Page 76 of The Devil and His Goddess

I looked over her naked body in a panic. Gritting my teeth, I tore off my shirt and quickly rolled her over in my arms to drape my shirt over her bare, cold torso. The pink leotard never left her tightly clenched hand, even while her limp head fell into my chest. I held her tightly, and my fingers shook as I cupped her cheek.

“Harper, please. Wake up.”

She was still breathing, thank Hell. I managed to shove my panic down enough to hone in on her smell. It was covered in that horrible bastard’s stench, but I also caught a whiff of the metallic and bitter smell of a drug. I was too shaken up to pinpoint which one, but I didn’t give a damn about that right now.

Pressing my fingertips to Harper’s breast bone, I took a deep breath and absorbed the drug keeping her unconscious. My head spun slightly as the substance spread from her to me in a rush, but the human drug had no real effect on me. Even if it had, I’d take it all in a heartbeat.

The minute I cleared it from her system, Harper’s red and glassy eyes snapped open, and her face pinched in terror. She started screaming and shoving against me. “No! No, please! Don’t! Stop! No, no, no, no!”

“Harper,” I croaked, holding her closer even as she smacked wildly at me. “It’s me, Harper. It’s Perseus.”

Her breath hitched as she sucked in hard and heavy breaths. Her shaking fists pressed into my chest as she finally looked at me. Her blue eyes welled with tears. Her face crumbled in agony, and she began to wail.

My throat constricted as though someone had a rope wound tightly around it. I pulled her tighter into my arms and tucked her head beneath my chin, unable to do anything at that moment except hold her while she cried.

I didn’t need to ask what happened.

I didn’t need to ask who’d done this to her.

And as my world crumbled right there in my arms, I broke alongside her.

If only I’d killed him that first night. If only I hadn’t believed him to be a coward who was incapable of striking a second time. If only I’d fuckingbeenhere.

“Get me out of here,” Harper pleaded in a whisper as she clung to me. “I don’t want to be here.”

I didn’t hesitate. I scooped her up and stood, stepping through shadows to appear in my own bathroom at home. I set her on the edge of the marble vanity and grabbed a nearby towel to cover her shoulders and wrap around her. Her face was red and covered in tears, which showed no sign of stopping their descent as she stared at nothing.

My Harper wasn’t here.

My Harper had asked to be taken away, yet she’d remained behind in that room.

Swallowing hard, I turned and filled the large tub with warm water. The steam billowed around the room as I looked back at Harper, who hadn’t moved an inch. Silent tears continued trailing down her face. Her eyes were locked ahead, unseeing and unmoving. Even in her numb state, she gripped the pink leotard so tightly that her knuckles were as white as freshly fallen snow.

With the tub full, I turned off the water before gently picking her up once more. She didn’t resist as I set her in the tub, towel and shirt still wrapped around her naked frame. She and I had seen each other and explored each other naked countless times, yet that didn’t matter right now. I wanted to shield her body from everything while helping rid it of the disgusting man who’d just defiled it.

My blood burned with all the fires of Hell, yet I kept my shaking hands gentle while lathering a wash rag. I wanted to wash her. I wanted to wipe away the experience and memory from her flesh, but for the first time, I refused to touch her. She’d just beenraped. The last thing she needed was someone touching her like that.

“Here,” I said softly, holding the soapy rag out to her.

Her teary eyes didn’t even flicker, nor did she give any sign that she’d heard me. The pain of a bloody, sharp needle wound its way through my chest, diving deeper to puncture and tear at my heart.

Forcing the lump down my throat, I reached into the water to grab Harper’s free hand. I set the wash rag in her palm, but her arm and the cloth dropped into the water like lifeless husks. The soapy water splashed onto my chest and into Harper’s face, but there wasn’t even a flicker of a reaction from her.

I clenched my fists as my human guise cracked with my rising turmoil. My black talons cut into my palms until blood pooled on the edge of the tub where my fists rested, while my fanged teeth ground hard enough for me to taste iron.

I sat back on my heels and watched my girl soak in the soapy water until the hot and humid air turned cool. She never moved. She sat there and stared at the fading bubbles with silent tears mattering her cheeks.

The water had gone cold, but she gave no sign that she noticed. Refusing to let her sit in the cold, I plucked her out and moved her back to the counter. I grabbed a fresh white towel, heating the lush fabric in my palms so that it was warm and inviting. Taking my wet shirt and towel off of her, I replaced everything with the new towel.

When I went to take the soaked leotard from her hand, I got my first reaction. She jerked away from me, squeezing the leotard tighter as her chin trembled with all new tears.

I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from letting out my own helpless cry. Instead of taking the item away, I touched part of it, drying it instantly. With a snap of my fingers, a large t-shirt and sweatpants appeared on her small frame.

There was the faintest tremble in her shoulders, and the sight made agony split my chest open. I wanted to take away whatever she was feeling and give her peace. With a quick pass of my hand over her face, I put her to sleep. Her eyes closed as her body fell forward, but she didn’t go far. Her forehead landed on the center of my chest.

I took a deep breath as I gently cupped the back of her head and held her to me. If she could just stay there forever, safe and shielded, life would be better. But what was the point now? What was the fucking point when I hadn’t been there when she needed it most?

I moved her to my bed, tucking her in the comforter. Even in her sleep, she somehow held onto that damn pink leotard, which stood out like a neon sign amid my white bedding.

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