Page 214 of Bound By Her

After a moment, she realized it wasn’t the water, but breathing. Soft inhales and exhales moved past her ear. A heaviness on her chest pulled her out from the recesses of her mind.

Radiating warmth spread into her limbs, and the darkness moved away. The room swam back into focus.

Bryson’s face was inches from hers, and his body pressing on top of her. He said something, but she couldn’t make it out. The pressure on her wrists was released, and she absentmindedly rotated her hands.

A warm object was pressed into her palm, and Adria gripped it. It was smooth and contoured, and her hand gripped it easily.

She knew this object. It was hers.

“I’ve never begged anyone for anything, ever.”

Bryson’s voice pierced through the silence, filled with a mixture of concern and pain. “I thought these last few months were going to be hell. The worst of our lives. I never even considered an alternative.”

His hand wrapped around her forearm, sending a wave of warmth through her body, raising her hand towards him. “We—I—have never felt so safe and secure. You did that for us.”

“For me.”

Bringing her hand closer to him, she saw the dagger. She was holding it. Her fingers were white from gripping the hilt. Bringing her hand closer, he pressed the blade into his own neck.

The room held its breath, as if acknowledging the gravity of the connection forged in darkness.

“I wanted to hate you. But no matter how much I tried I just couldn’t. Adria, we want to help you, to repay you.”

Her hand trembled on the blade’s hilt. She believed his words, believed that he wanted to help, but what he didn’t understand. What he couldn’t understand. Was that the three of them had already done enough. They had touched places in her that she didn’t even know existed.

“Send us to your buyer and know that no matter what happens tomorrow or the next day, we will always be there for you,” Bryson said, finishing his declaration by bringing his hand up and kissing his ring.

Adria saw Kaydon and Seth nod.

Letting her go, Bryson raised both his hands in surrender. Her hand and knife still at his throat. Both Seth and Kaydon sinking to their knees, eyes down.

Her grip shook against the hilt of the knife. An anger growing inside her. She hated that she had let herself be vulnerable with them.

But, they hadn’t hurt her. They could have, but they didn’t.

“You three are fucking idiots,” she said, not recognizing her own voice.

“Right now, we are your idiots,” Bryson said, staring back at her.

He had given her the knife, so why did she feel like he had all the power?

“We are yours, Dri, accept it, use us. Let us help you,” Kaydon said.

“So, if I tell the three of you to leave my sight, you will?”

Hurt crossed their faces, but all three nodded.

“We will do whatever you want,” Bryson said.

Except they wouldn’t.

She knew that.

The three of them were doing what they felt was best for her. Deciding her actions, like she wasn’t capable of choosing on her own. Like she didn’t know what she needed or wanted, and instead needed three irresponsible hot heads to decide for her.

Adria sat up, pushing the blade into Bryson’s neck. She enjoyed the flash of fear in his eyes as he backed up, following her pressure.

“Undress and kneel at the foot of the bed.”

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