I shook my head to stop that thought. It was too horrible to even think.
When she walked into the room earlier, she blew me away. Despite what she had endured, in spite of the marks and bruises on her face and body, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Tiny next to me, she stood about five foot three and was a hundred pounds soaking wet if she was lucky—especially after what she’d been through. Her honey-red hair fell past her shoulders, her mossy-green eyes were riveting and shone with intellect and hidden pain. A beauty mark sat high on the creamy skin of her left cheekbone, emphasizing her eyes. But it was the way she carried herself that I noticed. No matter how she felt on the inside, she had her shoulders back, head high, determined to see this through, to show the world nothing but confidence. I found that amazing. In many ways, she reminded me of Matteo’s wife, Evie, who always carried a quiet determination and strength with her. I was extraordinarily fond of her and missed both her and Matteo a great deal. He had married her the night he’d found her in a warehouse, running and frightened for her life, witnessing something she never should have seen. He’d told me later there was something about her, something he couldn’t describe except he knew that he needed to keep her close. That he needed her in his life. He brought her into this world, protecting her against the violence, until it brought itself into his home. Then he walked away, choosing love and family over the never-ending chaos this circle contained. I rarely saw them now, but we did talk regularly. And when I took a break, I traveled to them to visit their growing family. I wondered briefly what Matteo would have to say about the situation I found myself in now. Then I shook my head. I couldn’t explain it, so I doubted he could either.
I went to my room and showered, letting the water wash away the last of the anger and fear. Those emotions did me no good in any situation. I needed to come at this with a clear head. I would figure it out. How to protect Missy, how to get Xander, and what I assumed would be the hardest thing of all—how to get Missy to agree to stay out of it. She was a fighter, strong and determined. I had a feeling no matter what plan we came up with, she was going to want to be a part of it, and I couldn’t risk that.
The moment I had pulled her out of the cage and held her, something in me changed. Morphed and grew into a new feeling. As if I had found something I had been missing. I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t like it. The instinct to protect and care for her had taken hold, gripping me deep in my core. It had only strengthened since I had brought her here. It was most inconvenient.
I shut off the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. I simply needed to keep my cool and figure this out. I could do that. I had years of practice hiding my feelings, and one little woman wasn’t going to change that.
No matter how tempting and pretty I found her.
She was on the sofa, curled into the corner, asleep, when I walked into the room. I watched her from the doorway, noticing how her fingers gripped the cushion even as she slumbered. Her body looked tense, and her mouth was turned down. I knew that although her body was resting, her mind was not. I wondered if she would benefit from talking to one of the counselors Julian had for us to speak to when we needed them. Sometimes getting the words out to an uninvolved party helped move the images away so they didn’t haunt you. Despite her bravado, Missy was young and in the early stages of her career. What she had been through and seen would scar even someone with more experience than she had.
I moved closer, frowning at the sight of the rope marks on her neck and wrists that I could see. My anger simmered below my skin, making me tense. She was still too innocent to be involved in all this. I didn’t want her to be.
Her offhand remark about being a virgin had stunned me. It also brought out some feelings I didn’t want to admit to. Possessive, intense feelings I wasn’t aware I was capable of.
I stepped closer, and her eyes flew open when the floorboard beneath my feet creaked. I held up my hands. “Whoa, sweetheart, it’s just me.”
She relaxed, her body sinking back into the cushions. “I guess I fell asleep.”