Page 16 of Bound to the Guard

He squeezes my hand, a brief pressure that vanishes before the panic over being restrained registers. “I’ll be with you the entire time.”

After another moment of hesitation, I whisper, “Okay.”

“Thank you for trusting me.” He releases my hand to gesture at the plush sofa, and I instantly miss his warmth. “Make yourself comfortable.”

I scoot over to sit in the corner farthest from the door, the silky fabric of my pajamas slippery beneath the hospital blanket.Before I can stop myself, I gather the throw pillows, drawing them around my body like a fragile barrier.

Damien watches me with a gentle smile. “Would you like another blanket?”

Tempted by the offer, I clutch the pillows tighter. He’s already given me so much—clean clothes, food, a safe place to rest. I don’t want to be more of a burden than I already am.

As if reading my thoughts, Damien’s smile widens. “I’m going to grab you an extra blanket. I’ll be happy to know you’re warm enough. But you don’t have to use it if you don’t want it.”

Emotion clogs my throat, and I blink back another rush of tears. Damien’s care and concern are almost too much after the cold cruelty I’m used to. I bury my face in the pillows as he steps out of the room, breathing in his scent.

Damien returns, carrying the comforter from the bed, and I freeze in surprise. When he said blanket, I assumed he meant another like the one already wrapped around me.

Damien gives a sheepish shrug. “This is what I have. I’ll order some throw blankets for the couch.”

He spreads the blanket out as he approaches, telegraphing his movements to give me plenty of time to protest if I want to. I remain still and quiet, waiting to see what he plans to do.

With gentle hands, Damien wraps the comforter around me, cocooning me in warmth. The pillows add an extra layer of softness, and I burrow deeper into their embrace. Damien’s scent envelops me, and a sense of safety follows.

A yawn breaks through, my eyelids drooping.

“Tired?” Damien asks, soft with understanding. “Your body’s been through a lot. It needs rest to heal.”

I fight the pull of slumber and straighten. Can’t fall asleep now.

“You only need to stay awake a little longer, okay?” He backs toward the door. “When we’re done, you can get some proper sleep in a proper bed.”

With a nervous glance back toward the bedroom, I clutch the comforter tighter around myself.

The gentle knock at the door shatters the moment. My heart leaps into my throat, and I shrink back into the cushions. Damien gives me a reassuring look before going to answer it.

Whatever he finds on the other side isn’t what he expects, though, and he steps out into the hall, leaving it cracked behind him.

Murmured voices rise from outside the suite, rising in disagreement.

“I said only Sebastian can come in,” Damien snaps, unyielding.

“Jade’s been missing for nearly two weeks now!” I flinch at the angry shout and huddle lower on the couch with the blanket drawn up. “Who knows what’s happened to him in that time!”

Another man joins in, equally agitated. “We need to ask that kid some questions. Find out what condition Jade was in the last time he saw him.”

Anxiety returns, and I wrap my arms around my trembling knees.

Damien cuts through the clamor. “If you gang up on Seven all at once, you’ll scare him.”

The second man snaps back, the words laced with bitter accusation. “So you’re putting some stranger ahead of the family now?”

I flinch, curling tighter into myself. It hurts, even though that’s what I am. An interloper where Jade belongs.

Damien shocks me, though, when he doesn’t back down. “Sevenhad no obligation to come to us after he escaped, almostdying in the process. We’ll treat him with kindness and respect, as he deserves.”

Silence follows his declaration, and I hold my breath, not daring to move.

After a long, tense moment, Damien’s footsteps approach. The door swings wider, and he steps back inside, followed by another man.

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