Revelation (The Protectors 7)

Not when Cain was looking so relaxed and…disconnected.

I let my thoughts drift to the events at the bank. “He must have had a warrant to get into my box, huh?” I asked.

“That or the BOLO was enough to convince the bank to give him access…I’m not sure what the law is when it comes to stuff like that. Daisy never found any warrants on you so if he used one, it wasn’t legit.”

“But that lady called the cops when she recognized my name, right?”

Cain nodded. “He probably convinced her to put a note on your account to call the cops.”

“He got everything,” I said softly as I shook my head. “If Lucy’s phone can’t be fixed-”

“Even if it can’t be fixed, Ethan, Eric is never getting to you or her again. I promise you that.”

I knew what he was talking about and while the doctor in me rebelled, the man in me knew it was the only way to stop Eric from hurting someone else. If it had just been me he’d hurt, I could’ve lived with that, even if it meant running for the rest of my life. But Lucy’s life was at risk and I couldn’t subject her to that future.

“What if I turn myself in?” I asked, though the idea filled me with dread. I wasn’t sure what scared me more, the idea of prison or the idea of ending up in Eric’s control again. With prison, I had a chance of maybe someday getting out…with Eric, I had no chance of anything.

I looked up when I heard the chair creak and I watched as Cain walked over to me. He hovered above me, his big body towering over mine. He put his leg between my knees and slowly forced my legs open until he was standing with one leg between mine, the other on the outside of my left leg.

“That’s. Not. An. Option,” he said slowly and then he was leaning over me, his mouth seeking mine. I groaned as his tongue dueled with mine and then he was pushing me back onto the bed, his weight following me down. I tentatively held onto his waist as he kissed me and when he didn’t tense up, I let my fingers press into his sides so I’d have something to hold onto. I was quickly losing control of my reaction to him, but was saved from embarrassing myself by begging him to fuck me when there was a knock at the door. I jolted at the sound and tried to scramble free of him.

“It’s the food,” Cain said softly against my lips before kissing me gently. He lifted off me and went to answer the door. My eyes instantly fell to his ass as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

Jesus, what was wrong with me? It had taken weeks for me to let Eric kiss me for the first time, months till we slept together, but with Cain I would have done anything to feel him inside me.

I’d never been particularly fond of sex with Eric because he’d always been on the rough side and hadn’t cared about my pleasure, but with Cain I knew it wouldn’t be like that. I didn’t know how I knew, I just did. The problem wasn’t with the physical aspect of any relationship I pursued with Cain. It was my heart that was in jeopardy.

I’d thought myself in love with Eric, but I realized now that what I’d had with him hadn’t even been in the same universe as love. I’d been indebted to him…grateful that he’d wanted me. That was what I’d loved about him. I could have interchanged him with just about any man who’d shown me even an ounce of kindness or interest and I’d have said the same. But looking at Cain, feeling him wrapped around me in that shower, hearing his whispered words in my ear…his belief that I was perfectly fine the way I was…it was already piecing back together my damaged heart. From the moment I’d told him I didn’t believe in hope anymore, that was all he’d been giving me.

I couldn’t fall in love with this man…I just couldn’t. I’d survived Eric because of his brutality. I couldn’t survive losing the many things Cain had been giving me.

“Scoot over,” Cain said as he stopped at the edge of the bed, two pizza boxes in hand. I crawled backwards on the bed until I was sitting on the far side of it, my body angled towards Cain. He put the boxes down on the end of the bed and sat down with his back against the headboard. “I got different kinds,” he said.

“What?” I asked dumbly as I let my eyes roam over his face. He was so beautiful with his golden boy looks.