Page 9 of Guardian of Misty Mountain

I shrug, not sure how to respond. “It was my reality. I didn’t know anything different. My mother cut me off from my friends and monitored everything from the books I read to the clothes I wore. I begged her for months to get a phone, but that ended with her locking me in my room for three days, only letting meout for three bathroom breaks a day. I stopped asking for things after that.”

“Jesus,” Adrian grits out. “I’m so sorry, sweet girl. You didn’t deserve that. I’m so damn proud of you for getting away from that life. How did you manage to escape?”

I nuzzle into his shoulder, letting his words seep down into my soul. He’s proud of me. No one has ever been proud of me.

“I thought they would let me go once I turned eighteen. I was no longer their burden and I’d be one less mouth to feed, which amounts to more money to fuel their drug addiction. My birthday came and went, but no one said anything. I can’t explain why, but I just… stayed. It’s stupid and goes against all survival instinct, but…” I trail off and shrug, feeling pathetic for not having a better answer.

“Look at me, Amelia,” Adrian says softly. I tilt my head up, my eyes meeting his. I’m shocked to see his blue gaze shimmering with tears. For me? “Getting out of an abusive situation is never simple. Years of mental torture and lies about the world around you had to have made you terrified of everything, even your own freedom.”

I nod, agreeing with everything he’s saying. I could never put it into words, but that’s exactly how it felt. My home life was unbearable, yet somehow preferable to going out into the big bad world. What if everything they said was true? What if everyone was out to get us?

"One day, I overheard my stepdad talking with their dealer, Michael, in the living room. My parents always owed him money, but this time they must have gotten in too deep. Michael was screaming at my stepdad and then pulled a gun on him." I close my eyes against the memory of that day. "I couldn't move or even breathe. Part of me was terrified for my life and for my family. But another part of me… God, I can't even believeI'm going to say this. Part of me wanted him to get shot. Then, maybe something would change."

“That’s totally understandable, Amelia. I want that fucker to be shot, too. It doesn’t make you a bad person to want justice for yourself and for others.”

I give Adrian a weak smile and he kisses the single tear falling down my cheek. "My mom came running out of her room in nothing but a tank top and underwear. She shouted at Michael and said she had something to offer to clear their debts. She should have said she had someoneto offer.”

“Wait. You’re not saying…?”

"My own mother gave me to a violent drug lord in exchange for clearing their debt. That's how little they cared. Like I'm nothing. Why did they even want to protect me from everything if they were just going to toss me out?"

“Amelia… fuck,” Adrian grits out. “How could she do that? What the fuck?” He tenses his muscles, ready to rip my mother’s head off for her despicable actions. I can tell Adrian wants to say more, but he’s restraining himself. Having someone upset on my behalf is an entirely new experience.

"Michael agreed to come back later that night to pick me up. He wanted me showered and cleaned up." I shiver at the thought of being dressed up and paraded around for him like a prized pig. "The one lucky break I had was that my mom and stepdad did some combination of drugs to take the edge off, I guess. They passed out an hour later and I got the hell out. I grabbed the keys to the ancient Toyota and drove and drove until I ended up here in Misty Mountain."

“You’ve been through so much,” Adrian murmurs, relaxing slightly now that he knows the ending to the story. Or, at least the end of that chapter. “Is it your mom who has been calling?”

"Sometimes, yes. Sometimes it's Michael. I don't know how they got my phone number. I never had one at home, but it wasthe first thing I bought when I got a paycheck from Evergreen Books & Trinkets. I had a friend, Florence, from back home in Vegas check my old house to see if my parents were still there. I kept thinking I saw my stepdad around town, but I'm just being paranoid. Or so I thought." I sigh, nearing the end of my tragic saga. "She just texted me to say there is a 'for sale' sign in the yard."

Adrian doesn’t say anything for a few moments, he simply holds me and gently rocks me back and forth. “Thank you for trusting me, sweet girl,” he eventually whispers. “I will protect your secrets. I’ll protect you, too, if you’ll let me.”

I nod and look up at him, seeing the truth and anguish in his eyes. “Why do you care so much? You barely know me.”

“I know you, Amelia. I feel you in here.” He lifts my hand to his heart. I’m instantly reminded that he’s completely shirtless as my fingers press against the hard planes of his chest. “You’re already embedded in my bones, sweetheart. I have no choice but to keep you safe and happy. You’re worthy of taking up space and being free to decide your fate. You’re so precious to me already.”

“Me?” I squeak out, on the verge of tears once more.

“Yes, you, Amelia. I want you in a fierce, all-consuming way, but not just physically. I want your heart and soul. I want your pain and joy. It’s all happening so fast, but I just… I just know. You’re it for me.

“Me?” I repeat. “You want me?”

“Yes,” he replies. His tone leaves no room for doubt. “In more ways than one.”

“Like… you maybe want to kiss me again?” I know it’s a silly thing to ask after just spilling my deepest fears to this man, but right now, a physical connection feels like the only thing that would calm my racing thoughts.

Adrian chuckles and leans down, his lips hovering an inch above mine. “I always want to kiss you, but you don’t seem to believe my words. Can I show you how much I want you?”

I barely get the chance to agree before his lips are on mine again. The kiss is slower than the one we shared before breakfast, more deliberate and focused. Adrian slips his hands under the hem of the large pajama shirt I'm wearing and teases me with light, barely-there touches as he sips from my mouth, drawing out a soft moan from somewhere deep inside of me.

“Will you let me see all of you, angel? Can I kiss you everywhere?”

He continues trailing his massive hands up my body, inching my shirt up as he goes. Adrian brushes his thumbs across the underside of my breasts, causing an unexpected shiver to run through me.

“Yes,” I breathe out, my eyes closed as I surrender to his capable touch.

Adrian leans forward, our lips meeting halfway. He groans into our kiss, the vibrations running through me and settling in my lower belly, creating an intense pressure. His tongue slowly drags across the roof of my mouth, making me whimper as he pulls away. I automatically follow him, wanting more of this slow burn.

He smirks at me, his blue eyes growing dark and heavy with desire. “Patience, beautiful. I’ll give you everything, but I’m going to do it my way. Do you trust me, Amelia?”

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