Page 85 of Ruthless Protector

But he didn’t realize there was no hope left.

Not where men like Damon Zakharov were concerned.

Movement came as Logan shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it across me.

“You’re safe now,” Lazarus murmured as the elevator doors opened. “You’re safe with me.”

“I know,” I answered.

He said nothing else as we strode from the building and out into the night. Even though his muscles trembled and he swallowed hard with the strain, he never once even shifted me. I lowered my head, feeling the effects of the drug move through my body.

The baby.

The words resounded.What about the baby?I closed my eyes as tears slipped free. I didn’t know…I just didn’t know. How could I protect it…when I couldn’t even protect myself?

Bright lights flared as doors opened. I lifted my head, finding us in Lazarus’s building. They were silent as the elevator doors opened and we strode inside.

“I’ll call if there’s a problem,” Lazarus commanded, not shifting his gaze from mine.

But the order wasn’t for me. I caught the nod from Freddy and the uncomfortable shift from Logan before the massive bodyguard murmured, “Okay, Lazarus.”

“Tomorrow, I want someone over at Kat’s place and all of her things brought here.”

“You think that’s wise?” Freddy murmured.

Lazarus broke our stare to find him. “Do I look like I give a shit?”

“That’s one thing I can get on board with,” Logan approved.

“Good,” Lazarus declared as the elevator rose, stopping on the top floor, and he carried me out.

Then we were alone. I licked my lips, finding the cold sting of the wind had cut through the fog in my head a little. I was coming back now, slipping away from the darkness once more. I splayed my hold around his neck. “Laz.”

His gaze found mine as he carried me into his bedroom, then lowered me gently to the edge of the bed. I waited for him to change now that we were alone. I waited for the monster to shine through. But he just knelt at my feet and tugged my shoes off. “Are you cold?”

His words resounded in my head for a second too long, forcing him to lift his gaze to mine. I wanted to answer him, wanted to tell him how I was always cold,empty to the core.

“The doc…he’ll come with a rape kit,” he started, looking away.

“No.” I murmured.

I caught the flinch, then the flare of anger as he jerked his gaze to mine. “No?”

“He didn’t…” I started. “What I mean is, he didn’t fuck me.”

Color bled from his face and in an instant, those blue eyes darkened. I didn’t have to ask him what he was thinking, it was evident. He wanted to kill Damon, wanted to hunt him down and finish what he'd started…

“But yes, I’m cold and you’re—”

He jerked, those arctic eyes growing a degree colder. “I’m what?”

I pushed up from the bed and lifted my hand to the splatter of blood across his cheeks. “A mess.”

He lashed out, grasping my wrist, but not once did he squeeze, not once did he hurt me. “Give me the word, Kat.” My breath caught. “Just a nod is all I need, and I’ll finish it. You’ll never have to see him again.”

Hope flared inside me. His pure, perfect, honorable words. How many monsters would he kill for me? I didn’t have to ask to know the answer.All of them, if I let him.“I won’t see him,” I answered finally. “How can I, when I’m right here?”

Surprise widened his eyes before a flicker of something moved through them. Pride, contentment. The elevator doors opened and two sets of boots resounded in the space. I lowered my hand as Logan came around the corner.

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