“You see it now, don’t you?” Alec asked him.
“Yeah, I see it.”
“Strength comes in many forms,” Alec added.
“Flick,” Jake pressed.
She looked resigned. “Yes, my brother, Spencer O’Malley did this to me. He beat me up.”
Fear engulfed her face, and it hurt him. Actually, physically, hurt him.
“Christ,” she whispered. “What have I done?”
He was moving before he thought about it. Around the other side of the bed, opposite Alec and Jake. He carefully slid onto the mattress and then placed his arm around her shoulders. He grabbed the nape of her neck, squeezing gently.
Leaning in, he whispered in her ear. “You’re safe, baby girl.”
“I’m not. I never will be. You don’t understand. He’ll come after all of you.”
“Look at me.”
“No.”
“Sunshine, look at me.”
“Not happening. I’m ignoring you.”
Again, he felt the ridiculous urge to smile. Fuck. What if he’d succeeded the other night? What if he’d pushed her away for good, never to discover her other layers? And he had a feeling the layers ran deep. So deep he might never bare them all.
The what ifs would kill him. What if Mia hadn’t been worried about her? What if she hadn’t wormed her way into his brothers’ hearts? What if that bastard had gone too far and destroyed his sunshine?
That was never going to happen. Not ever.
“Just to tell you, sunshine, you’re not doing a very good job of it.”
“Hard to ignore someone who’s so annoying.”
He barked out a laugh, and could feel her surprise fill the room, mingling with Alec’s and Jake’s. He didn’t blame them. He wasn’t a man given to laughter. Not anymore.
“How did I never know you had this edge?” he murmured.
“Prob
ably because you spent all your time avoiding me.”
He leaned in, his lips close to her ear. “Well, that’s no longer happening. I’ve taken responsibility for you, sunshine. I take that very seriously. That means you’re mine to protect, mine to command, and mine to discipline.”
Her breath came in sharp and he cursed himself for that last part. No doubt it brought up memories of all the beatings she’d taken. He was going to do whatever it took to make her believe he’d never harm her. Not ever.
If that meant he never once got to put her over his knee, then so be it. He’d find other ways to teach her he was serious when it came to her safety. That there would be certain rules he’d expect her to follow or there would be consequences. But those consequences didn’t have to be physical.
He had a good imagination; he was certain he could come up with something else to make her think twice about disobeying him.
“Sun—”
“Command me?” she said. Her eyes sparked with fury. “News flash, buddy. Nobody is bossing me around.”
Shock held him immobile for a moment. That’s what she was objecting to?