The only thing holding her together was the comfort in the possessive hands that never left her lower back and hips. Their eyes never left her, either. Martin and Ricky watched her as if she might vanish right in front of them.
“This is the grilled cheese from the bakery near your apartment.” Ricky guided her to the bags of takeout on the table. “We tried to remember all the restaurants you talked about and—” He tilted his head, squinting as he studied her. “You’re overwhelmed.”
“A little.”
“A lot,” he said.
“Yeah.”
He grabbed a bag of grilled cheese, signaled Martin, and led her upstairs.Tula stood beside a king-sized bed in a master bedroom fit for royalty. Tufted fabrics, rich woods, and elegant decor—the opulence of her surroundings overwhelmed her senses and made her uneasy. Hell, a standard bed in an ordinary room would’ve put her on edge. She wasn’t used to any of this.
She’d eaten the grilled cheese with Martin and Ricky. It tasted just as delicious as she remembered, but it sat heavy in her nervous stomach.
After the quiet meal, she’d changed her clothes in the bathroom, slipping on jean shorts and a dark tank top over a burgundy satin bra and panties set, just like the one she’d described to them all those months ago.
Bags of new clothing and beauty products filled one corner of the master suite. Martin and Ricky had shopped for her, brought in all her favorite foods, and set up house in this mansion to help her adjust and keep her safe.
They’d thought of everything, and she was grateful beyond words. But she didn’t need any of it.
She just needed them.
Most of her anxiety resided in all the things left unsaid. Months of keeping her emotions locked up weighed on her chest.
This luxurious master suite with its over-sized mattress had all the makings for a sinful night of passion. She wanted that desperately, craved a carnal reconnection with them, but more than that, she needed to give them her ugliest memories.
“Tula.” Martin lifted her chin with a finger, anchoring her with that simple touch. “Tell me what you need.”
“Hold me while I tell you the rest?”
His expression softened, and an approving grunt sounded in his throat. Then he lifted her and settled them into bed.
Ricky slid in on her other side. They kicked off their shoes, tangled their legs with hers, and for the next two hours, listened to her talk through every decision, every emotion, everything she experienced from the moment she heard that little girl cry until now.
They held her tight between their warm bodies, kissed away her tears, and asked questions. By the time she finished, she felt like a different person. Lighter, more relaxed, finally free.
“Thank you for telling us.” Ricky pulled her against his chest and played with her hair. “I’m so fucking sorry you went through that alone.”
“I’m not alone now. Thank you for listening.”
Tension seeped from her muscles, replaced by a drugging sense of peace. His hand continued its caress, his fingers running from roots to ends, over and over in hypnotic strokes.
Within minutes, she dozed off.
She woke sometime later, sprawled on her stomach with Ricky curled up against her side. The sun had set beyond the window, and sitting in a chair a few feet away, Martin watched her with an intensity that made her shiver.
He’d barely spoken a word since she’d started talking hours earlier. She knew he was compartmentalizing everything from the perspective of someone who had suffered at the hands of a pedophile.
Her heart ached for him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m going to beat your ass.”
“Oh.” Her neck stiffened, and a tingle of heat flushed her skin. “Because I lied to you about leaving the room that night?”
“You lied to us, risked your life multiple times, and executed a dangerous plan that you deliberately prevented Ricky and me from weighing in on.”
“I was protecting you. If I told you that night what I witnessed and what I intended to do, what would you have done? Where would the three of us be sitting right now? It wouldn’t be here.”
His jaw flexed. “You could’ve died.”
“I didn’t.”
“Come here.”
Her heart skipped at the unbending tone in his voice, and she obeyed instantly, willfully, desperate to close the distance between them.
The bed shifted behind her with Ricky’s movement as she climbed off to stand before Martin. He unfolded his powerful frame from the chair, rising to his full, towering height.
The coils low in her belly thrummed to life. Breath drawn, blood circulating, she lifted on her toes, gripped his shoulders, and rested her brow against his.
“I fucking missed you.” The sublime heat in his words heightened the featherlight caress of his fingers as he slid them around her neck.
“Same. So much the same.” She savored the brush of his exhale against her lips and the vibration of his nearness humming across her skin.