Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
51
Remy carried her into the house on his hip.
Thank God he’d planned to stay the weekend because there is no way he could leave her.
Fuck. Tonight had been a lot. She seemed more upset about going to the doctor than what her boss had done to her.
But he wondered if that was going to hit her later.
And what the fuck was wrong with her? Xavier hadn’t seemed too worried, but that could have been because he didn’t want to alarm Isa.
“We need to get some food into her,” Remy told Loki as the other man drew Isa’s coat off her.
“Wanna go bed,” she grumbled. “No food.”
“Baby, you need to eat,” Remy told her gently.
“Nooo.”
“What about the baby bottle we bought her?” Loki suggested. “We also got that protein powder that Aunt Marie recommended. She said it can be used as a meal supplement.”
Remy nodded. “Can you get her ready for bed while I get it prepared?” He shifted her to Loki’s arms.
“I is sorry, Ki-Ki.”
“Shh,” Loki soothed. “You don’t need to worry.”
“I feel so bad, though. I kept stuff from you. And I know you’re upset. Can you spank me so I feel better?”
Loki glanced at him in alarm and worry.
Remy walked over to them, laying his hand on her back. “Not tonight, baby girl. But when you’re feeling better, he will.”
And if he couldn’t do it, then Remy would.
This was the sort of thing she had to tell them.
Her health. Her safety.
Nothing else mattered as much as those two things.
Remy fixed her bottle. He hadn’t used this with her yet. He’d been planning to do that this weekend. The playroom was all ready and they’d been going to surprise her with it tomorrow morning.
And then Sunday he’d planned to take her out to the ranch to ride the horses.
But she needed rest.
Fuck, he hoped that whatever was wrong with her was minor.
Because he couldn’t lose her. Not now that he’d just found her. He took a few deep breaths, trying to stave off the panic.
She wasn’t going to die like his ma or her mom.
He wouldn’t allow that to happen.
You need to be strong.
She needs you.
They both do.
When he had gathered himself, he headed to her bedroom. Loki had her in one of the onesies they’d bought her. It was pale pink and had footsies and mittens.
She looked freaking adorable. She was leaning against his chest, sucking on her thumb as he rested back against the headboard.
Remy walked over and took off his clothes, leaving his boxers in place.
Then he got in on her other side and drew her into his chest. After tugging out her thumb, he replaced it with the nipple of the bottle.
She settled in and started sucking. A sense of satisfaction filled him.
“You should go eat something,” he said to Loki.
The other man shook his head, his gaze intent on their girl. “I can’t leave her.”
Remy understood that.
“I’m not hungry, anyway.” Loki clenched his hands into fists.
“Are you all right?” Remy asked.
Loki took a deep breath and looked away, but he nodded.
Yeah, Remy thought he was full of shit.
But he couldn’t call him on it. He knew that Loki had to come to him. He couldn’t force him to accept help.
It was damn hard not to try and force him, though.
Their girl fell asleep in his arms and he drew the bottle away from her lips. Loki replaced it with her pacifier as they all slid down in the bed together.
Neither of them were going anywhere tonight.
52
Urgh.
His stupid brain wouldn’t stop.
He couldn’t sleep.
Around three in the morning, Loki decided to get up so he didn’t wake Isa.
But it was too hard to leave the room. He couldn’t take his eyes off his girl.
What if that bastard had hit her? Had hurt her? What if he’d tried when Loki hadn’t been there?
He could have raped her.
Killed her.
Loki couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t let her out of his sight. Not ever again.
His breath seized in his lungs. He couldn’t breathe. His hands grabbed his throat, trying to force air into them.
“Loki?”
Remy’s voice penetrated the haze of panic.
“Fuck, Loki! Breathe. Fucking breathe.” Remy jumped up and strode over to where he sat on Isa’s armchair in the corner of the room. “You need to breathe.”
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
Shit. They’d woken Tink.
“Loki’s having a panic attack, I think. He can’t breathe. Loki, focus on me.”
Remy crouched in front of him, placing his hand on Loki’s chest. “Breathe with me. In. One. Two. Hold. Out. One. Two.”
Isa crouched next to Remy. There wasn’t enough light to see her face. But he was certain they had to be looking at him like he was a fuckup.
A nuisance.
Because that’s exactly what he was.
“Everything is all right, Ki-Ki. You’re safe. I’m safe.”
But he couldn’t keep her safe. What if something was seriously wrong with her?