blinked rapidly as if she had a faulty computer in her head and couldn’t quite process the information she was receiving. “Ethan’s dead?” Her face drained of color. “H-h-h-how?”
I smiled, baring my teeth, but remained silent.
Willow shook her head.
“That’s unfortunate.” Beverly glanced at her watch quickly. “If you’ll please excuse me?” She spun on her heel and strode back down the hallway the way she’d come.
My brow furrowed. “That’s unfortunate? The man was literally the one they picked for you and her son in law. And all she has to say is that’s unfortunate?”
Willow remained silent.
I loosened my hold, moved around so I could see her face. Her eyes were wild, her expression vacant.
Fuck.
I dipped, pulled her up into my arms. I darted down the hall. Looked in each room until I found an empty one. I pushed open the door, eased it closed after we’d slipped inside. I set Willow down on the bed, her arms limp, her legs dangling like a puppet’s with the strings cut.
Hearing Jessa’s voice in my head that pain wouldn’t work if Willow had fully dissociated, I bent down so I could look into my woman’s face. “Willow?”
Nothing.
“Blink if you can hear me.”
She blinked, a quick fluttering of lashes.
Thank fuck. “Pain?”
She blinked again in rapid succession. Over and over again.
I looked over my shoulder, made sure no one was paying us any attention. Thankfully, it looked like we were still unnoticed. I turned back to Willow, took her arm between my hands and gave her a friction burn so hard my own hands started burning.
Willow sucked in a noisy breath. “Again,” she whimpered as tears traced down her cheeks.
I did it again. I’d do it a million times if it meant my girl was back with me. Leaning forward, I kissed at the tears on her cheeks as I wrenched my hands in opposite directions on her forearm.
“Again,” she pleaded.
I laid my lips against hers. Bit into the delicate skin as I set my hands into her flesh. My hands were burning, but I didn’t care. I pushed the pain aside.
She arched up into the curve of my body. Her arms slid around my neck as she tucked her face into the space under my chin. Shudders and sobs wracked her body as I gathered her against me.
I pulled her up into my arms. Switched our spots so I was sitting on the bed and she was cuddled in my arms. I held her as tears flowed and soaked into my shirt. I was going to hunt that bitch of a mother down and flay the skin from her bones while she was still awake.
The door opened, drawing my attention.
An orderly came in. He startled as he saw us. Backed out after a moment with a sympathetic look on his face.
After about fifteen minutes, Willow finally started to calm down. Her breathing evened out as her body became slightly heavier in my arms. When she blew out a long breath, I knew she was back with me.
I dipped my chin, tried to look down at her face. “Okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. That—she—came out of left field. I was even thinking in the elevator on the way up that this was the first time in however many years that I didn’t have to be afraid of this place.” Her chuckle was raw and wet. “Guess I was wrong.”
I felt the hate and anger inside me well up again. I was going to take her parents apart. Worse than my own father, they treated Willow as nothing more than a commodity. One they only wanted to rid themselves of. They were going to get a lesson in manners they won’t soon forget.
Willow petted her hand down my chest. “I got you all wet.”
I chuckled. “Pretty sure that’s supposed to be my line.”
Her giggle snort was about the cutest thing I’d ever heard. “You should sell cheese; you’ve got more than enough to go around.”
I stiffened my fingers, dragged them over her ribs. Her bucking, shaking, and laughing felt like sunshine after a downpour. “I’ll keep all the cheese to myself, you little jerk.”
She tumbled off my lap, would have landed on the floor, if I hadn’t caught her. “Easy, cupcake. Can’t have you damaged again.” I helped her stand. “You okay?”
Laughter still lighting her eyes, she nodded, smiled. “Yeah. All good.” She leaned forward, draped her arms over my shoulders. Laid her mouth to mine. The kiss was soft and gentle and said so many things.
I