Hurting You (Blackthorn Elite 3)

There is the Stella I know is hiding right beneath the surface. We walk up the front steps and into the house. Silence greets us as we step inside and close the door behind us. My hand circles her forearm as I tug her toward the bedroom. Part of me wishes I could be kinder, gentler with her, but I don’t have it in me.

“Where are you taking me?” She sounds exhausted, and for once, I don’t want to fight with her.

“You’re going to take a shower, tell us what happened with Grams, and then we’re all going to go to bed,” I explain as we walk down the hall. When we reach my bedroom, I open the door and lead us inside. I release her and walk over to the dresser, pulling out a T-shirt and a pair of boxers. They’ll both be big on her, but they’ll have to do until we get her some clothes.

“Bathroom is right through there.” I point to the second door on the right side of the room. When she doesn’t say anything, I close the distance between us and give her the clothing. Cam went to his bedroom, most likely to shower and change too, so it’s just her and me.

“Nothing is going to happen to you. We won’t hurt you,” I tell her.

“Maybe not tonight, but eventually you will. That’s what you keep saying, at least.”

“We told you that we would only hurt you if you don’t do as we say.”

“And how long is that supposed to go on? I can’t just stay here with you forever. I have my own life,” she whispers the last bit, her hands holding onto the clothes with a death grip. I digest what she’s said, and the only answer I can come up with is one that will make this all the more confusing for her.

“You belong to us. That’s all you need to know right now.” I don’t understand the infatuation, and I may never, but I’m tethered to her. Cam and I both are. I lean into her face, wanting to kiss her lips that are shaped in a sad frown. It doesn’t matter if she’s happy or sad, she still makes my cock rock hard. “Go shower, and when you get out, we will finish talking,” I order.

She looks up at me hesitantly as if she doesn’t believe I’d let her shower alone, but then she whips around and all but runs into the bathroom. The door closes behind her a second later, and then I hear the shower turning on.

Sighing against the king-size bed, I try and figure out what the hell we’re doing. I lie there for a few minutes before I hear Cam walk into the bedroom.

“Did you kill her?” he asks jokingly. I stare at him openly like he’s stupid.

“No, she’s showering. Then she’s going to tell us what happened with Grams and who died in the fire.”

“Okay…” there is a long pause of silence, and I let my eyes drop down to the floor. “When does this end? Neither one of us does relationships. We can’t possibly keep her.”

His questions irritate me. Mainly because I don’t know the solution, I don’t know how this is going to end.

Swallowing down my anger, I tell myself he’s just thinking rationally, “I don’t have an answer, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m just taking it all one day at a time.” We share a secret and letting her go now would be like cutting off my own hand. It would hurt, and I would know there was a missing piece. I wouldn’t die, and I could easily live, but why cut off a perfectly good hand?

“I get it, but this isn’t fair to her. I mean, what’s…” Anger boils over inside of me, and I twist on the bed to face him, cutting him off.

“Life isn’t fair, Cam. Don’t let your feelings for her cloud your judgment. Think with your big head, and not your little one.”

Cam gives me a dirty look, his mouth popping opening before he closes it, holding in his response when the bathroom door opens, and Stella’s towel-covered head pops out. She tiptoes out of the bathroom and I take in her slender body. Something catches my eye on her neck; it’s then that I see the bruises on her throat. She must have covered them up with makeup before, they were definitely not visible earlier.

Pure rage pumps through my veins, and I’m half tempted to get back in my car and go find Paul to make sure he doesn’t try and hurt her again.

“Come sit,” I pat the spot on the bed beside me, pushing my anger for Paul aside. Stella looks between both of us before she starts moving. I let my gaze linger over her legs, and her middle, which is currently swallowed by my T-shirt.