“I don’t think that’s the worst,” Astro whispered.“My wifereads a bunch of those books, and she says the worst is the type called a stormor something.I don’t know what that means.”
The deputy sighed.“Yeah, it’s a weird night.Come on, youtwo.Your wives should be here any minute.”
“I’m trying to help you,” Keane said between clenched teeth.“You don’t know how bad this can get.”
“Uh, we could stay longer,” Ranger admitted.“No need tocall the wives.”
“Come on.”The deputy opened their cell.“Go out and waitwith Tanya.”He looked back at Keane before sliding the key into the lock andopening it.“You need to stay here until I talk to my boss.Livie, you wantin?”
She nodded.“I do.I have some things to say to my Dom.Could you check and make sure my dad doesn’t come in to try to rescue me fromthe man I love?Well, one of them.You might check and make sure he didn’talready alienate the other one.Were you as mean to Garrett as you were to me?”
He held firm.“I do not want her in this cell.Take herout.”
Her eyes rolled.The brat.She simply pushed and slipped in.“You can lock us in until the paperwork clears.Make sure Garrett doesn’t run.Bring him in here if you have to.I can only keep eyes on one of them at atime, it seems.I don’t know how my momma does it.”
The sound of the lock clicking closed was even worse nowbecause she was here with him.
“You have to leave.”He could remember everything.Hedreamed about it at night when he could sleep.He learned sleep was hisvulnerable time, the time when the predators came out.
He felt soft hands on him.“It’s okay, Master.”
It wasn’t.It never was.It was pain and horror andviolation.The first time he’d been slammed down and woken up in the infirmary,he hadn’t known what all had been done to him.
The second time he was pretty sure.
“Master, I’m not letting them take you,” she saidsoothingly.“I won’t allow them to hurt you again.”
Things he should be saying.If he was a man.Had he lostthat in prison, too?
She wrapped her arms around him and held him so tight.“I’mnot letting you go.You spit all the bile you need to, Master.Say it all.Ican take it.But what I won’t do is leave you.If you run, I’ll follow.If youhide, I’ll find you and make sure you’re taken care of because I love you.Evenif you can’t love me.”
The horror of it all seemed to wash over him like it hadbeen held back because he couldn’t handle it all at once, but she was here now.She was here and he could let it go.He clutched her so tight and felt histears.
That wasn’t manly either, but it felt good.
“Let it out, Master.Let me share it.It’s what I want.Iwant to share everything with you.All the joy and all the pain.It’s ours.”
“Olivia,” his voice sounded raspy, and he was pretty sure hecouldn’t admit this if he was staring at her face.But with her wrapped aroundhim like the warmest, safest blanket ever, it came out.“They…they hurt me inthere.”
Her arms tightened.“I still love you.I hate that ithappened, but I’m glad you’re here, Master.”
“Olivia…” He couldn’t say the words.
She leaned back so she could look at him.“They raped you.They beat you.It doesn’t make you any less my Master, but not accepting mylove and comfort does.Not accepting our help does make you less.You are notless, Keane Rollins.You have survived things no one else could.So stop thiswhole martyr act and accept that we are a family and that means we’re togetherno matter what.”
Family.He never had one.His mother tried, but she was soyoung and he’d been a burden, proof that she was everything her parents toldher she was.He could still remember how peaceful she’d looked when she died.
And then it was endless rounds of people who never got toknow him.
Then there was Garrett.Stupid, fragile Garrett, who in thebeginning thought someone would change their mind and come for him, but no oneever did.
So they found each other.And then it happened and he wassure Garrett would pull back, but he never did.Even when he went to lawschool, he never hid his best friend from his fellow students and later hiscoworkers.He’d been there the day they’d released him, driving up from Houstonin a beat-up sedan with a bag of tacos from some fast-food place because thatwas what they ate when they celebrated.
He loved Olivia.And he loved Garrett, but this was why he’dheld off.At first because they were young and he was honestly confused at hisfeelings, and then because it felt dirty.It wasn’t.What had happened to himdidn’t make him dirty.
He held Olivia.His sub.His savior.
She held him through the storm, inching him over to thatstupid bench where he sat and she moved onto his lap.She didn’t say anythingmore, simply let him go.