they only got tighter, pulling me against the chest. His words started to sink in, and I pulled my head back, looking to make sure it wasn’t Rico attacking me. When I saw Tag’s face, I collapsed against him and cried harder than I ever had in my life.
He sunk to the floor with me, spreading his legs open and pulling me between them, nestling my head against his chest. He seemed to gently rock me back and forth, my swollen cheek feeling the movement against the soft cotton of his T-shirt. All of my strength had left me; I was too tired to move. My tears were soaking his shirt, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was staying put, in his arms, and letting out my anguish.
Chapter 11
It was a few weeks after the attack, and while the bruises on her face were practically healed, my anger wasn’t anywhere near. I had injured Rico beyond Roman’s medical team’s ability on the yacht, so he had to be sent to the nearest hospital, with a made-up tale that he’d been attacked in a dark alley. I told Roman the truth should be known, that he was beaten to near death for attacking a woman, but Roman vehemently opposed. He said he didn’t want any law enforcement involved, that this was how it was to be.
Of course, I didn’t argue.
That wasn’t to say I didn’t hold Roman partly responsible either. Penny hit the nail on the head when she said he was. If he’d only come to me with his plan about Penny before kidnapping her, I could have saved her from the anguish and torture she’d been subjected to the past two months. Maybe Roman would listen to me better now that Rico wasn’t available.
I prayed he’d be permanently unavailable.
“Tag?”
I looked over to the girl next to me on the lounge chair on the upper deck of the yacht. Ever since the attack, Roman had been very accommodating to her, letting her go outside whenever she wanted and allowing her to have a television and Netflix, just nothing that would clue her in to the outside world. Of course, she never went anywhere without me, which I was grateful for. There were still quite a few men on the boat, but luckily none as slimy and evil as Rico.
“What’s up?” I asked her.
“I can’t reach the middle of my back. Would you mind rubbing some sunscreen there?” Her eyes lowered demurely as though she was embarrassed to ask. She was so damn cute; I loved how shy she still could be. We had grown closer the past few weeks. The attack had really made her see how much danger she was in, which in turn made her trust me more. So while I seethed at what happened to her, I was grateful she trusted me.
Smiling at her, I held my hand out for her to give me the bottle. “No problem.”
She handed me the bottle and settled on her stomach. The sun was beating down on us, so I was glad she’d asked me to help. I moved over to sit on the edge of her chair and poured some of the freezing cold lotion on my hands. I was about to rub it on her back when a thought hit me.
Grinning a huge grin she couldn’t see since she was on her stomach, I lifted the sunblock bottle and pointed it to her back. Not thinking twice, I squeezed it so a large amount of the lotion hit her square on her back, making her jolt up and scream.
“AAAAAHHHHHHH!” she cried, turning around to face me. “Why did you do that?”
I couldn’t stop the deep laughter from escaping my throat. The look of utter shock on her face was priceless. I dropped the bottle on the ground and leaned over, unable to stop laughing.
I felt her shift on the chair and looked up, laughing even harder at the annoyed look on her face. She folded her arms across her chest and pouted. It was adorable.
“Hey, now,” I said between laughs. “You really can’t blame me here. I mean, your back was begging for it, just being there right in front of me, waiting for the lotion. I couldn’t resist.”
Her pout got more pronounced, which made me stop laughing. She was actually pissed, which I
He sunk to the floor with me, spreading his legs open and pulling me between them, nestling my head against his chest. He seemed to gently rock me back and forth, my swollen cheek feeling the movement against the soft cotton of his T-shirt. All of my strength had left me; I was too tired to move. My tears were soaking his shirt, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was staying put, in his arms, and letting out my anguish.
Chapter 11
It was a few weeks after the attack, and while the bruises on her face were practically healed, my anger wasn’t anywhere near. I had injured Rico beyond Roman’s medical team’s ability on the yacht, so he had to be sent to the nearest hospital, with a made-up tale that he’d been attacked in a dark alley. I told Roman the truth should be known, that he was beaten to near death for attacking a woman, but Roman vehemently opposed. He said he didn’t want any law enforcement involved, that this was how it was to be.
Of course, I didn’t argue.
That wasn’t to say I didn’t hold Roman partly responsible either. Penny hit the nail on the head when she said he was. If he’d only come to me with his plan about Penny before kidnapping her, I could have saved her from the anguish and torture she’d been subjected to the past two months. Maybe Roman would listen to me better now that Rico wasn’t available.
I prayed he’d be permanently unavailable.
“Tag?”
I looked over to the girl next to me on the lounge chair on the upper deck of the yacht. Ever since the attack, Roman had been very accommodating to her, letting her go outside whenever she wanted and allowing her to have a television and Netflix, just nothing that would clue her in to the outside world. Of course, she never went anywhere without me, which I was grateful for. There were still quite a few men on the boat, but luckily none as slimy and evil as Rico.
“What’s up?” I asked her.
“I can’t reach the middle of my back. Would you mind rubbing some sunscreen there?” Her eyes lowered demurely as though she was embarrassed to ask. She was so damn cute; I loved how shy she still could be. We had grown closer the past few weeks. The attack had really made her see how much danger she was in, which in turn made her trust me more. So while I seethed at what happened to her, I was grateful she trusted me.
Smiling at her, I held my hand out for her to give me the bottle. “No problem.”
She handed me the bottle and settled on her stomach. The sun was beating down on us, so I was glad she’d asked me to help. I moved over to sit on the edge of her chair and poured some of the freezing cold lotion on my hands. I was about to rub it on her back when a thought hit me.
Grinning a huge grin she couldn’t see since she was on her stomach, I lifted the sunblock bottle and pointed it to her back. Not thinking twice, I squeezed it so a large amount of the lotion hit her square on her back, making her jolt up and scream.
“AAAAAHHHHHHH!” she cried, turning around to face me. “Why did you do that?”
I couldn’t stop the deep laughter from escaping my throat. The look of utter shock on her face was priceless. I dropped the bottle on the ground and leaned over, unable to stop laughing.
I felt her shift on the chair and looked up, laughing even harder at the annoyed look on her face. She folded her arms across her chest and pouted. It was adorable.
“Hey, now,” I said between laughs. “You really can’t blame me here. I mean, your back was begging for it, just being there right in front of me, waiting for the lotion. I couldn’t resist.”
Her pout got more pronounced, which made me stop laughing. She was actually pissed, which I
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