it because it’s the right thing to do.
Her eyes flash as she stares me down.
This line I walk is precarious at best. I must scare and subdue her with verbal threats instead of using my fists. I don’t want to hit her, but if I must, there will be no hesitation on my part. There’s an audience expecting just that.
The next few hours are critical. Benefield will have certain expectations. I need to deliver on those without crossing a line with Eve that I can never recover from.
“Walk or carry. Your choice.”
Her strength and resilience make my heart swell. The stubbornness in her expression makes me want to cheer.
So much strength.
I’m proud of Eve, and I know she’ll survive this tragedy.
“I’ll walk.” Her teeth grind together as her attention shifts between me and Knox.
“Fine.” I gesture down the hall. “To my suite then.”
Eve takes one step. Her leg gives way and I catch her before she falls. Her hands go to her calf and my eyes follow.
Hard, contracted; the muscle of her calf cramps. Gently, I lower her to the floor and place my fingers on the back of her calf.
Eve jerks out of my grip, but I simply grab her leg and drag her in front of me.
“You’ve got a charley horse. Let me…”
“Don’t touch me.” Eve yanks her leg, but I’m much stronger.
“Let me help you.” I grip her foot and gently flex it up.
Eve screams in pain, but I don’t let up.
“You’ve got to stretch it, keep pressure on the muscle until it fatigues and relaxes.”
“It hurts. It hurts so much.” She wraps her hands around mine and huffs against the pain. Rock hard, the cramp is a bad one.
Knox stands guard over us. To this point, we’ve been left alone. My guess is Benefield is not done with Eve. He will try to take her back.
I kneel beside her, putting pressure on her calf muscle while simultaneously flexing her foot. Slowly, the muscle gives up. It relaxes and her pain fades.
Eve looks up at me, relief and gratitude fill her face, but they’re wiped away with blinding fear.
I’m sorry, Eve, but you don’t need to fear me.
I wish I could tell her, explain who I am, but I can’t. All I can do is offer her a hand up.
Eve looks at my hand like it’s a poisonous snake that will bite her. I give a shake of my head.
“Sometimes, an offered hand is simply that. Someone reaching out to help you stand on your own.” She won’t understand the subtext behind my words, but it doesn’t matter.
I do.
Eve takes my hand reluctantly and I pull her to her feet. She takes one shaky step before I shake my head.
“You’re in no condition to stand, let alone walk.” I glance at the manacles shackling her wrists. “Give me your hands.”
Eve wobbles on her feet, looking like she’s going to tip over any second while I pull out the key from my pocket.
She doesn’t lift her wrists for me. I move to stand in front of her and take her left hand in mine. While she watches closely, I unlock the manacles by touch alone, keeping my gaze locked to hers.
Maybe she’ll understand what I’m doing? How I’m not looking at her nakedness? Honestly, it’s torture not to take in all her amazing curves, but I’ll respect her boundaries. I’m pretty sure she’s not a fan of strange men ogling her naked body.
It takes a second. I fumble a bit with the key and the lock, but I get the restraints to unlock. I turn my attention to her wrists as I remove the shackles. Red, raw, and bleeding, there are deep cuts and areas of denuded skin.
“How long?” The damage to her wrists is impressive.
“Excuse me?”
“How long did he keep you chained to that pole?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I do. How long?”
“I don’t know. Hours?” She reaches up to rub her shoulders.
“Where else are you hurt?” I take a step back, realizing how intimidating it must be with me towering over her.
“My shoulders hurt. My arms.” She glances at the wounds on her wrists. “My wrists. My calves.”
I give a shake of my head. “Put your arm around my neck.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to carry you, and I don’t want you draped over my shoulder.”
“Why not? Isn’t that exactly what men like you want?”
“You have no idea what I want.” How can she not know how I feel?
It’s a rhetorical question. It’s not like the past six days