Page 94 of His Coveted Obsession

“I did tell him, but he didn’t believe me. In fact, he laughed.”

“I’m sure he thought you were joking at the time.”

“But I don’t joke.”

Dalton blew out a small laugh and gripped my shoulder gently. “And he didn’t know that. All I’m saying is try to be open and honest with him. Tell him how you feel. Were you afraid that he was taken or killed? Give him that honesty he craves… but gently.”

“I think I understand. Okay. I’ll try.”

“Sid and I like Thomas, and we want you two to have a good relationship. Come to us if you’re ever concerned or have questions.”

I gave him a curt nod and rushed back to Thomas before I stopped and turned. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, East.”

I headed back to Thomas, who was looking around the building nervously, hugging himself. I took his hand in mine again because he seemed to stop shaking so much, and we stepped into the elevator to go down to the next level.

“This is where we work the most. We train and practice with weapons. Layla is our hacker, so she’s responsible for the computers and software. There’s a locker room with showers we use after we spar,” I explained when we stepped out and walked into the locker room.

I had Sid put some clothes neatly on the teakwood bench. Next to them were a towel, washcloth, and toiletries.

“Those are for you. They’re my clothes, but you should fit into them fine.”

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“I’m going to take a shower with you.”

“Please, East… I need to be alone for a bit.”

I removed my long-sleeved T-shirt and tossed it onto the bench. I stripped down to nothing as Thomas watched me.

“You’ve been alone long enough.”

He reached for my shoulder where I’d been shot, probing gently fingers on the still healing puckered skin. “That’swhat happened to you. You… didn’t want to tell me.”

I didn’t say anything, pulling my sweater he wore over his head. Next, I pulled down his underwear.

Once he was naked, I took his face in my hands. “Did theytouchyou? Beyond the hitting?”

“T-the man I… k-killed… he washed me and touched me, but there was nothing… sexual. But it was horrible… the hose. The water. It hurt, and he was rough. They put me in the walk-in freezer once while I was wet. It was so cold. So cold… He also made promises of being the first to rape me. They were going to sell me to a man in Russia, East.”

His blue eyes turned red as they welled up with tears. “Then be glad he’s dead. If you hadn’t killed him, I would’ve, and I would’ve been much slower about it.”

“I… just want to shower. Nothing… sexual. Please.”

“I’m not going to touch you like that. I’m just going to bathe you gently.Notlike that fucking bastard. Understood? This isn’t about sex.”

I didn’t know what it was about. Maybe not wanting him out of my sight.

I grabbed the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and put them on the shelf in the shower. Then I turned it on, letting it get hot.

“Come, Little Rabbit. Let me take care of you.”

Thomas slowly walked toward me just in time as the water got hot. I adjusted it just right, and we both stepped in. He dunked his head in the water, facing away from me, with his head down and his arms hanging limply.

I didn’t like him like this. Those assholes changed my Thomas. While those men paid with their lives for taking him, Gregory Ivanov wasn’t there. I still needed to hunt him down. When I did, his death would be slow and extremely painful.

I tugged Thomas out of the water, and he wiped the drops from his face as he turned around. I poured some shampoo intomy hand, set the bottle back down, and gently scrubbed his hair, which was knotted, but the conditioner would help with that.

---