Page 74 of Redeemed

I toss the shirt into her lap before getting in her face. “Let me be clear. If I tell you to sleep in my bed, you will. But that’s not happening tonight. You have to earn that privilege.”

Her brows draw together, and shit, she’s so cute like this. Still drunk, all fucked up from fear and confusion, and trying to piece together my words. “Privilege?”

I can hear the guys coming up the stairs, so I cross the room and open my door as wide as it’ll go. Xander and Lucas haul in the extra-large dog crate I keep in my basement and set it in the corner near my black armchair.

“W-what’s that for?” Haven asks weakly.

“I think you know the answer to that.”

She stares at the padding on the floor of the cage. It’s thin, not even as thick as your average dog bed. “You wouldn’t.”

Xander smirks. “Oh, you have no idea what kind of fucked-up shit he’s into. This is tame compared to that time he—”

“Xan.”

He stops. “Too soon?”

I nod. “We’ll go over details tomorrow. For now, she sleeps.”

Haven’s breaths have quickened, and I can make out her panicked thought process just from her expression. She wants to run, but she’d never get past all three of us. And what’s outside seems to be worse than her three bullies locking her in a cage overnight.

That has a familiar sensation sliding over me—hot, sticky, and unbearable in a way that makes me want to claw my skin off. I hate being left in the dark. Haven may think her secret is safe, but I’ll find out what she’s hiding about that man, even if I have to force it out of her.

Which, let’s be honest, I’d enjoy.

Without another word, I scoop Haven into my arms and carry her into my ensuite bathroom. “Come out when you’re changed. There’s a spare toothbrush in the right drawer.”

She glares at me. “I’m not getting in that damn cage.”

“Fighting is pointless, angel,” I remind her. “You’ve got nowhere else to go.”

Her eyes glisten, and she turns away from me. I want to grip her hair and force her to meet my gaze, to hurl insults at her until she’s sobbing in my arms. But instead, I leave, shutting the door behind me to give her some privacy. It’s a luxury she won’t get often after tonight, but it’ll be easier on all of us if I ease her into this.

“What the hell happened?” Lucas asks, crossing his arms over his large chest. “She looks…”

I raise a brow. “What?”

“She looks scared,” Xander finishes. “And not in the way she normally looks at us. Did you… did you hurt her?”

“Not more than usual.” I lean against the wall, hands in pockets. “But someone else was trying to.”

That has Lucas on high alert. “What?”

“Some guy was chasing her. She was desperate enough to get away from him that she got in my car, and she’s got nowhere else to go, so…” I shrug.

“She willingly came with you?” Xander asks incredulously.

“You saw how scared she is, didn’t you? That isn’t because of me.”

“Well then, who the hell is this guy?” Lucas asks.

“Beats me. I didn’t get a good look at him, and Haven won’t say anything about who he is.”

Xander narrows his eyes. “And you’re just letting that slide?”

“For tonight, yes. She’s shaken enough.”

Lucas grins. “Going easy on her already?”

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