Page 44 of The Fox

I hated seeing the defeat on her face as we left the hospital. I don’t know if anyone has ever cared for her in this way, if she’s ever been so loved. Amelia will have weeks of physical therapy to ensure there isn’t lasting damage, but the fact that she is doing as well as she is? It is nothing short of a miracle.

I reach over, resting my hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t want to be pushed out in a wheelchair, insisting that she could walk to the car. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. I had been able to convince her that I would be the one pushing the wheelchair, and that seemed to help, slightly. Parker had brought Amelia a pair of baggy black sweatpants and a well-loved sweater to go home in. Amelia asked me to step out as she changed, and I know it is because of the way her body carries her trauma. I would be a liar if I said it didn’t sting a bit. We’ve worked so hard on building trust, and it feels like we’ve taken steps backward.

We make it five minutes down the road before the woman beside me shatters. Her head dips to her hands, the sobs ricocheting off the windows. I don’t move my hand as I let her release every pent-up emotion she’s locked up in an effort to maintain the facade her life requires. I wish I could take her pain away from her. I know the only reason she allowing it to happen is because her men are not surrounding her. I want to solve her problems with a shot fired from the depths of shadow. I breathe deeply, flexing my hand currently on the steering wheel. Duncan is behind us, and I know the only reasonI’mseeing Amelia like this is because I demanded she ride in my truck. For the first time since the attack, she is alone with her thoughts, and my soul is crushed by the sound of her breaking.

“We’re almost there,” I murmur. My thumb brushes the black material covering her thigh, and she gently wipes her face with the cuff of her sweatshirt. Amelia doesn’t respond, causing me to glance over at her. Exhaustion is setting in—her shoulders are slumped, not a trace of lightness is on her face.

I make the turn for her street and slow my truck down, keeping an eye on Duncan in my rearview mirror. I hit a pothole and Amelia winces.I’m sorry, kochanie.I pull into her drive, putting the truck in park, and wait. There isn’t movement on my left, just the sound of Amelia breathing. I hear her lips smack and see Duncan walk up to the front door, disappearing inside for several minutes before stepping back onto her porch. He gives a thumbs up along with a firm nod.

“Are you ready,kochanie?” I give her thigh one last squeeze before opening the truck door and walking quickly around the front to open Amelia’s door. Her eyes track my movements and I yank the door handle, unbuckling her seatbelt before I reach in and gingerly rotating her body to face mine. Her face dips down, and I gently pull her closer, taking her hands in mine. Amelia is trembling.

Fuck, the brutality these hands have seen.

“We are going to sit for as long as you need, Amelia. When you are ready, I am going to carry you into your home. The door will be locked behind us. The only place you are allowed to be right now is your couch or your bed.”

“It’s too far.”

I kneel before her. She is now looking down at me, and the tears have returned to those grey storm-cloud eyes. I tilt my head as I consider her words. Is it too much to be locked in her house? To have to merely exist from a sedentary position? Amelia cannot meet my eyes as it dawns on me. This woman has had to carry her own damn self for far too long. The thought of being carried by someone is soul-crushing for her. I also realize that she has issues with her weight, at least when it comes to being close to me. She had been worried about sitting fully on my lap previously, and now?

Alright then.

I stand, grabbing the hair tie from my wrist and throwing my long hair into a knot at the top of my head.

“I need you to trust me, okay? I have you,kochanie.” I murmur, placing my mouth next to her ear. “I’m going to lift you from my truck, and youwillwrap these legs around my body, understood?” A shiver makes goosebumps break out across the nape of her neck, and I smirk. Amelia Conte may feel like she’s broken and undeserving, but her body knows the truth.

She is silent but turns her head to mine, our noses brushing. I place a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose before placing a second on her lips.

“Nod if you understand me, Amelia.”

The small nod grazes my face, and I have never been more proud of her.

I reach around her, being careful of her injuries, before pulling her pelvis flush with mine. She stills, and I feel her breathing quicken. Her heart is pounding against her chest, and I wait.Come on, baby. You have this.

I drop my voice, whispering like a caress between fated souls.

“Be brave one more time, pretty girl.”

Her legs shake as they wrap around me, and I vow to send any man who harms her straight to hell. I lift her from the truck, spinning on my heel and walk up her sidewalk. Amelia is clutching the back of my shirt as if I am her life-line, the last tether to her sanity.

I have you.

“Couch or bed?” I ask, closing the front door with my boot.

She answers against my shoulder, but it is indiscernible. Making the choice for her, I walk toward her bedroom. I hear a chirp from under my feet; Lennon runs ahead and jumps onto the bed. I set Amelia down before pulling her blankets back, helping her under them. Once she is tucked in, I pat the space beside her knees, and Lennon joins her. Not once has Amelia’s gaze left mine. I crouch down at her bedside as I brush stray hairs from her face.

“I am going to lock the front door. I’ll come back with your pain meds, okay?”

A watery nod is what I get in response, and I straighten before heading to the kitchen, where Duncan is finishing bringing in her things. Leaning against the counter, I wait for him to say something, but not a word comes from the man. He simply places the pharmacy bag on the counter next to me before leaving. I follow, locking the deadbolt before grabbing the painkillers Amelia is due.

My footsteps fall into the quiet house, and when I push the door to her room open, my heart falls deeper for the woman now sleeping in her bed. She’s curled herself with Lennon, blankets wrapped around them. Amelia’s face is at ease for the first time since she woke up.

She needed to be home.

I move toward her, lightly shaking her shoulder.

“Amelia, I need you to take these for me, and then you can go back to sleep.”

Grey orbs sleepily blink up at me as she opens her mouth, that pink tongue slightly dropping over her bottom lip. I place the pill there, and she closes her mouth, swallowing it. I lift a water bottle to her, and she takes a drink before settling deeper into her pillow. Her tired eyes slowly blink while I place the bottle on the nightstand.

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