Page 90 of Auctioned to the Convicts
“Very much. Thank you, especially for not humiliating me. . . or Sersie.”
He stopped short. “Humiliate you? Why would I do that?”
“That first time, in my bedroom. Using your t-shirt to gag me, and then—”
“I was angry, Hannah. With you, with the man who attacked you, but mostly with myself for not anticipating something like that would happen. I handled it poorly, all of it. And I took it out on you because you wouldn’t give me the man’s name. My first chance to be with you and I fucked it all up.”
Vaughn released a deep breath. “I tried to punish you for not giving me his name and letting me protect you. I turned into the very monster I wanted to kill for touching you. It’s that darkness in me, the one you don’t seem to think I have. The same one that was in Vance.”
“You don’t have a darkness in you. No more than the rest of us.”
She was too innocent, his Hannah. She only saw the good in people.
He cupped her face. “Thank you for forgiving me.”
“When did I forgive you?” she said, playfully.
He allowed himself to grin.
“Besides, it’s part of our deal, right? You get to fuck me where and when you want. In exchange, you work on bringing the men of this unit together.”
That hurt. It shouldn’t, but it did, because she was right. They’d made a deal which meant none of what they’d shared had meant anything to her. Just physical release. That wasn’t enough anymore.
A skittish smile crossed her face. Had he scared her? Vaughn thrust his hand through his hair. “I’m not good with people, Hannah.”
“How can you say that? You’re a doctor. The men here look up to you. I watched you treat Ky’Li and Sersie. You’re gentle. Youcare.”
He cared. . . about her, but she couldn’t see it. And the more he got to know her, her courage, her determination, and her strength, the more he wanted her.
“Perhaps you should set a time and place. I’ll do your bidding. A little payback perhaps, for the sake of justice,” he suggested.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” she asked as they reached the transportation platform.
“A walk to the falls, perhaps. Or someplace else. Wherever you’d like. Just the two of us. No pressure, no sex unless you want it. This deal of ours. . . I think we should set it aside for a while. Maybe start again. What do you say, Hannah?”
Before he could answer, her laugh and smile disappeared. Vaughn followed her line of sight to a handful of workers who were hanging out, talking. He hated how scared she was, how she refused to ask for help.
“The necklace looks good on you,” he said, a subtle reminder that she shouldn’t hesitate to use it.
Hannah’s slender fingers wrapped around the rectangular pendant. Vaughn laid his hand over hers to draw it away. The black onyx stone fell back against her skin.
“You’ll be fine, Hannah.”
“I know.” She cleared her throat and smiled for him. Her smile quickly faded as she faced the platform.
“What are you doing today?” she asked, stalling or perhaps striving for normalcy.
“We’re overdue for an audit on inventory unless Osta took care of that last shift when I wasn’t there.”
“Sounds fascinating?” she said, her voice pitching high. Green eyes sparkled and her cheeks lifted with that same beguiling look she’d given Ren and Ky’Li last night, soothing two men with one maneuver. She was smart, his Hannah.
HisHannah. He really liked the sound of that.
As they waited for the railcar, another dozen or so men showed up. Hannah lowered her eyes and stared down at the tracks.
“Keep your eyes up, Hannah. Don’t give anyone a reason to think you’re an easy target.”
Which she was. Fuck. This was hard. He didn’t want to leave her alone at the port.
