“We will be back tomorrow morning for training,” the doctor said calmly, his tense body betraying him. “You’d better be ready and willing to cooperate when we come, otherwise you’ll lose your little girlfriend.” His eyes looked over Tyler’s shoulder to her. “Good luck.”
Missy practically choked on the pity she saw in his eyes before one of the other men closed the door. They thought she was a goner, and yet were willingly leaving her in the room with an unstable man. She couldn’t believe it. How many times in her life would she have to face the heartless depravity of men?
The sound of the automatic lock filled the silent room. Tyler turned then, walking toward her with purposeful strides. Missy would have backed up further if she hadn’t already been plastered to the wall. Her mind couldn’t seem to decide if she was scared of him or not. When he reached her, his large hand closed on one shoulder gently, then forced her body to turn so she faced the wall.
Missy had closed her eyes at some point, unknowingly. They popped open as soon as she felt him tug her shirt up around her shoulders, his other hand tugging at her pants. She squeezed her eyes shut, a small whimper escaping her lips. Tyler seemed to freeze behind her, still holding her clothing in an awkward position.
He let her shirt drop, spinning her around again so fast her hands shot out to brace herself so she wouldn’t fall. Her palms landed on smooth, hard skin. Missy opened her eyes to stare at the wide chest in front of her, her hands flexing on his forearms, the soft dusting of hair tickling her skin. She looked up slowly.
Tyler stared down at her, his eyebrows lowered over eyes that shimmered with curiosity and what she thought might be concern. She really couldn’t be sure since it was hard to read anything in those endless pools of crystal green. They were so close, his body heat reaching out to wrap around her like a physical touch. Her body swayed, wanting nothing more but to burrow into him and beg him to keep her safe, to remember her, but she was frozen just the way she was.
He seemed to be searching her for something. His eyes never left hers, as if whatever answer he was looking for was hidden in her own gaze. He lifted one of his hands slowly, causing hers to drop away from him. He ran his thumb gently over her jawline, so lightly if she’d had her eyes closed then she would have thought it was just her imagination. There was something so overly cautious about the way he handled her and that instantly made her relax a small fraction.
“Who hurt you?” he asked, his brogue thick with emotion.
“What do you mean?” she said as innocently as possible.
His eyes narrowed even further. “Do not lie to me,” he said darkly. “Why do you flinch when men touch you? Are you a virgin?”
A surprised bubble of laughter spilled out of her mouth. Virgin. She wished. Although, she considered just saying yes to that if it got him off her case, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t believe her now. “No, I’m not a virgin,” she answered.
“Then who hurt you?”
Missy glanced away from his intense eyes to look at his chest instead. It was much safer that way. She really didn’t want to tell him, and would have considered just saying to forget it if she thought he actually would. This new Tyler was even more stubborn than her sister, and that was saying something. Or perhaps he’d always been like this, she considered. She really didn’t know much about him.
The problem was, she never really spoke about it. Like, ever. When she’d finally made her way home that day, she’d cried for hours before telling her sister and father what had happened, and then never said another word about it again. Not that she ever forgot it, obviously, but saying the words was just too difficult.
Telling Tyler would be harder than anyone else. Missy really didn’t want to see pity in his eyes. What if he gets disgusted by it? Her heart sank at the thought. It was clear Tyler was attracted to her, or at least thought she was his in some capacity. Maybe once he heard what had happened he wouldn’t want her anymore. That possibility actually hurt to contemplate.
God, she thought in surprise, I actually have a thing for Tyler. It was an honest to goodness, butterflies in her belly, palms sweaty, crush. Missy stilled at the realization. How long had it been since she allowed herself to like someone of the opposite sex? There had been no denying her attraction to him from the moment he’d arrived, but she’d been fighting it so much since then that she hadn’t noticed she was already too far gone. The big, scary Scotsman had somehow ensnared her and now she was going to ruin it by telling him her dirty, dark secret.
With the pad of his finger, he gently lifted her chin until she was looking at him again.
“I will not hurt you,” he said, mistaking her body’s reaction for fear instead of the colossal self-realization that it was.
The next two words broke free before she could even think about it. “I know,” she whispered hoarsely. And she did. Somehow she knew that even though he wasn’t quite the same Tyler anymore, he was still the guy who had followed her out of her house while she went shopping just to make sure she was safe. She had a suspicion he’d been looking out for her since the moment their eyes met for that brief moment on the first day he’d arrived.
Her mouth was dry when she went to explain herself, before he thought she was lying. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she honestly feared him. When he was angry he was a bit intimidating, but the more time she spent with him, watching him and his reactions, the more she knew he wasn’t nearly as violent as he appeared. At least not toward her. The technicians were another story.
“I was…” she started, drifting off as the moment came to actually vocalize her ordeal. Tyler seemed to understand without her actually saying the word “raped”.
“When?”
“A while ago,” she answered.
“Do you know who did it?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I saw them, but I didn’t know any of them. They were all soldiers.” Her voice grew softer as she saw the rage in his eyes intensify tenfold, until she was speaking in a whisper.
“Them?” he growled.
Missy nodded, looking away. She hated pity, which was why she didn’t tell people what had happened. The last thing she wanted to see on his face was that. His hand gently cupped her cheek, forcing her gaze back to him.
“How many?”
She licked at her lips, her mind going back to that awful afternoon. “Six, maybe,” she said. “It’s hard to remember. They beat me up pretty good before…anything happened.”
Tyler was breathing hard now, his jaw twitching every time he clenched his teeth.
“I’ve stayed away from men since then,” she continued for some reason, the words just spilling out now. “I get nervous around men who can use their strength against me. The feeling of being held down and unable to move or stop what’s happening to you is something I’ll never forget.”
Tyler took a step back, his face falling. Missy watched as he looked down at himself and she could practically see where his thoughts were going. He was measuring how much bigger and stronger he was than her. Here she was trying to assure him that he didn’t frighten her, and all she was doing was giving him more reasons to think the opposite.
Missy reached out and gripped his bicep, drawing his attention back to her. Swallowing, she let her hand stroke over his skin, up toward his shoulder. “Your size doesn’t scare me, Tyler,” she said. “At least, not anymore. I know I can trust you.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Were you scared of me?”
She nodded, deciding to be completely honest. “When I first met you, yes. You’re quite…large. But I’m not now. I know you won’t hurt me.”
“Then why did you freeze up when I turned you around?”
Emotion clogged her throat, making it difficult to speak. She took a moment to gather herself before answering. “They…” She cleared her throat as it caught on her words. “The soldiers all took me that way. I guess it just brought back bad memories.” She watched his eyes closely as he l
et her explanation roll around in his head. It always stung to have to admit the savage way they’d raped her. The memory of the pain was still something that could make her break out into a cold sweat. She remembered clearly how long it took for her to be able to sit comfortably after the damage they’d done. She also knew there was no away he’d actually ask. No one ever did.
They simply stared at each other until Tyler leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead, his lips pausing there. Missy closed her eyes, letting his nearness and touch comfort her. When he pulled back she instantly wanted to move closer to regain that connection. His words stopped her from moving though.
“I just wanted to see if they caused any damage to your back and legs,” he said, his voice surprisingly soft. The roll of his brogue was like a sweet caress as what he was saying sunk in. He’d just wanted to check on her, she thought, tears welling in her eyes. Even this new Tyler was bent on taking care of her.
Without speaking, because she really didn’t think she could at that moment, Missy turned to give him her back again, reaching down and pulling her shirt up so he could inspect her. The feeling of his rough palm on her skin made her breath catch. He kept his body close to hers, his heat hitting her bared back. She was tempted to let herself just fall into him, but she knew he was serious about making sure she wasn’t too injured. She doubted she was, although there would be bruises for sure.
A gasp escaped her when Tyler suddenly stepped forward, his chest meeting her back. His head dropped and he ran his nose slowly up her neck to that sensitive spot just below her ear.
“I will never let anyone hurt you again,” he said roughly into her ear. It was a vow, and she believed him. His hand landed on her hip in a possessive hold that would have normally sent her running. Not this time. Every muscle in her body relaxed, recognizing that she could trust him. She just had to find a way to make him remember who she was, and more importantly who he was. Then they had to get out of here and back to the house.
His hand slid slowly forward until it splayed on her stomach, the tip of his pinky resting just above the waist of her pants. Her breath hitched, her heart beating so fast she was sure he could hear it.
“What is your name?” he asked. That simple question crashed into her like a freight train. He’d already forgotten. It made her realize just how far she had to go before they had any sort of happy ending. Her blood cooled significantly. Turning in his arms, she looked up, her eyes pleading, willing him to remember.
“I’m Missy,” she said.
“Missy,” he repeated, his brows puckered thoughtfully. She waited as he seemed to let her name roll around in his head. “Do I know you?”
Tears burned the back of her throat and eyes. She nodded. He seemed so confused that it hurt her just to watch as he tried to come to terms with that. Her chest ached for him, only imagining how difficult that would be to find out you were missing memories. She reached a hand up and placed it along his jaw, the coarse hairs there prickling her skin. He was all man, and she loved that about him.
“You came to my house with your friends,” she said slowly, letting him absorb what she was saying. “McKay and his two brothers. And Seamus and Charlotte.” Nothing. His eyes showed no sign of recognition as she said their names. “My sister’s name is Phoenix. She always gave you a hard time.”
His expression furrowed more. “Why did she give me a hard time?”
Missy laughed, wiping at the tears that had snuck out. Tyler watched the wet trails with a look of regret that made her close her eyes for a moment just to erase it from her vision. It hurt her to see that he was suffering for not remembering her.
Without opening her eyes, she replied, “because I think she knew you had a thing for me, and she’s super protective.”
He grunted. Missy opened her eyes to look at him again. “She does need to protect you from me.”
She smiled gently. “I know that, and she probably does too. She just knows how I am around men…normally.”
One brow lifted in question. “Normally?”
Missy shrugged, looking over his shoulder at the white, blank wall. “If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t even let you stand this close to me, never mind touch me.”
Both of his hands gripped her hips this time. She looked back at him in surprise.
“You let me touch you.”
She nodded. “I do.”
He smiled then and she could see the old Tyler instantly. It nearly broke her heart. “Then you also have a thing for me?”
Her breath rushed out of her on a startled laugh. “I don’t know about that.”
His smiled widened. “You do. You are mine and you know it.”
Oh, I’m starting to, she thought, hope expanding in her chest. But she couldn’t really belong to someone who didn’t even know who she was. She needed to solve that problem before they could deal with their bigger issues.
“What do they give you Tyler?” she asked, changing the topic. “What are these treatments that make you stronger?”
He looked momentarily taken off guard by the swift change in subject, but recovered quickly. He took a small step back, letting his hands drop to his sides. “There is something in the food,” he said.
“The food? How do you know?”
He shrugged. “I can smell it. There is a chemical scent to the food they bring me.”
That was how they were administering the treatments? The blood drained from her face. God, she’d been delivering their dinners, never realizing what she was giving them.
“The man who used to be in the room beside mine realized this as well,” Tyler said. “He refused to eat the food until it smelled clean of anything.”
There was a possibility, Missy thought. “And what happened?”
His face darkened. “He starved to death. It was not pleasant.”
“Jesus,” she whispered in horror. “They just let him die like that?”
Tyler nodded. “He’d already been a couple of days into it when I was brought to this room. We spoke through the wall to each other. He didn’t last much longer than that. He wouldn’t even drink the water so it didn’t take long.”
Missy felt sick just thinking about it. What was wrong with these people? She looked up at Tyler. “Do you know why they brought you here? Have they ever said anything about what they’re training you for?”
“War,” he said simply. “They want us to attack some building and kill a man there. They’ve shown us all his picture.”
“Us who?” Missy asked.
“There is a group of us that they brought into a room,” he started but stilled, turning his head to the door slightly.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
“Someone is coming,” he said, moving in front of her. He walked back, forcing her to do the same, until her back met the wall, her front pressed against him. She couldn’t even see around his big body to see what was happening. A moment later she heard the slot in the door open and the scraping sound of a tray being pushed through. Dinner time, she thought, her stomach rolling.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Is it just me, or is it unusually quiet around here?” Seamus said, stretching out on the sofa. Charlotte looked up at him just as the front door burst open.
Sam, Vi and Pixie walked in, their voices blending into one another’s as they spoke excitedly. Seamus sighed loudly.
“I spoke too soon,” he muttered.
Charlotte smiled at him before focusing on the girls. She couldn’t make out what they were talking about, but they smelled like a fire pit.
“Where have you been?” Lake asked, walking in from the kitchen.
“Please tell me you aren’t cooking in there,” Seamus all but groaned.
“It’s almost lunch,” she said in reply, which translated to “yes”. Charlotte could practically see him cringe.
“I think I’m still full from breakfast,” he said.
Lakes brows came together in puzzlement. “You hardl
y ate at breakfast,” she argued.
Charlotte stood up before Seamus said anything else. She didn’t want him to hurt Lake’s feelings. She knew how hard the other girl tried at cooking. “What’s going on?” she asked the newcomers, shifting the other two’s attention.
“Phoenix got attacked by a group of soldiers,” Sam said.
Charlotte’s entire body froze. Seamus sat up instantly, his face a mask of rage. She saw Bridgette and Roman enter the room from the kitchen just as she sensed Pete’s presence. He came to stand behind her, his body just inches from hers.
“What do you mean she got attacked?” he demanded.
“Those assholes set her up,” Sam said, practically spitting out the words.
“Who? What assholes?” Bridgette asked.
“She was in an area we normally monitor,” she explained.
“Soldiers blocked off either end of the street,” Vi said angrily. Charlotte couldn’t remember ever seeing the purple haired girl so upset by something. “Usually the citizens there would help us, but they were all gone.”
Roman stepped closer, his face pensive. “Gone?” he asked.
Vi nodded. “All of them. Every single shop was closed down and empty. The whole damn place set her up, those assholes!”
“Jesus,” Charlotte said, sitting down. It was one thing to have soldiers after you, that was something they were used to, but to have their own people turn on them? Especially considering the Archers were the ones who tried to make things better for the people of the western ghetto. They were fighting to help everyone, to create a better life for them, and those same people they fought for had simply sold them out.
“Ludwig must have found a way to buy them,” Roman said. “He normally just ignores the lowers, but he seems to have changed up his game.” He looked to Charlotte. They were the only two people in the room who truly understood Ludwig.
“He’s getting smarter,” she said to him, the rest of the room fading out. “He’s always relied on the soldiers, but he’s finally realized where the real power lies.”
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