Protect Me (Broken Heroes 2)

I listen to his footsteps as they disappear down the hall, then the sound of yet another door slamming somewhere off in the distance vibrates through me.

When he’s completely out of ear shot, I let go of the pain and sadness. Every tear I held back today comes out all at once. Crying my eyes out, I curl up into the fetal position on the bed.

Sob after sob rattles my body, my chest heaving with unsteady breaths. My head starts to throb. It hurts so much, I feel as if I might puke. I remain this way for a long time, my heart shattering over and over again. I cry for the loss of my brother and the life I’ll never have.

After what seems like forever, I finally cry myself into a restless sleep, hoping to escape this day, and that maybe when I wake up, this will all have been nothing more than a nightmare.

***

My eyes fly open, and I gasp for air, desperately trying to fill my lungs. My heart beats so fast, it’s about to come out of my chest. I wipe the sweat off my forehead, trying to calm myself, forcing the images of masked men killing my brother and me out of my head. I scurry across the unfamiliar mattress. It takes me a minute to get my bearings, but eventually, I rest at the edge, my head in my hands.

I am no stranger to night terrors, but this was so real, so intense. I can’t go on much longer like this. This can’t become my life. Being scared every second of the day, only to close my eyes at night and deal with my nightmares when I should be able to escape this world at least for a short time. I can’t live like this.

Damon might not force himself on me, but he also won’t protect me unless I give him what he wants.

I swing my legs off the bed and creep out into the hallway. It’s dark, dark as midnight. My hands feel along the wall until I find a light switch. My eyes squeeze shut from the brightness that fills the space. My gaze swings up and down the hall. There are four doors, two to the right and two to the left, and out of all of them, there’s only one that’s closed.

I feel anxious even walking across the hall toward it. It must be Damon’s, though I suppose it could be that other man’s?

Holding my breath, I twist the knob, opening the door as quietly as I can. I sneak into the room with treacherous tears upon my cheeks. Crying is a weakness to Damon, I know this, but I can’t stop the emotional roller coaster I’m on. I sniffle into my arm and wipe away the tears. Then I glance up and take in every single inch of Damon Rossi.

He’s breathtakingly beautiful—in a dark and tormented way. His nearly black hair is disheveled. His body is relaxed—and damn does he have a body. It looks like it’s been chiseled from stone—each muscle and crevice drawing me in. His eyes are closed, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm.

As I tiptoe toward his bed, I consider turning around and running back the way I came. The fear of what may happen to me without his protection keeps me rooted. I have to talk to him…and try to reason with him. It’s the only way I’m going to make it out of this alive. I exhale, letting all the anxiousness out. My eyes drift over Damon’s sleeping body one last time, but once I reach his face, I realize he isn’t sleeping anymore.

“What the fuck are you doing?” His voice is gruff, and full of sleep.

“I’ll do whatever you want.” My voice comes out cracked and raw sounding. “I’ll give you a blowjob or whatever you want, but I want something in return. I want you to promise you’ll protect me.”

Damon’s eyes bore into mine. They’re darker than normal in the dim lighting. I shiver—out of fear or cold, I don’t know.

Time stands still between us. Damon doesn’t say anything right away. He only looks at me like he’s trying to figure out if I’m really standing at his bedside or not.

I chew on my bottom lip. I’m not really sure what to do now. Is he waiting for me to make the first move?

My nerves are on edge. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m just over eighteen, and my brother made sure no one ever had a chance to date or kiss me. I’m trying to recall images from a porn I once watched out of curiosity.

I climb onto the bed, grabbing the top of the black comforter. I start pulling the heavy blanket off him, but he snatches my wrist.