Page 148 of Fall into Savagery

He directed my head near him.

“Just breathe, baby.”

Someone clasped my hand, and another placed his hand on my knee.

I closed my eyes and focused on that.

“Fuck. That’s it. We’re going home, okay? This is not worth it. She has nothing to prove, and we’re not staying here a minute longer,” Nikolay said harshly.

I shook my head and pulled away.

He looked at me with concerned green eyes.

“Princess.”

Again, I shook my head.

I didn’t want to leave.

I had to do this. If not to prove to them, then to myself.

I didn’t want to be controlled by that monster anymore.

“P-Please.”

His lips thinned, and his brows pulled together severely. I covered the hand he had on my knee with my own.

“Please. I can do this,” I said, my voice coming out stronger.

He closed his eyes, and I knew I had won.

He nodded. “But at any time if you feel like it’s too much, just say the word, you get me? I won’t have you suffering anymore because of this.”

I shot him a grateful smile.

I could never be anything but okay when I had him by my side.

When I had all of them by my side.

Mikhail held a water bottle in front of me. I didn’t even know where that had come from, but I shot him a grateful smile and grabbed it out of his hand.

They watched me as I took full, steady sips.

The bell dinged overhead to let us know we had landed safely.

Damien unbuckled my belt and his before lifting me into his lap. I closed my eyes and took him in, taking in the scent of laundry detergent, body wash, and most of all, the scent that was uniquely his.

“Okay?” he asked me softly.

I nodded in his chest. He stood up with me in his arms.

I didn’t care that the flight attendant or the guards were all seeing me on the verge of a breakdown.

I didn’t care about that, and it wasn’t long before Damien got inside the spacious waiting car with me. The partition was up, so I couldn’t look over to the driver’s side.

I liked it like this.

I liked the privacy.

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