Page 75 of Shattered Souls
She glares murderously at me, and something loosens in my chest at that spark of fire in her eyes.There’s my girl.
“What if he’s—” Her eyes are wide as saucers, skin sickly pale as she shakes her head. “I can’t let him?—”
I squeeze her hand, capturing her attention. “If Bertram has Aurora, he’s using her to get to you. I don’t think he’d… touch her.”
Her eyes bore into mine, and I can tell she’s not entirely there. That a part of her mind is elsewhere—on the past, on the possibilities. “She’s too young for him,” I say softly, watching as those words sink in and she finally relaxes—marginally.
“She still shouldn’t be alone with him.” Her voice is so tiny, almost defeated, as she sags against the pillows.
“We’ll get her away from him, Tempest,” I promise her. “But we can’t do anything until you explain everything to me,” I tell her. She nods slowly, sitting stiffly in the bed as she stares at me with an absent look that I absolutely detest. “Bertram was on campus…” I start her off.
She nods, wincing when the movement causes her pain. “H-he was in my advisor meeting.” That fucking bastard. “Afterward, he caught up to me.” Her gaze lowers to her wrist sitting in her lap. I’d noticed the redness and bloom of fresh bruises, but I’d assumed she landed on it awkwardly when we hit the ground. However, now that I look closer, I see the distinct impression of fingerprints.That fucking bastard!I’ll kill him for laying a hand on her.
Her lower lip trembles and her voice begins to shake. “H-he said every day I defy him, he’ll punish her.” Tear-stained eyes lift to mine. “That either I come to him or she has t-to fill my shoes.” Big fat tears spill over, streaming down her cheeks.
“Grayson,” she sobs, keeling over as though she no longer has the energy to remain upright. Her shoulder falls into my chest, her face burying into the crook of my neck, and I hold her like I’m the only thing keeping her together. “What am I going to do?He has her.” Her entire body shakes with the force of her sobs. “He has my little girl. He’s had her this entire time! What if he destroys her just like he did me?”
Murderous rampage blazes through my veins.
Fuck going after the driver of that damn car, I’m going tomurdermy father. My teeth grind so forcefully that I’m shocked I don’t crack a tooth, and it’s only the blatant fear in Riley’s eyes, the trembling of her shoulders, that stops me from marching out of here in search of my shitstain of a sperm donor.
My mind whirs, trying to put the pieces together and figure out what we missed, how he could have had her this whole time, and we had no idea. We didn’t even know he knew of her existence!
“I willneverlet that happen, Tempest,” I vow, my voice a dark and violent rasp. “Wewill never let that happen.”
Cradling her head in my hands, I lift her face to mine. Despite the storm raging inside me, my gaze holds steady on hers. Unwavering. Confident. Sure.
“He did not destroy you, and we won’t give him the opportunity totouchher.”
“How?” Her voice is hoarse. Broken. “How can we stop him? If I don’t do what he wants?—”
“You arenotgiving yourself to him. You know that’s not the right thing to do. It’s why you didn’t go with him there and then.”
“Whatthen?” she cries. “What are we going to do to get her away from him?”
I tighten my hands around her face to get her attention and implore her with my eyes. “Trust me. Trustus.”
She holds my gaze, and I can see the hope buried in her fear. She wants to believe me, but life experience has taught her not to have such expectations.
Well, fuck life! I’ll show her that her past experience has no bearing on her future. Everyone has let her down, but not any longer. Logan and Royce have been working to show her she can depend on them, and slowly but surely, she’s been opening up. Leaning on them. Trusting them.
But I want her to lean on me, too. Trust me, too.
“We will do whatever it takes to get her away from him. I swear it to you, Tempest.”
Her throat bobs, the brown and green swirl of her hazel eyes holding me captive. I can see her desire to believe in what I’m saying, but she’s not quite there yet, and that’s okay. I’ll prove to her that she is right to put her faith in me.
She sniffles, wiping at the tear tracks beneath her eyes. “Why do you call me that?” she asks after a moment.
Her question hangs in the air between us as I take her in, trying to find the right words. I could give her a dismissive explanation. Something vague and insignificant, but I can’t keep holding her at arm’s length. I need to let her in if I want any hope of a future with this woman. I need to be vulnerable with her, even if it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
She deserves the truth. The raw, unfiltered truth.
“Tempest,” I begin, my voice low and steady, “because you’re a storm. You’ve been through so much, more than anyone should have to endure, yet here you are, standing tall. You’ve faced trauma and pain head-on, and you’ve survived. But it’s more than that.”
I pause, gathering my thoughts and feeling the intensity of the moment. “You stand up to me, Riley. You don’t let me get away with anything. You call me out, argue with me, and you never back down. You give me hell, and I respect you so muchfor it. You’re fierce, and you fight for what you believe in, for the people you love. You don’t let anyone, not even me, push you around.”
I can see the emotions swirling in her eyes, which spurs me on. “You’re my tempest because you’ve shaken up my world. You’ve made me confront parts of myself I didn’t want to face. You’ve challenged me and made me better. And through all of it, you’ve shown me what real strength looks like. You’ve shown me that it’s okay to be vulnerable, to let someone in.”
