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And it wasn’t that she was afraid of him No, she knew instinctively, even as she was shrouded in fear over what had already happened to her, that this ry didn’t even begin to describe what she saw in his eyes And he absolutely looked capable of killing so to tell him, because she feared not him, but what he’d do

"Josie, answer h his teeth "Who Did This To You"

He wasn’t going to allow her not to tell hih she didn’t fear reprisal, she knew she absolutely had to obey him He wouldn’t allow her to duck the question She firht, do whatever it took to get what he wanted

She closed her eyes and exhaled in a long, weary sigh, her shoulders sagging in defeat

"Michael," she whispered, her voice so low she could barely hear it herself Maybe she hadn’t even really voiced it

"Say that again?"

The words whipped froh force that she felt thelance up and immediately flinched at the look on his face It wasterrifying

"You heard," she whispered in only a slightly louder voice

"You’re telling me that motherfucker put those bruises on your face? That he split your lip?"

He advanced and she rapidly took a step backward, which only seemed to piss hi to hurt you! I’ll never fucking hurt you"

The words were explosive Not exactly soothing and yet she took comfort in the vehemence hich he made the vow So much so that she took a step back toward him so they now only stood a foot apart

His entire body still vibrated with rage His green eyes were nearly black, the green just a thin ring around the dilated pupils And then he raised his hands, slowly, as if he feared frightening her He cupped her face in his palentle, and she didn’t kno he could possibly pull that off when the rest of his body was taut with fury and his expression was so black

But that touch was so exquisitely tender that she literally h her face was still painful to touch several days after the incident He brushed his fingers over the bruise and then traced the split at her lip, so lightly that she nearly didn’t feel it

"I’ll kill him"

Ash’s voice was absolute The resolution in his voice made her blood chill in her veins because she believed him In thistheaccelerated as panic shot down into her belly

"No! Ash, please Just let it go This is why I didn’t want to tell you Why I haven’t called"

She would have said er over the uninjured part of her o?"

His tone was deadly

"You want o when that motherfucker put his hands on you? What the fuck happened, Josie, and I want every godda left out I want to knohen this happened I want to kno many times he hit you And above all, I want to knohy the hell you didn’t immediately come to me or call me, the instant this happened"

Her ed hisroo toward the open archway to her bedroo you toin with me"

"Wait What? Ash, I can’t--"

"This isn’t negotiable, Josie" His eye glittered with purpose and his stance was rigid, brooking no coo into your bedroo to sit on the bed and tell o over what you have to have or want e for soht over But e have this conversation about that son of a bitch--and we are having that conversation--it’s going to be in a place where you feel absolutely safe A place where you know no harm will come to you That’s in stone"

Her mouth dropped open even farther, but even amid the utter shock of his procla relief The decision had been wrested from her hands, and at theAsh seeht be like Michael or that she would be entering an even worse situation than the one she’d just cos," she whispered

There was a sudden fire in his eyes Satisfaction over her capitulation Maybe he’d expected her to fight it h she could see he had no intention of backing down

"Didn’t say you couldn’t pack What I said was that you’re going to sit on your bed while I do this for you All I need froht and maybe tomorrow The rest will be taken care of after you and I have talked later tonight"

Wow Okay This was otten off an insane roller-coaster ride and was still trying to gain her bearings

He held out his hand to her, notit on his own He si for her to accept To take his hand and to enter his world

Taking a deep breath, she reached out, sliding her palently in his hand and then squeezed, holding fir an unbreakable bond between theently toward her bedroo hie of the bed as if she were incredibly fragile So precious and breakable

He backed away and did a quick survey

"Do you have an overnight bag?"

"In the closet," she said huskily