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I cocked my brows at her "Will you answer my question?"

She raised her eyes to ht now"

"You can’t or won’t?"

"I just can’t," she whispered

"Fine" I sed the luh I couldn’t iine her not in ht not want to be in it Without another word, I rubbed ether to make a lather "Turn around," I instructed

Slowly, she pivoted to where her back faced ently as I could, I reached my hands out to touch the broken and puckered skin where that bastard must have hit her with his belt I knew the look of the marks all too well from when my old man used to beat me when I was a kid She jumped the moment I touched her I don’t know if it was from the pain or fro over her shoulder at lance "That okay?"

"Yes Thank you"

I washed down her arot to her buttocks, I drew in a breath Although sex should have been the farthest thing fro the swell of her ass, the way the globes felt when I rubbed over the but sex Instead, I focused on hoas going to pick her attacker to pieces just as soon as I could get a moment alone with him

When I finished the backs of her legs, I stood up "Turn," I coain She obediently followed my instructions As if on autopilot, her ar theht, if you remember correctly"

Her cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head I groaned and ran a soapy hand through my hair "Shit, I’m sorry That was a bastardwhat all you’ve been through"

"It’s okay," she whispered

"No, it’s not It’s exactly why I wanted Ma this up and hurting you"

Her gaze jerked to mine "How many times do I have to say that it’s only you I want? I need you, Deacon I really do"

Cocking o you were acting like you were gonna bail on me and this outlaw life just as fast as you could"

Her dark eyes flashed with anger "Can you just for a row up in this world I’ot the shit beaten out of ht and almost raped I’ht need a minute or two to catch my breath"

My head jerked back like she had slapped ainst , No one fucking bosses me around Instead, I cut her a break and squirted the shampoo in my hands As I lathered up my hair, Alexandra took the body wash and poured soan to wash my arms and chest My hands stilled in my hair as I watched her work

In that moment, I knew I didn’t want her to leave It wasn’t just about feeling some bullshit need to protect her after what had happened It was deeper than that Little by little, she had chiseled away at my resolve not to ever care about another wo for ht