Page 26 of Tainted Saints

Bolt whines, pressing his body against her legs, but I ignore him, striding over to her and her face is in my hands before I’ve even realised what I’m doing.

“Hey, Duchess, it’s okay. You’re safe here,” I tell her in a soothing tone, trying to pull her back from the panic attack that’s she becoming lost in.What did I say to set it off this time?It was about her cleaning up and going home. Wasn’t it the mention of home that made her spiral last time? My stomach tightens at the thought that something is happening to her behind those mansion doors. Something that would leave that fearful gleam in her eyes.

“Lan?” she questions softly as she blinks, her voice a cracked rasp that has me wanting to rage at the world. Her body relaxes a little against Blaine, the shakes just trembles now, and something inside me loosens as well.

“I’m here, baby. Forest and Blaine too,” I tell her, aware of Forest at her back, his hand rubbing up and down as Blaine holds her close. Her eyes close, her face pressing into my palms even as she presses her body into Blaine’s.

“I don’t want to go back, Lan. Not yet,” she confesses in a breath. “I—” She bites her lower lip, a shuddering breath easing past them. “I don’t want to wash him off. I need him with me a little longer.”

Her lids open and I’m struck speechless by the pleading look in her stunning, green eyes. They’re the colour of leaves in spring, when everything is full of promise and the cold of winter is behind you, and I lose myself to their promise of something new.

“Okay, Duchess. We can do that,” I assure her, her body releasing more of its tension. “Forest, go run her a bath.”

He presses a soft kiss to her head, then does as I say, quickly striding towards our tiny bathroom.

“But—” she protests, pulling away from Blaine slightly as panic flashes in her eyes again. I shush her again, my thumbs stroking her cheeks.

“He’ll get in with you, baby,” I tell her, not even questioning my need to assure her, to make her happy. Her features soften, and she turns her face, pressing a light kiss to my palm that has tingles racing up and down my arm.

“Thank you, Lan,” she murmurs, her stare on me, unwavering.

We stay that way for the time it takes to run the bath, Blaine holding her tight as I keep her face in my hands like she’s beyond precious.

“It’s ready, Lan,” Forest says as he pads back into the room, his eyebrows drawn together when he sees Aspen still clutching Blaine.

“Get undressed, you’re getting in with her,” I order, and one of his brows goes up, but he doesn’t argue, just starts to strip, laying his discarded clothes on the couch. He really is fucking stunning, and the little shit knows it, a smirk teasing his lips as I stare at him. Shaking my head, I release my hold on Aspen’s face. “You too, Duchess.”

Blaine releases her too, and the slight hitch in her breath tells me she’s not happy, but we need to get her in a hot bath and give her the comfort that she’s craving right now. My fingers make quick work of the buttons on her cardigan, sliding the garment off her arms and passing it to Blaine who carefully places it on the back of one of our chairs. She holds still, her chest rising and falling deeply as I start on the buttons of her blouse.

A delicate, pink lace bra is exposed as the material parts, and suddenly, she’s not the only one breathing hard as I spot the outline of her nipples. Fuck, she’s so beautiful. Sliding the shirt off her, my jaw clenches hard as I spot her protruding lower ribs.

“Don’t hide from me,” I snap out when she wraps her arms around herself. I take a steadying breath when she flinches at my harsh tone, my hand reaching out and my fingers brushing the bones that are visible. “Do you starve yourself on purpose?”

My eyes dart to her face and the way the skin bunches around her eyes as they fill with tears.

“No.” It’s barely a whisper, but it packs as much force as a punch to the gut. My fingers still on her skin, and although the words hurt, I force them through.

“Did your parents refuse to give you food last week after you came home from jail?” I watch every tiny movement her body makes, the way her muscles jump under the skin, her throat moving as she swallows.

“Yes.” The word is a broken sound, but before the first tear can run down her cheek, she’s in my arms and I’m pulling her fragile body so close that there’s no space between us. Her body shudders with the force of her anguish, and my jaw is clenched so tightly that pain shoots up the sides of my face.

What kind of fucked up rich people bullshit is this? Starving your daughter for what purpose?

I look up to find Blaine, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as his own jaw works. Forest steps into my line of sight, still with his boxer briefs on, and there’s the glisten of tears in his eyes. Out of all of us, he knows what it’s like to go hungry. Though in his case, the starvation was a consequence of living in poverty and not the purposeful abuse she seems to be experiencing, for him that came in other forms. I don’t know what’s worse.

I don’t have it in me to ask how many times her parents have starved her, withholding food that they clearly have in the house. From how thin she is, I’m betting this wasn’t the first time.

After several moments, her sobs subside, and placing a kiss on the top of her head, I pull away a little. “Let’s get you in the bath, Duchess.”

She nods, her eyes red and the wet line of tears running down her cheeks, but I could swear there’s a lightness to her that wasn’t there before. I wonder if she’s ever told anyone else of her parents’ abuse? The thought of what they’ve done to her, what they continue to do to her, has rage threatening to overwhelm me, and I want to focus on her, not on them, so I take a deep breath, and then reach around to unzip her skirt.

My breath hisses out of my lips when I see her thigh highs and garters, her short, brown ankle boots just adding to the sexy vintage vibe she has going on. I help her to step away out of the pool of material, Blaine swooping down to pick it up and fold it with the rest of her clothes.

“I told you he’d go crazy for these,” Forest says from behind her, stepping close and trailing a finger down the strap that holds up her thigh highs. Her chest trembles, and I don’t miss the way her nipples harden under the lace of her bra at his words.

Not saying a word, not trusting my voice, I kneel down to take off her boots. I can’t stop my fingers from sliding down her stocking-clad legs, and I’m so close to her centre that I can smell her arousal combined with Forest’s musk. Her skin twitches under my touch, matching the movement of my dick which is a steel rod in my pants, regardless of my anger moments before.

Grasping her booted foot in one hand, I bring it up to my bent knee, her hands coming out to rest on my shoulders as she balances on one foot. Licking my lips, I focus on unlacing her leather boot, sliding her foot out of it and carefully placing it back on the bare wood floor. A gasp makes me pause as I take her other boot and place it on my thigh, the soft pink lace of her bra fluttering down to land on my hand.

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