Page 3 of Blade

“Help me then?” I asked, not letting her down. I walked across the street without breaking a sweat. She was too thin. Boney elbows hit my gut as she tried to get away.

“Eloise, stop fighting me before you hurt yourself more. I’m taking you to Daddies Ink where my friend will come to us. He’s a doctor and he won’t leave a paper trail, but you do have to be treated, darlin’,” I tried to explain gently. It was hard because it felt like my heart was stuck in overdrive.

“He’ll find me, you have to let me go.”

He’ll find me.I’d figured she’d been in some kind of danger and her frantic words confirmed my suspicions.

“Who will find you, darlin’?” I asked, anger causing me to grind my teeth together. I would fucking kill him.

“My ex! Please, you have to let me go,” she begged. Her chest rose frantically and sweat beaded on her brow due to her physical exertion.

I took the steps up to Daddies Ink and Rogue, my pseudo Little niece, met me at the door. Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. “Did you justtakea woman from Shorty’s Gas and More parking lot?”

“No!” I answered incredulously.

“Yes!” Eloise answered, still fighting.

Oh. Right. “Technically, that is correct, but…”

“But nothing! We’ve gotten three phone calls about one of our employees abducting women,” Rogue’s Daddy Dom, Leland, said as he rushed to the front.

Right. I was wearing a Daddies Ink shirt and my actions probably did look suspicious.

“This is Eloise,” I said by way of explanation.

“I am here against my will,” she supplied, finally collapsing in exhaustion.

“She’s very sick and Elliot is on his way,” I countered.

“So are the police,” Leland said, moving back so we could get inside.

“Fuck,” I grunted when Eloise elbowed me in the ribs again.

“Please, I have to go!” she cried, renewing her struggles at the mention of police.

“Is she in trouble?” Leland asked me.

“Yeah.”

“Take her to my office.”

“You don’t understand. He will hurt her too. He will hurtanyonein his path,” she said, pointing at Rogue.

“Not anymore, darlin’,” I said as everyone parted for me to carry Eloise through.

“Please, Blade,” she begged as I settled her into a chair in Leland’s office. “You don’t understand. I’m fine on my own. I’vemade it this far. It’s not safe for you or me to be here.” Under the office lighting it was easy to see the large bags under her eyes, made worse by her pallor.

I took her trembling hands in mine. “Listen to me, sweet girl, I promise you nobody is going to hurt you anymore. Rogue, the woman in the front, was held against her will for a very long time and she managed to escape with her twin sister. She fought like hell to get out of that situation just like I’m sure you have. I think that you two probably have a lot in common, huh?”

She nodded.

“Rogue and her sister, Emily, were able to stay safe because they have friends that love and protect them and now you do too. We can help you, sweet girl.”

“You don’t even know me!” she cried, exasperated.

“Sure I do. You’re Eloise.”

If looks could kill, I’d be a dead man.

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