Page 2 of Love is Blind

“I think she fainted. Let’s get her home.” Jax says as I bend and lift Wren up into my arms. Mrs. Williams spots me first, a shocked look on her face, and rushes over.

“Oh dear, what happened?” Her eyes shift to each of us, slightly accusing, but I don’t take offense. I understand why. There are tons of rumors about us, good and horrible, but we would never hurt Wren.

“We’re not sure. She fainted a minute ago. We are going to get her home and have a doctor come check her out. Thank you for inviting us. I’ll have Wren give you a call when she is feeling better.” Mav explains and after a long hesitant look, Mrs. Williams nods, and we are heading out the doors.

Our car is pulling up, and I turn to Jax and Mav. “I want everything you can find on Adrian and if Wren has any connection to him. A reaction like this is too extreme to not be connected somehow. Get everyone we know on it.”

In the next minute, both guys are making calls and sending texts as we climb into the back of the limo, Wren still cradled in my lap. I think back to what Adrian called Wren and frown. He called her Dolly. Why? What is she hiding from us, and how did we not find anything sooner? As we get closer to home, I send a quick text to have Doc stop by in the morning to make sure everything is okay with her. Considering the long night ahead of us, we’ll give her a chance to rest for the time being. Because only one thing is playing in my mind.

Adrian West is now a dead man.

Chapter one

WREN

Theremnantsofmyliving nightmare cling to me as I break free and slowly wake. I’m covered in sticky sweat and my heart is pounding faster than a racehorse on a track. Staying as still as possible, I take in my surroundings. I don’t believe the guys would let that monster take me, but you can never be too sure who you can really trust.

Taking stock of my body, I realize I’m no longer in the silky soft dress I wore to the gala. This fabric feels soft still, more like a t-shirt, and my legs are bare but for a pair of fuzzy feeling socks. I’m not in any pain, and if Adrian got a hold of me, that’s exactly what I would be feeling.

My mind is still foggy, but I remember we were taking a walk around the room and stopped to get a quick drink. Then Tiffany showed up and called over her supposed new boyfriend. That’s when someone else came around and even with no eyesight, I could feel the evil coming from him, but then he spoke one word. Dolly. That stupid fucking name he would call me. That voice is unmistakable. I could pick it out from a crowd without hesitation. It’s the leading role in all my nightmares. It all came rushing back then, our meeting, thinking I was in love for the first time. I thought he was my forever, the perfect man, until it all changed.

It started with small things like him ordering things for me. Then the side remarks about how I need to watch my figure and that I wouldn’t be young and beautiful forever. He would order me clothes that weren’t my style and a size or two too small. He would say they were gifts, that he wanted me to have nice, pretty things. Of course, I listened to everything he said because we were in love. He just wanted to show me he loved me and I wanted to make him happy. I wasn’t allowed to hang out with my friends. It was expected of me to comply with all his choices for my attire and follow his instructions on what and when I could eat. I knew something was wrong, and I should have run the first time he hit me, but once again, I was in love.

Amber, my best friend, told me something wasn’t right with him. She said the way he looked at me wasn’t right, that it was like he wanted to own me, like a pet, and not like he loved me. I suppose I was his pet or toy dolly as he started calling me.

It was always my fault for the beatings or the “lessons,” as he called them. I needed to learn to behave and be a proper lady. He wanted me to be the perfect little submissive girlfriend and, if I could be that, the pain would stop. Some nights, he would show me off to his friends and business partners, showing them how well he trained me. It was humiliating, but what else could I do? Everything of mine was now controlled by him. My bank account, all my money I had saved before he made me quit my job. He told me he would take care of me, but only if he could trust me. My trust came at the price of signing my life away, but at the time I was madly in love and would do anything for Adrian.

We met at college. I was taking business classes because my dream was to own a bookshop. Amber took the same classes because we were going to open up a shop together. I never paid attention to anyone else in the class until one day Amber missed class because she was sick. The chair was pulled out next to me and there he was, Adrian West, with all his boys’ next door glory. He was every girl’s dream guy, sweet, charming, and incredibly handsome. He had blonde hair, blue eyes and a smooth voice and I fell head over heels fast. Once class was over, he invited me to coffee, and from that point forward, wherever he was, I was. Amber warned me then too, but I wouldn’t listen. I thought maybe she was jealous that I met someone, but I wish I had listened to her.

Looking back, I think he chose me that day. I was quiet and kept to myself, except for Amber, and when he gave me attention, I became hooked like a little needy puppy. An easy target. What a young, naïve fool I was.

Lost in my thoughts of the past, I feel the bed shift next to me, causing me to flinch automatically. I hear a curse, which only causes me to jerk away from the person again. “Princess, you’re okay. You’re safe.” Jax?

“Jaxon, give her some space.” The stern voice of Xander fills the room next. The bed shifts again, as I’m guessing Jax gets up. I take a deep, calming breath before sitting up and turning to where I heard the guys speak.

“Ummm… what happened?” I remember hearing Adrian, then feeling fear and the urge to run and hide, but then nothing. How did I get here? And what will happen now that Adrian knows I’m alive?

“What do you remember from last night, Angel?” Mav asks somewhere to my right. His voice sounds strange, his usually low tone is still there, but I swear I almost hear worry.

I debated for a second what to tell these men. I think they know something bad happened to me, but they could never understand how bad it truly was. Plus, I doubt they really care all that much. Yes, they say they want me, but I doubt they would want me if they knew what I’ve been through. I’m weak and if I could still see, I’m pretty sure I would be afraid of my own shadow. “Well, we went to the gala, had dinner, then we walked around the room so you guys could mingle.” I tilt my head to the side, making it seem like I’m trying to recall, but really I’m thinking about how to explain the next part. “We stopped to get drinks when that woman, Tiffany, showed up. She called over her new boyfriend and then nothing.” I lie. I know who showed up, but they can’t know how I know him. That part of my life died when that bastard left me to die on the side of the road.

“That’s all you remember?” Xander asks, but there is a tone to his questions that screams he doesn’t believe me. I nod.

“Yeah, did I pass out or something? I wasn’t feeling too well yesterday morning, either.” I lie again. Staring straight ahead, I wait for one of them to reply. After what feels like hours, Xander speaks again.

“Little bird?” The way he says my nickname has me furrowing my brow and focusing my attention on him as I look up towards where I heard his voice. He is standing in front of me, I know that, but since I’m still seated on the bed, he sounds taller. “Who’s Dolly?” My back straightens at the nickname coming from his mouth as my blood runs cold again. How can a five-letter word have such an effect on me?

“I- I… I have no idea. W-Why?” I say, but even I can hear the shaky fear in my response.

“Don’t lie to us, Wren. Who is Adrian West to you, and why did he call you Dolly?” Xander demands, and the cold, demanding tone causes chills to run up my back. This is the man I remember hearing that night in the alley months ago. He shot a man like it was nothing for beating on a woman, but what would he do if he knew what I lived through? What Adrian West put me through?

When I say nothing, I feel the bed dip next to me before huge, rough hands grasp me. “Princess. The moment Adrian saw you, there was recognition all over his face. When he called you Dolly, you freaked out before you fainted. It’s obvious to us he knows you and you know him. You made it clear with your body language that he scares you. Now he’s in the wind, and we can’t find him to ask him why. So, tell us what happened, and we can figure out the next step.” Jax’s thumb runs across my skin in soothing swipes, and it’s almost enough to make me spill it all. But the words just won’t come.

“Angel, why don’t we take a shower, get you cleaned up? All we did was change you last night. Abby wanted to get you cleaned up, but we figured you needed some rest, but now you look like a raccoon.” I hear a slap and Mav grunt. “What it’s true? She looks like a sexy raccoon.” I let out a giggle, assuming I probably look like a mess after last night. Who knew my grumpy, easily annoyed Maverick would be the one to know I just needed a little something to distract me and give me time to build my shields up a bit?

“Yes, please. That actually sounds nice right now.” I send a smile in the direction I heard his voice.

“Fine, but after a shower and some food, we want an explanation, Wren.” I gulp, the nerves that started to ease coming back tenfold.

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