Page 15 of Whispers and Warriors
Emma’s hand fisted in Bash’s shirt, clinging to him like a lifeline. “Bash...” she rasped, voice hoarse with emotion. “I... I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
“Shh, don’t apologize,” Bash soothed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You have nothing to be sorry for. We’ve all got our demons, Emma. You’re not alone in this. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
She didn’t seem convinced, and he watched as tears filled her eyes.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” Bash soothed, his arms tightening around her protectively. “You collapsed. Scared the hell out of me.” He tried to keep his tone light, but the tremor in his voice betrayed the depth of his worry.
As he sat there on the training room floor with her wrapped in his arms, Bash silently vowed to do whatever it took to help her shake off the only possible memory strong enough to take her down like that. She’d brought light back into his life, and he’d be her rock, her shelter, for as long as she needed him. In this moment, nothing else mattered but the woman in his arms and the love that burned fierce and bright in his battle-scarred heart.
“I... I don’t know what happened,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and uncertain. “One minute I was fine, and the next...” She trailed off, a shiver wracking her slender frame.
Bash’s jaw clenched, a fierce protectiveness surging through him. He knew exactly where she went.
With a deep, steadying breath, Emma pulled back just enough to meet Bash’s concerned gaze, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “I thought I was getting better,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “But the memory of Marcus... it’slike a shadow I can’t shake. Being trapped with him, having to... to kill him. It haunts me, Bash.”
Bash’s heart clenched at the raw anguish in her words, the vulnerability etched into every line of her face. He’d do anything to take away her pain, to erase the scars that bastard had left on her soul.
Reaching up, Bash gently cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “What you did, Emma... it was self-defense. You survived. You’re so damn strong, Sweetheart. Stronger than you know.”
Emma leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she drew strength from his unwavering support. “I just want to feel safe again,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I want to feel like me again. I never noticed that I felt safe in that damn basement until I was gone.”
“You will,” Bash promised fiercely, his green eyes blazing with conviction. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but you will. And until then, I’ll be right here beside you, every step of the way. We all will. You’re not alone in this, Emma. Not ever.”
Emma nestled closer, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she let his words wash over her, a balm to her frayed nerves. Bash’s arms tightened around her, cocooning her in his warmth and strength, hoping his presence a steadying force amidst the chaos of her thoughts.
They stayed like that for a long moment, simply holding each other, drawing comfort from the silence and the shared understanding that flowed between them. He wasn’t the one she went to when she needed to talk. Fuck, he barely talked to her at all sometimes, too caught up in how perfect she was to want to ruin it with stupid words. But, here they were.
Bash’s callused fingers traced soothing patterns along Emma’s back as he held her close, his touch a lifeline anchoring her to the present. “You’ve come so far, Emma,” he murmured,his voice a low rumble against her ear. “You’re not the same woman who walked into our lives all those months ago. You’re stronger now, in ways you never imagined.”
Emma huffed out a laugh, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. “I don’t feel strong,” she admitted, her hazel eyes shadowed with self-doubt. “I feel like I’m barely holding it together most days, and that was before we left the safe haven. I don’t know if I can do it again—be out here where there’s danger every step.”
Bash’s hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away the lone tear that escaped down her cheek. “Strength isn’t about never feeling afraid or vulnerable,” he said softly, his words measured and sure. “It’s about facing those fears head-on, about getting back up when life knocks you down. And that’s exactly what you’ve done, Emma. You survived. You fought back. You did what you had to do to protect yourself and the people you love.”
“I killed him.”
He nodded, wishing like hell he was as good with words as Liam or Alex. “And you were a fucking sight to be seen doing it.”
The image of her holding the literal smoking gun lived rent-free in his mind. He’d fallen a little more in love with her the moment she’d taken control of her situation and made the men acknowledge she’d survived three years in a fucking basement at the end of the world and was a force to be reckoned with.
“I shot him. I put him down like he would have down to you.” A rumble of the woman he’d loved was growing back.
Bash’s lips quirked in a crooked smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “We may have given you a nudge in the right direction, but the strength was always inside you, Emma. Never doubt that.” His expression sobered, his gaze turning introspective. “I just wish I could’ve taken out that bastard myself. To spare you from having to carry this burden.”
Emma shook her head. “No, Bash. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I’m glad it was me. I needed to be the one to end it, to take back control of my life. And I did. I may not be proud of what I had to do, but it was easy to ignore what I really needed, safe behind the walls of my home. I’ll just have to figure out how to do it out here. For however long we’re here.”
Bash’s eyes gleamed with pride and admiration, his hand sliding down to rest at the nape of her neck. “You never cease to amaze me, you know that? Your resilience, your courage... it’s humbling.” He leaned in, his forehead pressing against hers as he spoke his next words with quiet intensity. “I know I’m not the most emotional guy out there, but I need you to know how proud I am of you, Emma. How honored I am to stand by your side, to be a part of your life. And I promise you, no matter what challenges lie ahead, I will always be here for you. Whenever you need to talk, whenever you need a shoulder to lean on, I’m here. Always.”
She surged forward, capturing Bash’s lips in a fast kiss. Bash responded in kind, his arms banding around her waist as he pulled her flush against him, their bodies molding together as if they were made for each other.
“I think training should be done for the day, don’t you?”
SEVEN
Emma’s legssplayed open further, hanging over the edge of the bed as her lips consumed William’s cock. Her focus was split between the intense pleasure coursing through her body from Bash’s skilled tongue between her folds and William’s cock driving to the back of her throat as she hollowed out her mouth the way she knew he loved. Bash’s fingers moved with an expert touch, swirling and teasing over her folds while his tongue delved deeper between them. Every movement sent electric shocks of ecstasy through Emma. It was a symphony of sensation, orchestrated by two partners who knew exactly how to pleasure her in perfect harmony.
It should have been enough to drive any woman to distraction, but any time Bash’s tongue left her body the haze of lust would lift, and her hand would stop following behind her mouth up and down William’s cock as if to confirm Bash was still there.
Bash’s sharp teeth grazed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine as her lips parted around William’s throbbing cock.
