Page 26 of Lost In The Dark

“I’ll grab drinks,” Jordan volunteered as he set the last plate at the counter. “Beers?”

“Sounds good,” Asher agreed as he started to lead Addy towards the counter. I saw the way her entire body was trembling, and just how much she was leaning on Asher as they moved. I wondered how extensive her injuries were. I knew her wrist was broken, and she was clearly nursing it against her chest, but she seemed to be in pain with every step she took too.

“Can I get you something to drink, Addy? We have juice, soda, beer, or I could make coffee if you prefer?” Jordan offered, the gentle smile on his face seeming to make her relax just a fraction. A weird feeling of jealousy hit me. I wished I could set her at ease a little like that, instead of scaring the crap out of her.

“Just w-water,” she replied so quietly it was barely audible. “If th-that’s okay, I mean?”

“Sure. No problem,” Jordan agreed easily as he turned to the refrigerator.

“This is your home now, sweetheart. You help yourself to anything you need or want. Adam keeps the kitchen well stockedfor us all. You don’t need to ask, okay?” Asher told her. They were both at the counter now. Eli grabbed her elbow above her cast and helped her up onto the stool there, then they each took a seat at her side.

“Okay,” she nodded, but still looked very unsure as she glanced around her.

“If there’s anything you want and can’t find, let me know. I can grab it next time I go grocery shopping,” I added as I met her eyes just for a moment. They really were the most stunning eyes.

“Th-thank you.” She gave the barest hint of a smile as she stuttered the words to me, and it felt like a small victory.

I pulled the casserole and potatoes from the oven as Jordan handed out drinks.

“You sure I can’t get you anything else, princess?” Jordan was asking as I turned to set out the large steaming dish. He winked at her and she blushed, the tiny wash of color filling her pale face. She was obviously pretty innocent and naïve if a wink made her blush that way, and suddenly the protectiveness I had heard in Ash’s voice, during our phone call, all made sense. He wanted to protect her and I got it, because now I did too.

“I’m okay…thanks,” she whispered.

I didn’t understand how anyone could look at her in the state she was at that moment and not want to care for her. She was terrified and obviously suffering physically. She kept on turning her head to check behind her, though no one was there, and she still shook violently. Her hand was under the counter and I was pretty sure she still clutched Asher’s shirt.

She had been through hell, and judging by how innocent and sweet she seemed, I had no idea how she had survived any of it.She had to have strength under all of the innocence and frailty I could see, or else there was no way she’d be there in that moment.

I admired her already, but more than that I felt this overwhelming need to take care of her and keep her safe. I guessed I was picking up from the vibes Ash and Eli were throwing out, both of them clearly worried sick and doing all they could to look after her. Whatever it was, I was no longer worried about her coming into our home and changing things. No. Now my only worry was for her, and whether we could all be what she needed to help her come through whatever came next for her.

I told myself that was because of Asher and Eli. They were my brothers and they clearly cared very much for their sister, so I was obviously determined to do all I could to help them look out for her, but deep down I knew the truth. It was so much more than that. This woman had called to me, deep in my soul. I may not know why or what it meant, but I was sure she was important to me after just one short, awkward meeting. It made no sense, and yet I couldn’t ignore the feelings within me. They refused to be ignored.

ADDY

The same words were running through my head continuously as I sat there on that tall stool, clutching the corner of Asher’s shirt like it would some how stop me from breaking completely.‘I can’t do this. Coming here was a huge mistake.’

I tried to remain calm and, on the outside at least, I was sure I was doing a pretty decent job of hiding the meltdown taking place inside.

The crux of it all was fear. It had consumed me the minute we walked into the kitchen and I laid eyes on the two strange guys who were watching me with curiosity, but also kind, gentle smiles. They were in no way intimidating, and yet I was so very intimidated. It felt like being in the room with them was stopping me from getting a full breath in. My hands were shaking and the familiar tingling in my fingers and toes assured me more panic was building within me.

I trusted Eli and Asher enough to feel safe between them, yet that didn’t seem to be enough to reassure me of any feeling of safety around these two strange men.

Adam was the most physically intimidating. He was huge, standing a little taller than Asher, which was shocking enough, but his muscles! He was stacked with muscle on muscle, his biceps bulging under the snug fitting henley he wore. His jeans were hugging hugely wide thighs, and as he worked to set out dishes of food, I saw the way the muscles in his forearms flexed and just the sheer size of his wide, powerful hands. He could crush me in just one of those hands, I was sure, and that realization terrified me.

“It’s a chicken casserole,” Adam said, startling me from the terror I was drowning in. I snapped my eyes up to his face and locked my gaze on his intense, deep brown eyes. He wasn’t just watching me waiting for an answer – no, he seemed to be staring right into me and seeing everything I didn’t want anyone to see. He was definitely a handsome guy, with a strong jaw, covered in a perfectly groomed layer of stubble. His skin tone was dark, darker even than mine. His hair was short, shorn close to his scalp, the dark brown, almost black strands curling just a little. “Is that okay? Do you eat meat?” he asked when I didn’t replyand instead just sat staring at him, no doubt looking very much like a deer caught in headlights.

“We should have checked,” Jordan cut in, and I turned to where he was taking a seat, kitty corner to Asher, at the huge island in the center of the enormous kitchen. I jolted when I realized how close he was and leaned over, even further into Eli, not daring to relinquish my grip on Asher either. Eli placed his hand on my forearm and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze.

I tried to force a breath into my oxygen starved lungs and looked back to Jordan. He was shorter than his brother by a few inches and no where near as built, but he still set me on edge. He was trim at the waist, but I could still see he was toned and muscled, in the shorts and close fitting t-shirt he wore. Even if he were less scary than his brother, he could still hurt me if he wanted to. I wouldn’t stand a chance against him and I knew it.

It was like all of my senses were on high alert, and every detail I noticed only increased the overriding fear inside of me that these two strangers could, and would hurt me. No amount of calm or logic that I fought to process would over take the fear. I had never known terror like it, even in my worst moments of panic attacks and abuse from my mother growing up. It was consuming me and I was powerless to get a grip.

“We could make something else? What do you like to eat?” Jordan asked. I dragged my eyes up from where I had been studying his expansive, strong hands, which clutched the beer bottle he held, and up to his eyes again.

His eyes were so much like his brothers, wide and deep, dark brown, but in the light, from overhead, I saw flecks of amber in them too. His face was softer than Adam’s, but still incredibly handsome. He was clean shaven and his hair was longer on top,and styled neatly. He was definitely the more preppy of the two, and I wondered how two men who looked so alike could be so very opposite. Where Jordan seemed all smiles and light, Adam seemed intense and dark.

“Addy? Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?” Asher asked me, startling me again. I jolted, then looked up to where he towered over me, even as we sat.

“I…I…” My voice was hoarse and shook so badly I could barely get the words out. “I’m t-tired,” I stuttered, keeping my peripheral on Adam and Jordan, too terrified to let them out of my sight.

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