Page 35 of Heal Me

I’ve never seen him like this. The anger in his eyes is menacing, the threat in his voice so brutal I forget about the huddling girl for a moment. Gulping, I nod my understanding. I don’t think I’d dare to bang my head against the wall even if I thought it would actually kill me before he could stop me.

The world flashes before me as Dorin turns and stalks across the hall, growling, “No one hurts what’s mine.”

Dizziness has me shuffling to stay upright, the hook catching me as I’m about to fall forward. I fall back against the wall and watch the blurry silhouette of Dorin’s figure lean down toward the scared girl. I want to scream, but I’m stuck—frozen in place, hyperventilating, and so weak I can barely give voice to any sound.

A jolt of pins and needles has me gasping as a sharp voice cuts through the hall.

“Stop!” someone demands, the sound of hard heels echoing against the walls as someone approaches.

Turning my head, I see a tall figure stop a few feet from Dorin. My vision finally clears, and I see a sleek, controlled man with sharp features and a trimmed beard, dressed in a black silk shirt and dress pants. He oozes a kind of quiet, deadly power that has me shuddering as he says with powerful authority, “Don’t touch her.”

To my surprise, Dorin pauses. “She made my girl cry.”

My eyes fly down to his hand fisted in the girl’s hair and to her frightened eyes. The vision snaps me out of the haze. “She didn’t. She didn’t make me cry.” I jerk against the straitjacket, needing to get to her—to stop Dorin, to comfort her. But the hook holds me in place, and neither man casts me a single glance.

The sleek man, who seems to be the one in charge, makes a call on his phone and fires off a few quick words. “Cell one, now. It’s your girl.” Then he’s off the phone again, pointing a warningfinger at Dorin. “You’d better not put a single scratch on her. She’s Dax’s girl, and you know the deal.”

Dax.The name swirls in my brain, wanting me to remember something. I can’t figure out what before a new voice breaks into the space.

“Get the fuck off her!”

It’s the long-haired man, who came into the medical room the first time Dorin gave me electrotherapy. His eyes are as murderous as Dorin’s, and a new type of urgency has me pulling to get free as he goes straight for Dorin, fist raised into the air.

Just before he can strike, Dorin releases the cowering girl and steps aside.

The man, who must be Dax, shifts disposition so quickly that it nearly gives me whiplash as he lowers his fist and sinks to the ground, hugging the girl with the muzzle. That’s when I remember. Her tattoo. DAX001. She belongs to him.

At first, the thought makes horror wash through me, knowing that she’s stuck with someone as cruel as this man must be since he’s part of this place. But as I watch Dax hold her, checking if she’s okay, asking if Dorin hurt her, it’s clear he cares deeply for her. I remember the almost peaceful look on her face when she showed me the tattoo—the anger when I thought it was a product of abuse. I have no idea how this man got her to want him or what illicit methods he used, and as I watch her sink into him, I think it doesn’t matter. Despite the brutal nature of this place, she’s in a much better place than I’ve been for years, protected and cared for, safe from other men and their brutal intentions.

I flinch as Dorin returns to me. I expect his face to remain icy with menacing fury, but as I chance a glance up at him, his features are back to the usual impassive expression. He grabs my face again, this time gently, and studies it.

“Are you okay? What did she do to upset you.”

“No-nothing,”I stammer, the shaking in my body seeping into my voice.

He detaches the straitjacket from the wall and watches me with inspecting eyes as he sweeps my hair off my shoulder, checking my neck, my head, and my face. My world rattles as he cradles my face between two strong hands and bends his knees to come to my level as he searches my eyes. His expression remains stiff and hard, but deep within his cold gaze, there’s a fierce protectiveness that makes me want to crumble and sink into him. I can’t, though.

Averting my gaze, I tighten my muscles as I struggle to shut him out. When he brushes his knuckles over my cheek, I nearly break. It hurts to reject him like this, but I need to withstand his warped care. No matter how badly I want it. Because I know nothing good will come of it. No matter how obsessed or possessive he is, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s going to sell me in the end.

23

DORIN

“She needs to be punished,” I demand as I turn away from Lavinia, aiming my attention at Dax’s girl. “By me.” I unclip my baton from my belt, itching to use it on that little bitch for makingmygirl cry.Fucking Dax, letting his sub scurry the halls and do whatever she pleases. I want to punish Dax too for being so reckless, but I know that’s not going to happen, so teaching that little bitch a lesson will have to do.

Dax darts off the floor. “The hell she does.” He’s coming straight for me again, but Mikhail steps in, stopping him with a hand on his chest. I grind my teeth in frustration. I would have loved to slam my fist into Dax’s face.

“What happened here?” Mikhail demands, always meddling in other people’s business.

Tightening my fist around my baton, I point at the bitch cowering against the wall. “She bothered my girl. Made her cry.”

“Why was she here in the first place?” Mikhail asks.

“To harass my girl.”

“Dax?” Mikhail ignores my answer and turns to Dax instead. I damn near take the moment to rush across the hall and wield the punishment that needs to be doled out.

“If Dorin didn’t bring her here, I have no clue.” Dax turns to his girl before I can go through with it, which is probably a good thing. I need this place, and as much as Mikhail toleratesmy occasional fuck-up, this clearly would be crossing a hard line. “Did you walk off?” Dax asks her.

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