Page 49 of Hero's Heart

“Callum, I promise I wasn’t. I won’t lie, I was afraid Nikola was going to rape me, and he probably would’ve if he’d had the opportunity. I?—”

She looked down, embarrassed.

“What? Tell me.”

“I sort of used the fact that he wanted me to stop him from killing me.” She shook her head, refusing to look at Callum. “I suggested he could?—”

He stopped her right there. “Good.”

Now she looked up, blue eyes peeking out at him through her thick lashes. “Good? Suggesting he could…use my body?”

“Yes.Good.” He cupped her cheeks. “You survived. Survival is always the most important thing. You never have to apologize for how you make it through a situation like that. The only thing that matters is youmake it through.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Relief coursed through him. Both that she hadn’t been raped and that she seemed to believe what Callum was saying.

Her gaze dropped to her thighs, her fingers brushing over the bruises. “Are these the reason you’re asking me that?”

He gently guided her hand away. “Yes.” His voice was as rough as his touch was gentle as he gestured to the marks on her skin. “Even though the worst didn’t happen, I’m still so sorry, Sloane.”

Tears filled her eyes, and her voice trembled as she said, “I tried to scrub them off in the shower, but it didn’t work, of course. I think I just made them worse.”

His heart twisted, and he reached for her, pulling her into his arms. “None of this is your fault.”

She was stiff in his embrace at first, but slowly, she relaxed, leaning into him. “I’d never felt so helpless in my life,” sheadmitted, her voice muffled against his chest. “I hated that feeling.”

“The memories will fade,” he promised. “And so will the bruises. It’ll take time, but it will get better. I promise.”

She nodded, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “Part of why I felt so helpless was…because I’ve never—” She broke off, her face turning crimson.

“What?”

“I’m a virgin,” she finally blurted. “And I was terrified my first time was going to be…with him. Nikola. Against my will.”

Callum froze, her words sinking in.

Avirgin.

At twenty-three.

He struggled to reconcile how that could possibly be true in this day and age, but her embarrassed expression told him it was nothing less than verity.

“Sloane…” He didn’t know what to say, but the raw vulnerability in her voice cut through him. “I’m so sorry you even had to think about that. That should never have had to cross your mind.”

“Like you said, I’m just glad the worst didn’t happen.” She shook her head, forcing a small smile. “And it’s not like I hold my virginity in some sort of high esteem or something. I’m not waiting for the mythical Mr. Perfect. I just…don’t get the chance to date much.”

Callum’s arms tightened around her, his chest aching with a strange mix of relief and protectiveness. He couldn’t stop himself from holding her closer, and to his immense gratitude, she burrowed into him. For a long while, they lay like that, her warmth soothing the edges of his anger and guilt.

As he held her, he realized he wanted to know more—neededto know more. He traced small circles on her back with hisfingers, his voice soft as he asked, “Will you tell me about your life back home? I know it’s not great, but…”

“What do you want to know?”

He let his fingers trail down her spine, then back up again, his touch gentle but persistent. “Start wherever you want. I just… I want to understand you better.”

She shifted slightly, propping herself up on one elbow so she could look at him. Her eyes were wary but soft, as though weighing how much to reveal. Finally, she sighed and settled back against him.

“When I was ten,” she began, her voice quiet, “my mom left my dad. We packed up in the middle of the night and drove to another town. She told me it was because of Clarice, Marissa’s mom. My dad had been…seeing Clarice for years.”

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