Page 118 of Heir

And there was just something so fragile about her now.

I nodded. “All right. I’ll take you home.”

“And you’ll h-hold me?”

“I will hold you so tightly, no one will make me let go. Any bastard who tries will be a dead bastard.”

She took a deep breath, as if my words comforted her, and nodded.

I squeezed her to me once more before letting her return to her seat. Then I made the short drive home.

19

KAI

Gemma wasnaked and tied to the bed.

After we got home, I made her a quick dinner by heating up the leftover lasagna from the night before.

I fed her most of the meal, and I thought I would need to start doing that now because, as drained as she had been, I had never seen her eat so much on her plate.

After that, we took a quick shower together and went to bed.

I tied her up because I needed some control.

I needed to reassure myself that she was safe and right here with me and wasn’t going anywhere.

She seemed to have taken comfort in that as well.

I sat on the bed with Gemma sound asleep next to me.

The covers had fallen a little and there was a hint of pretty pink nipples showing through every time she breathed in and out.

I didn’t know how long I stayed like this, watching her, but it was long enough that my back muscles were getting sore.

I rubbed my eyes.

I should probably try to get some sleep.

I didn’t think I could, though.

Not yet.

I grabbed the laptop on the nightstand.

Then I did what I should have done when I’d first looked into Gemma.

I searched for her on the dark web.

* * *

Holy.Shit.

Quietly, I climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweats before grabbing my laptop and making my way out to the living room.

The streetlights outside my apartment twinkled, and I didn’t bother to turn on the lights.

I called Dad.

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