He was coming back.
Jessie whimpered and bit her lip, hating the sound for making her look weak and vulnerable.
Of course, she was vulnerable, hanging from the chain in the vineyard’s barn. Helpless against the cuts and blows the red-headed freak was inflicting on her. Her body was tender with fresh bruises and sticky with drying blood. She was dizzy and exhausted, her throat raw from screaming, and her arms trembling where the chain held her upright.
She had no idea how long she had been here. Less than a day but far too long already. Winter would come for her — she was sure of it even though her tormentor told her that she was worthless. A sport — whatever the hell that was. But Jessie knew that Winter would come. Winter would try to save her. Jessie just prayed to anyone who was listening that it wouldn’t mean both of their deaths. That Winter would know it was a trap and have a plan.
Jessie held onto the hope of rescue, the thought bolstering her as Bastian sauntered back into the barn, a smug smirk in her direction and an electric generator rolling next to him.
Sweat broke out from Jessie’s brow and even the thought of rescue couldn’t calm her against the fear of what that machine was for. She thrashed against the chain, screaming even before she was doused with water and the shocking began.
“Jessie!”
Hands touched her shoulder and she kicked out against center mass.
There was the sound of quickly expelled air and the soft thud of someone hitting the carpet.
Wait…
Carpet?
Jessie opened her eyes and slowly registered the furniture in her room. She wasn’t in the barn. There were no chains. No generator.
And no Bastian.
There was a red-haired sidhe doubled over and trying to breathe on her floor.
Cian.
“Oh crap!” She slid from the bed and knelt next to him. “I’m so sorry!”
Cian waived a hand and weakly said, “It’s okay. You were having a nightmare.”
It was just another dream. She’d been having them all week. Winter had come for her. Cian had healed the physical wounds Bastian had caused in that barn, but Winter had told her that the psychological hurts were much harder to heal. Winter had a potion that was supposed to help, but the nightmares still came.
Winter wanted her to see a therapist. The lions had one in their pride, but Jessie really wasn’t interested in talking about potty training or reliving her torture on some lioness’s couch. She just wanted the nightmares to stop. The ones while she slept and the ones that overwhelmed her when she was awake. Winter had tried to tell her that she wasn’t crazy, but Jessie wasn’t so sure. What if that psycho had really broken her? Maybe she should go see Corinne’s therapist.
Cian sat up, his breathing returning to normal. “Are you okay?”
Was she okay? She really wished people would stop asking her that. The simple answer was no. She was so very far from okay. But the people who kept asking had to be tired of always hearing that she was scared, angry, and reliving that night all the damn time. They really wanted to hear her say “yes.” To say that it was finally over. That she could return to her life and not think about Bastian and the things he’d done to her in that barn.
Jessie slumped against Cian on the floor, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Normally Jessie didn’t like to be touched, but for some reason it was okay when it was Cian. Maybe it was his touch healing, but Jessie found Cian’s touch to be comforting.
She cuddled up against his chest and felt safe for the first time in days.
“No, I’m not okay.” Her whisper was so low she wasn’t sure he would hear it.
Cian tightened the arm around her shoulder into a hug. “I know. It took a long time for me to be okay again, and I still dream about what Midir did to me. It’s going to take time, but you’ll be okay one day. I promise.”
Jessie sighed. She had forgotten that Midir, the sidhe who had tried to turn Seahaven into his own personal faerie realm, had raped and beaten Cian nearly to death while Cian was still a kid. Cian understood what helplessness really felt like. He understood what real violence could do to you.
She settled herself more comfortably against Cian, her head resting on the sidhe prince’s chest. “I wish you could heal minds the way you heal bodies.”
Cian leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “So do I.”
Jessie smiled weakly then bit her lip. She hated asking anyone for help, but Cian, of everyone she knew, understood what she was going through.
“Would you stay with me? While I sleep?” She couldn’t look at him while she asked. She felt like a little kid afraid of the monster under the bed. But the monster she feared was in a barn in her dreams.
She felt Cian nod against her. “I’ll stay.”
Jessie felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. “Thank you.” She closed her eyes and listened to Cian’s breathing, hearing his strong heartbeat through his chest. It lulled her and eventually sleep overtook her again. This time, she did not dream.
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