Page 3 of A Tortured Temptress
The doctor leaves after talking to Shane who follows him out. I'm alone in this room. Now's my chance.
Shane
She thinks she's going to get away from me. She thinks that I'm going to be repulsed by her scars, but instead they make me want to protect her more. To hold her and give her the love she so desperately needs. I shouldn't want her. I shouldn't bring her into the darkness I live in but when I look into her eyes, I see a darkness there. She's seeing death up close and personal. The scars aren't the only proof of that.
As I move through the house, I see all the guards moving around the compound, but I don't see my brothers. Men who I'm closer to than my biological family. I'm headed for the garage where I know that arsehole, Patrick is chained up. He beat her.
He put the fear into her eyes.
Opening the door to the garage I'm not shocked to see Grady and Seamus, but I am to see Aidan and his wife. She's watching as Aidan tortures Patrick, using bolt cutters to cut off fingers. Hopefully he doesn't take it easy on him.
"I get him next." My voice has a gruffness to it that I haven't heard in a long time. I'm usually the calm one of this crew. Aidan is the head of the Tiernan family and the Knights of Purgatory Syndicate. I've been his personal bodyguard and head of security for seven years now. We've become like brothers. He’s the only person that knows my deepest secrets and the fact that I don't feel like I'm worthy of the woman in my bed. I shouldn't be with any woman.
I'm a murderer.
I can say it was justified but he and I both know it wasn't. It was revenge pure and simple. It was anger and I'd do it again if I had to.
Getting out of the military wasn't what I planned to do eight years ago but I had little choice. I was medically discharged due to being shot. My hand goes to rub the scars on my chest so similar to Giselle's. I know what she survived.
I recognized the scars medical professionals leave behind when they have to save your life. I don't have quite as long of one because my lung was more affected but looking at her scars it was lung and heart. I wanted to kiss them because she is still here with me. I was able to meet her, if she'd died, I wouldn't have.
I watch as Aidan takes everything in him out on Patrick finally killing him after he borrows a knife from me. I message Grady to take care of the body, that's one of the many tasks that he performs for Aidan besides also providing security. Aidan and Fiona have left and I'm still standing here looking at the dead body of the man that touched Giselle when my mobile pings from my pocket. I pull it out to read the message.
Guard
A woman just left the premises. I tried to stop her, but she refused.
In my gut I know it’s her but I still dial the guard shack to ask.
"What did she look like?"
"She had her hair covered by a black knit cap. She was in a white button-down shirt, black slacks that were way too big and no shoes. She had on black socks. I did get a picture."
My mobile pings again and I pull it away from me ear to see the image.
"Feck. I'm on my way."
I don't know why she ran but I'll need to set up security and go find her. I make my way back to my room and notice it really is empty and then text Seamus that he's in charge. We are down men from the earlier attack and I only trust so many people with Aidan's security. Now that Fiona has her own detail it helps but after the attack today, her head of security was killed. Seamus fills in when I need him to and he's close to both Aidan and Fiona.
I trust him with my own life, so I'll trust him with theirs.
An hour later I'm sitting in my BMW across the street from the girls' flat they all live in. Only Fiona and Moira are not currently there. Fiona of course lives with Aidan now at the compound. Moira is on the compound with Brody after being captured today too. The other girls didn't realize what happened. I made sure that they were watched but now as I watch the light come on in what I know is Giselle's room I watch her.
Part of me wants to storm through the house and find out why she left but I know that she's got lots of secrets. If Lex wasn't in the hospital fighting for his life I would have him run a background on her to see what she's hiding. Yeah, I should let her come to me and wait but I'm not a patient man.
I watch as the other girls come home from their jobs or classes. But Giselle stays in her room that is now dark. She must be asleep and resting, things she could have done in my bed with me holding her.
After a couple hours I finally get a text from Aidan asking me where I am. I explain to him that Giselle took off and decide to head back to the compound after I double check the guards who are on duty to keep an eye on the girls now.
Chapter Two
GISELLE
All my visible bruises have healed but my ribs still hurt. I've kept my working out to bare minimum until I'm no longer in pain. It's been three weeks since I was captured, attacked, and then ran from Shane. I wanted to stay.
I wanted to lay in his bed and heal but I knew I needed to contact Declan and give him an update but unfortunately, he hasn't returned my calls. I've logged into the email server that we use but he hasn't left me any new messages. I'm afraid I'm going to have to reach out to my attorney, but I don't know how to. Declan told me she left public service and is in the private sector now.
Walking along the sidewalk toward the cafe I work at near campus my cell rings in my bag. I dig around in my backpack until I find it in the bottom. The number isn't one I recognize but needing to talk to Declan I answer anyway.
