Page 160 of Renard's Deliverance

But then what did she expect? She’d been kidnapped, beaten, she hadn’t had a shower in ages or done her hair and makeup.

“I need my makeup.”

“Baby, you don’t. You are gorgeous. God, I thought I had lost you. I didn’t know where you were. Only that he’d taken you. And we didn’t know what his intentions were.”

“Mrs. G?” she asked.

Shit. Why had it taken her so long to ask? She hadn’t been able to leave the older woman behind to go get help. So she’d shaken her awake and dragged her out of the cabin. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d managed to get them to a road and thankfully, some kind strangers had stopped.

Kind, shocked strangers who had taken in their bruised faces and bound hands and looked like they were about to vomit.

“She’s all right,” he reassured her. “She’s in the hospital, too. She was a bit disorientated but she remained conscious for longer than you. She told us what happened and Jake and Duncan went to the cabin to arrest Barney.”

Right.

Barney was behind bars and he wasn’t getting out.

She was safe.

“That bastard had a camera in my bedroom . . . he watched me.” She swallowed heavily. “I’m gonna be sick.”

“Listen to me.” He gently cupped the side of her face, staring intently into her eyes. “Do not think of any of that. You have to concentrate on healing, on getting better. But, trust me, no one is getting close to you. I am going to protect you. I will keep you safe. Hear me?”

“Why do bad things keep happening to me?” she whispered. “Is it something I did? Is it payback?”

Was it karma?

Was this her punishment for what she’d done years ago?

It had to be, right?

“Fuck no. It is not payback. And the time for bad things in your life to stop has come. From now on, there’s only good. Got me?”

He looked so fierce and certain that she nodded.

But she wasn’t certain that was true at all.

34

Opal woke up with a gasp, staring around in fear.

Where was he?

Had he heard her wake up? Was he coming again?

“Opal?”

She screamed and shied back, groaning in pain.

Fucking shit.

“Baby, hell. Are you all right? Did I scare you? Fucking fucking fuck shit.”

To her surprise, she felt like laughing.

“What is it?” Renard asked.

“Nothing. You’re just speaking my language. Ow. Why did that hurt so much?”

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