Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
“If we have to kidnap you, we will.” Jack grimaced as soon as he said the words and Maggie tensed.
“He doesn’t mean it like that,” Jameson said quickly, worried she would start to panic. “Did your uncle tell you about the old traditions here? About a Marjarsom?”
“How men would take a bride and keep her for twenty-one days so they could convince her to marry them?” she asked.
“That’s right. That’s all Jack meant,” Jameson told her.
“We would never do anything you don’t want,” Ian told her. “Not ever, Little girl.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” Jack told her. “I just can’t have you away from me. Not ever again. And I’m going to use anything I can to tie you to me.”
“You don’t have to,” she said. “I want to be tied to you as well. All of you.”
Hope filled him. But he knew he still had a long way to go to get her to really want to be with him. To show her how much she meant to him.
But he would do it. He had to.
52
Maggie was exhausted.
But at least she was no longer in pain. Jameson had given her something for that. He’d examined her just enough to make sure that she didn’t have to go to the hospital. He’d touched her with such care and reverence, trying to be as gentle as possible.
As though he was worried she might break.
He should worry. She could feel herself starting to shatter. She’d made it through the interview with Caleb and the police. Jack, Ian, and Jameson had stayed with her.
Jack had paced back and forth while she’d sat tucked up against Ian.
The trickiest part of the conversation was about her rescuer. Everyone was confused about who she was. Maggie gave them a description, but it wasn’t much to go on.
Maggie was glad she didn’t have many more details as she had the feeling the other woman didn’t want to be found just yet.
But after promising to work with a sketch artist to describe the Nureel and Rufus, they’d all left.
And now she was alone with her men.
Well, and Jameson, who was still frowning.
“Come on, Little girl,” Ian said quietly. “We need to get you cleaned up and into bed.”
“I want to do a better check on her ribs,” Jameson said as Ian lifted her, carrying her upstairs.
Ian lifted her carefully, carrying her upstairs to the bathroom where Jack was already stripping off, not seeming to care who saw him naked. Then he turned on the shower.
She let out a whimper as Ian set her down on the counter so he could strip her.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Ian asked, his voice sounding raw.
“I just . . . I don’t know. I guess I don’t want you to see me while I’m like this.”
He cupped her face between his hands after a beat of silence. “You listen to me. You are beautiful, do you understand me? No matter what has happened, you will always be beautiful. My sweet, gorgeous girl.”
“Ours,” Jack said from behind her. “You’re our girl. And we’re going to keep you. And nothing could ever make us not want you.”
She let out a small sob of relief.
Ian and Jack gently stripped her before Jack stepped into the shower with her, followed by Ian. Thank God it was such a large shower.
Ian held her carefully while Jack gently ran a cloth over her, washing her. There was nothing sexual in their touch. Just care.
It was just what she needed. Tears ran down her cheeks as she held her face up under the water.
When they were done, Ian climbed out and dried off. Jack carried her out of the shower and Ian got her dry. Ian placed kisses on each of her bruises as Jack carefully dressed her in one of Ian’s T-shirts and a pair of her own knickers.
Once they were ready, Jack carried her out into the bedroom, where Jameson waited. He had an IV hooked up, ready to go.
“Where did you get that?” she asked as Ian sat on the bed, his back against the headboard, her hairbrush in his hand. Jack settled her between his legs and Ian started brushing her hair. It was tangled and awful but he was patient.
“I had it delivered. I’m sorry about this, precious girl,” Jameson said. “But you’re very dehydrated and it’s worrying me.”
“It’s all right.”
Jack held her free hand and she turned her head away at the prick of the needle. A small whimper escaped her and Jameson started apologizing.
Turning back, she gave him a surprised look. “It’s all right, Jameson.”
Why was he apologizing so much?
He looked almost traumatized. All of them did. And it was then that Maggie realized that she wasn’t the only one who had suffered.
“I’m all right, guys. A bit bruised and broken, but I’ll be all right.”