Page 106 of Craving Danger

“Don’t apologize,” I murmur while brushing my hand over the side of her head.

She flinches, and it has a frown forming on my forehead.

When she sees my reaction, she lifts her fingers to her ear and carefully touches it. “He hit me with a cane.”

Only then do I see the broken skin on the shell of her ear.

My rage comes back in full force, and I clench my jaw as I fight to get the destructive emotion under control.

I’m going to fucking beat him to death.

I suck in a deep breath of air, and once I’m sure my voice won’t sound harsh, I say, “Never apologize for needing me.”

Her eyes dart over my face. “Okay.”

Christ, I hate what happened to her, but I’m so fucking thankful she ran to me.

Chapter 34

Samantha

Right now, I don’t care about the decision I have to make about Franco and me. I just can’t bear to be alone.

He’s the only person I feel safe with.

My nerves are frayed, and I’m so tired I can’t deal with anything else.

“How do you want to do this?” Franco asks me.

My eyes drift over his features that look like they’re carved from stone. I can see he’s struggling to keep his anger at bay so he doesn’t upset me.

God. Todd tried to kill me.

As the realization hits me again, my stomach churns, and I feel ill.

Franco tilts his head, and his eyes are filled with concern as he murmurs, “Baby?”

Right. He asked me a question.

I glance at the shower before looking at him again. “I don’t know.” My chin starts to tremble. “I can’t think straight.”

Franco wraps his arms around me and presses a kiss to my temple. “I’m going to shower with you. It’s nothing sexual. Okay? I just want to clean you up so you can climb into bed and get some rest.”

My mind is filled with the trauma I suffered, and I just need Franco to take control until I’m better.

I nod, and the word quivers over my lips as I say, “Okay.”

“Stop me if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

I nod again, and when he grips the hem of my blouse and lifts the fabric, I raise my arms so he can take it off.

Slowly, I become aware of how badly my body is shivering from the horror I was subjected to. While Franco unbuttons my pants, I focus on calming the shivering.

I step out of my ballet flats, and when he crouches in front of me, I place my hand on his shoulder so I can keep my balance as he pulls my pants off.

Standing in my underwear, I look at the bandage around my left hand before my attention is drawn to Franco.

Raising to his full height, I watch as he unbuttons his dark teal-colored vest. He shrugs it off and drops it on my pile of clothes before he removes his gun from behind his back, setting it down on the counter.

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