Page 84 of Captured

My frantic eyes alight on Jax, who is standing near the kitchen, his hand poised as if reaching for something on the countertop. I don't think, I just rush towards him, throwing myself in his arms, wrapping my own around his strong neck in a vicelike hold. He's my safe harbour, my protector, and my panicked mind somehow knows this.

He catches me in his strong arms, wrapping them around me tightly as I cry convulsively into him, almost hyperventilating, the neck of his black t-shirt screwed up in my hands as I grip him tight.

“Baby Girl?” he asks, his voice broken and rough with concern.

I can't speak. My head is buried in his chest, trying to breathe in his familiar lemon scent and take comfort from his embrace. But all I can do is relive clammy hands, pain, and the violation that just happened.

“She's bleeding,” I hear Kai say in a worried tone as I feel the others start to close in, making my breath speed up further and I shrink more into Jax. I feel a soft touch on my shoulder, and I jump so hard even Jax almost stumbles.

“Give her some fucking space,” he growls as I sink deeper into his arms.

“Princess,” Ash’s deep voice says from near me, but not too close. There’s a catch to it, like he’s terrified of what has happened to me. “Kai says you're bleeding. We need to see how badly you're hurt.”

I whimper as I feel the blows to my head and face again, experiencing the moment afresh.

“Please, Pretty Girl. Please, let me see,” Loki's voice sounds so distraught from near my face, and he hasn't called me that for so long that it breaks me out of my turmoil, and I look up at him.

His eyes go wide and then become hard, full of a rage that I see him try to get under control. It should scare me, but all I can feel is the claws of my own panic receding a little now that I’m here. With them.

“Oh, Darling,” he gasps brokenly, his hand coming out to touch me then stopping short. “Please, can I touch you?” he asks, his eyes shattered and desperate.

“Loki?” I whisper, blinking, feeling as though I've come out of a nightmare. Only, a part of me knows that this is no land of make-believe.

“I'm here, Pretty Girl. We're all here, and you're safe,” he tells me, stepping towards us, his hand brushing my cheek and making me hiss a gasp at the sharp pain his touch elicits.

“Safe?” I question, lifting my head further to look around me at the other guys.

As I meet Kai's eyes, I can see the glisten of tears, and he's visibly shaking. I meet Ash’s gaze, and there is terror, pain, and a blinding anger in the grey depths. He's practically vibrating with it.

I finally turn to meet Jax's piercing blue eyes. The banked rage in his is intense and should be terrifying, yet Loki is right. I'm safe here.

“Baby Girl…” Jax rasps, his voice rough and filled with the need for violence. His whole body is trembling, his muscles tense as he holds me. “What happened?” he asks me gruffly.

One minute, I'm standing wrapped in Jax's arms, and the next, it's hard hands grasping and pulling and hurting me.

“I'm going to be sick,” I manage to blurt out, tearing out of his arms and rushing for the toilet.

I make it just in time and heave my guts out until my stomach is empty, my head pounding even more. I sit back, away from the toilet. My head thumps and my eyes are closed, so I smell vanilla before I feel the warmth of a body in front of me.

“I need to take care of you, Pretty Girl. Can I do that, please?” Loki's deep voice asks, cracking at the end.

I nod, not ready to open my eyes yet. I feel the soft press of a cool cloth against my forehead, and I moan whilst leaning into it. A glass is pressed into my hand. I open my eyes to see that Loki is crouched down beside me, his face creased. I drink all the water in the glass, then hand it back to him. He passes it up to Kai, who gives me an anguished smile, then heads out of the doorway.

Loki scoops me up in his arms, and I wince at the pain that fills my body. He looks down and gives me an apologetic look, then walks us out of the bathroom, sitting down on one of the sofas with me nestled in his lap. His arms come around me as he pulls me in for a tight hug, being mindful of my injured head. As I’m pressed against his chest, I can feel how hard his heart is beating.

Ash is pacing in front of the lit fire, but he stops and looks at me, coming over to sit next to us.

“Can you tell us what happened, Princess?” he asks gently, reaching out a hand to hover over my lip. It feels like it's split, and my jaw throbs with pain. His eyes dart to my ripped dress, his hand clenching into a fist then lowering to his lap.

Jax walks over, crouching in front of me with a bowl of water, some dressings, and other first aid bits on a tray. He also takes in the state of my clothing, and a low angry rumble sounds from his throat.

I stiffen in Loki's lap, instinctually not wanting him to touch the sore parts of me, then relax a little as Loki’s hand comes up, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

“I'll try,” I whisper, my voice croaky. My hands worry at my dress skirts until Ash's hand reaches out to still them, taking one in his own grasp. I notice there's blood under my nails, and I swallow hard.

“I–I was at the library studying when I realised how late it had gotten,” I begin, my voice small and almost unrecognisable. “I saw someone come out of the shadows, and I thought that it was one of you.” I feel Loki tense underneath me.

“Who was it, Baby Girl?” Jax asks, his voice deep and full of the darkness in the dead of night. He reaches out with a warm wet cloth, wiping at my temple, and I cringe at the sharp sting.

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