again—you didn’t think.” I undo the button of her jeans, yanking them down her hips. The sight of her naked body, even streaked with dirt, makes my cock twitch against my zipper. But the faint bruises and streaks of blood that I see on her skin make me see red, and my arousal is stifled by the surge of violence that every mark I see on her makes me feel.

The only one who should ever leave a mark on her is me.

“Get in the shower,” I tell her, a little more roughly than I mean to. “I’ll be in shortly.”

Sabrina nods, for once not fighting me. I hear her sigh as she steps under the hot water, and I strip off my clothing as quickly as I can, joining her in the small, steamy space as she tilts her head back under the spray.

I wait until she’s fully clean, scrubbed, and her hair washed, helping her when she seems unsteady. She blinks her eyes open after she rinses the soap from her hair, looking at me abashedly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I really didn’t?—”

“I know.” I reach behind her, switching off the shower. “Let’s get you dried off. And then we’re going to the bedroom.”

“We—” She blinks at me, as if she’s trying to figure out exactly what I’m implying. She presses her lips together, eyeing me with some suspicion as she takes one of the towels down from the rack, drying off as I do the same. I wrap mine around my waist, and press my hand against the small of her back, nudging her to the door.

“Let’s go, princess.”

“Kian—”

I gently push at her back, and she sucks in a breath, but starts walking. She remains silent all the way into the bedroom, until I drop my clothes that I brought with me on the floor, and gesture to the bed.

“Bend over, princess.”

“Kian, what?—”

“You can either bend over the bed, or I can bend you over it and tie your hands to the posts. Your choice. After what happened, I think your wrists need a break.” I narrow my eyes at her, reaching down to slide my belt free of the loops of my jeans. “But you disobeyed me, Sabrina. I told you to remain in the house, unless necessary, until I told you it was safe. Was it necessary to go out with your friends to the bar?”

Sabrina is staring at me, her blue eyes wide. “No, but?—”

“Was it necessary for you to have three drinks and then go outside because you forgot your phone?”

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