Page 36 of Whispers and Warriors
A growl cut through the storm’s fury and the man collapsed against her with a scream.
Another snarl and she saw Ranger to her left, fangs exposed before he jumped again, his teeth sinking into her assailant’s arm. The man howled in pain, his grip on Emma loosening as he grappled with the enraged dog, but he didn’t let go.
The man crumpled, his face contorted in agony, but his hand still groped at Emma’s breasts, his other hand clawing at her thigh. Revulsion surged through her, mingling with a white-hot rage. She thought of Marcus, of the life she’d taken to protect her own, and a part of her whispered that she could do it again.
But before she could act on that dark impulse, a familiar figure burst into the fray.
Bash was there, his eyes blazing with fury. In a second he’d wrenched the man away from Emma, his powerful arms sending the assailant crashing into the opposite wall. He rushed him, slamming his head into the man’s chest as a way to lift him and throw him over the side, likely to his death.
“Emma!” Bash’s voice was raw with concern as he gathered her into his arms, his touch gentle despite the urgency of his movements. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, clinging to him as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. But even as she pressed her face into his chest, seeking the comfort of his strength, the usual sense of safety eluded her.
The violation, the helplessness, it shook her to her core.
Bash’s grip tightened, his breath hot against her ear. “I’ve got you, Sweetheart. You’re safe.”
He carried her swiftly across the rain-lashed deck, his strides barely affected by the storm. Emma’s heart raced, her body trembling against his solid frame. She’d faced dangers before, but this time was different, more personal, more violating.
“Good boy, Ranger. Keep up now. We’re getting you both back to safety.”
As they neared the cabin, Bash’s voice rose above the storm’s din. “Liam! Liam, get over her!”
The urgency in his tone, the way his muscles tensed beneath her, spoke volumes about the depth of his concern. He shouldered open the door, the warm light of the cabin spilling out to meet them.
“What happened?” Liam’s voice, laced with worry, greeted them as Bash carried Emma inside.
But Emma barely heard him, her mind still reeling from the attack, from the knowledge that even in this sanctuary, danger lurked. She clung to Bash, her anchor in the storm, even as a part of her wondered if she’d ever truly feel safe again.
The door slammed shut behind them, the lock clicking into place with a finality that did little to ease Emma’s racing heart. Bash gently lowered her onto the bed, his hands lingering on her shoulders as if reluctant to let her go.
“Fuck,” Liam hissed before vanishing.
Emma drew in a shuddering breath, and when she opened her eyes, all five of them were there. She didn’t know where they’d all come from, but they were all inside. Chris stood rigid, his jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. Liam hovered nearby, his hands balled into fists at his sides. Alex and William flanked the door, their stances alert, ready for any threat that might come their way.
The tension in the air was palpable, a living, breathing creature that seemed to press in on them from all sides. Emma shivered, the dampness of her clothes and the chill of her fear seeping into her bones.
“What the hell happened out there? Why weren’t you in this damn room?” Chris demanded, his voice a low growl.
Bash met his gaze, his own eyes hard. “One of the crew attacked her. Tried to force himself on her. If Ranger hadn’t been there...”
He trailed off, the implication hanging heavy in the air.
Emma swallowed hard, her fingers curling into the bedsheets. “I thought I could help,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to be useless.”
“You’re not useless,” Liam said fiercely, dropping to his knees beside the bed. He took her hand in his, his touch gentle despite the anger that radiated off him in waves. “But you’re not expendable either, Emma. We can’t lose you.”
Chris paced the small confines of the cabin, his movements tightly controlled, but Emma could see the rage simmering beneath the surface. She knew him well enough to recognizethe signs, the way his disciplined nature warred with the more ruthless side of him that emerged in times of crisis.
“This ends now,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “I’m going to have a word with the captain.”
“Chris—” Alex started, but Chris was already moving, his hand on the door.
“No,” he snapped, his eyes flashing. “This is my responsibility. I brought us on this ship, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone threaten what’s mine.”
With that, he wrenched open the door and strode out into the storm, his figure quickly swallowed by the driving rain. Emma stared after him, her heart in her throat, fear and love warring within her. She knew the lengths Chris would go to protect her, to protect all of them, and a part of her feared for the man who had attacked her, for the retribution he would face at Chris’s hands.
But another part of her, the part that still trembled with the memory of rough hands and cruel intentions, couldn’t find it in herself to care. She leaned into Liam’s touch, into the solid warmth of Bash beside her, and prayed that this nightmare would soon be over.
