Page 15 of Broken & Bound

“Get out, both of you,” he declared, kicking X one final time.

Pasha

A sharp sound tore me out of sleep. For a second, I didn’t know where I was. Darkness pressed around the hotel room, and the faint glow of the city beyond the curtains was barely enough to make out shapes. Then Isabella jerked beside me.

A broken cry left her throat as she bolted upright, her breathing ragged and uneven. Instantly, I was awake, pushing up onto one elbow as she scrambled backward against the headboard like she was trying to escape a monster only she could see.

“Princess.”

She flinched hard.

Fuck.

Light from the fireplace spilled faintly across her face, enough for me to catch the tears streaking down her cheeks and the pure panic swimming in her eyes. She wasn’t here yet. Not fully. Her gaze darted wildly around the room before finally snagging on me. And even then, she looked unsure.

“It’s me,” I said carefully, keeping my movements slow as I sat up fully.

“You’re okay. I’m here.”

Her upper body heaved. She drew in another shaky breath. Then another. I hated the fear etched across her face. Hated knowing there was nothing I could do to erase the memories haunting her. All I could do was be here when they surfaced.

“Come here.”

The words were quiet and firm. For a second, she didn’t move. Then her expression cracked, and she crawled across the mattress so fast it nearly knocked the breath from me when she hit my chest. I caught her instantly, wrapping both arms around her as she buried her face against my neck.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured.

Her entire body trembled against mine.

“He cut her face,” she whispered. “I didn’t stop him.”

The pain in those last four words carved straight through me. I closed my eyes briefly, pressing my lips against the top of her head before tightening my hold.

Outside, the world carried on, none the wiser to her torment. Sirens wailed faintly somewhere in the distance. I sat there holding the woman I loved while pieces of her past tried to drag her under. She cried herself back to sleep in my arms.

And all I could think was—I would burn the whole fucking world down before I let it take her again.

We spent two days on a leisurely drive up to Connecticut to the town of Maple Valley, where the owner of the estate lived. We could have done it in one, but I was stalling on some levels. The nightmares were increasing each day, it seemed. The dread grew, and a part of me just wanted it over with already.

Marcel was instrumental, and we did a FaceTime session that set me more on solid footing. And the way Pasha had stepped up was nothing short of amazing. He’d been a rock from day one. It was proof enough that I’d made the right decision.

He manoeuvred the car along and reached for my hand. My gaze drifted to the welcome sign ahead. It proudly displayed the town’s name in elegant script, accompanied by a quaint emblem of a red maple tree.

“Maple Valley—where memories blossom,” I read aloud.

“Charming, huh?” Pasha flashed a brilliant smile.

“More like where nightmares are born,” I muttered, my eyes scanning the picturesque landscape that unfolded before us.

He easily navigated through the narrow streets of the small town, and soon we were turning onto Main Street. It was lined with an assortment of cozy shops and cafes. My apprehension grew as we approached our destination.

The sound of my phone buzzing startled me. I recognized Nik’s number immediately, so I answered, putting him on speaker-phone. He didn’t even get a word in before I was speaking.

“Crow, I’m thinking maybe we need to revisit your nickname. You’ve become a bit of a stalker the last few days.”

His rich chuckle reached our ears, and I longed for home. But the statement was true. Ever since we picked up the car, he’d been checking more and more. His concern was heart-warming and spoke of his love for me. Once more, I realized how lucky I was to have the family I did.

“You offend me, Bellaruso. If you had any idea how hard my IT guy has worked behind the scenes to ensure that no one outside of me has your true location you’d be impressed. We can’t have the girls catching on,” his voice bellowed through the speaker. “How’s it going over there?” he asked.