Armored Hearts (The Town of Pearl 7)

She had a few rough nights. India refused to take the meds and it seemed now that she was on regular over-the-counter pain remedies, she was having nightmares. She would wake up gasping for air and then find it difficult to fall back to sleep. In the darkness of the large bedroom, she felt so exposed. Tonight, she tried gathering around a bunch of pillows and ducking under the covers but it wasn’t working.

Every time she willed herself to fall asleep and exhaustion overtook her, she woke up worse off than the previous times. She was hot, uncomfortable, and she struggled to remove the button-down shirt she wore over the half tank. At least her ribs were feeling less and less sore. She could actually bend down and move around with little pain.

She wore a pair of violet-colored pajama shorts that fell over her hips, and still she felt heated. Exhaling in annoyance, she forced herself to lie back down and try to get some rest. Maybe she should take a half a pill to fall asleep? The thought upset her. That was how people became addicted to drugs. They became dependent on sleeping aids or painkillers, and eventually they needed more and more and wouldn’t be able to sleep without them. It was psychological. Just like the effects of her assault and abduction.

India lay in the big king-size bed. She thought about Chicago, about the design company she had up and running. She thought about the changes she was going to need to make once she returned there. She hoped this situation blew over and she prayed that Aspen was safe.

She felt her eyelids getting heavier as she adjusted her position on the bed and hugged the pillow. She kicked down the fluffy comforter and sighed again. Her mind drifted off about work, about the country, and about moving somewhere new. Silas was her only family and she hardly ever got to see him. She’d nearly died by the hands of Russian thugs. She had some reorganizing to do with her life. That was for certain.

She started to relax, her mind wandering over Salvation, where Aspen probably was with Winter, Weston, Storm, and Zin. She thought about how lucky Aspen was to have the love, the support, and the protection of four men who adored her. Then she thought about her own choices in men. About her fantasies and about living each day as if it were her last.

She gulped. She recalled that night she had turned down an offer from James to stay with him at his ten-thousand-square-foot mansion. She didn’t care for him in that way. Besides the fact that he didn’t fit into her very structured, organized life. Well, his wealth and stature did, but that wasn’t for her. She would be a trophy wife. Something that fit into his world of the best. There wouldn’t be true love, or the passion she longed to feel and had yet to come close to. Was she asking too much? She really didn’t know. Everything had a place, a purpose, and an important value in her life. Certain things, certain people didn’t fit.

She thought about starting over somewhere new when she dozed off once again.

* * * *

The screams combined with the dogs barking loudly awoke Fenton from his sleep.

He knew it wasn’t a dream and immediately grabbed his Glock and headed out of his room, ordering the dogs to move quickly.

He ran up the stairs and saw the others, all carrying, all heading to India’s room.

The dogs pushed the slightly ajar door open and they all entered.

The moment he saw her, his heart nearly leaped from his chest. Magnum, Charles, and Clint jumped onto the bed. They were whimpering as Ford ordered them to lie down.

India was tossing and turning, crying out loud in her sleep. Every time she rolled to the right, her abundant breasts pushed further out of the tank top she wore.

She had long legs and sexy thighs that still showed remnants of bruising on them. Her taut belly, accented by a dangling belly ring and perfect abs, peeked out from beneath the short tank she wore.

She was fucking gorgeous, but his heart ached for the pain she was obviously going through.

“India. India, wake up,” Ford told her as they all put down their guns and approached.

Ford went to touch her cheek and she smacked at his hands.

“India, wake up,” Grey tried next but nothing. She was lost in a hell of a nightmare.

“Grab her arms and hold her down so she doesn’t hit you,” Fenton said.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Grey replied.

Fenton moved past him and Ford and right to India. He didn’t want to touch her. He didn’t want to feel what he knew would be the desire to feel more and want something he couldn’t have. She wasn’t right for him, for them, for anything they had wanted. Yet here he was staring at her breasts overflowing from her top and her sexy body and he could touch her even if just to hold her down so she wouldn’t hurt herself.

“India?” he said her name and she pushed against his hand.

He raised his voice as he gripped her wrists and she continued to battle him. “India, wake up.”

He jumped onto the bed, straddling her thighs and holding her hands by her sides.

“India, wake up now. Wake up or I’m going to spank that ass of yours. Do it now. Do it,” Fenton ordered, raising his voice. She moaned and then her eyes popped open.

“Help me!” she screamed out and then gasped for air. Her chest heaved up and down and her eyes widened as if she were shocked. She looked at Fenton then at the rest of them.

“What?” She was all confused.

“You were screaming and hitting us. You couldn’t wake up from the nightmare,” Fenton told her as he slowly released her hands.