Owned by the Dom: Part Two (The Owners) (12 page)

He went and saw Lucas while he was waiting for Prudence to be finished. Lucas lay on the hospital bed eating chocolate and watching television. He turned the volume down as James entered.

“How are you doing?” James asked, staring at the bandaged leg.

“I’m doing great. It’s not the first time I’ve been shot.”

“Let’s hope it’s your last.”

Lucas chuckled. “I hope not. Where is the fun in that?”

“You’ll be living your life.” The words sobered both men up.

“At least you got your girl.”

James nodded. “You got to take out one man, Lucas.”

“Not the man I wanted. Daren, for all his talk and shit, was just a fucking minion. Henry is still out there, and the Feds won’t give me shit about him.” Lucas tightened his fist on the metal bars.

“It’s over now. They’ve got Henry
, and we’ve got a life back.”

“But I’ve got to live with knowing he’s out there.” Lucas stopped and stared past his shoulder. Melanie stood outside the door.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. I … erm, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

James raised an eyebrow at Lucas. The other man shooed him away. Sean stood talking with the doctors as he made his way back to the waiting area.

“Prudence is free to see you,” Sean said. “She should be free to travel tomorrow.”

“Make all the arrangements. I want Prudence back home in my home.”

He moved toward her room. His heart pounded inside his chest wondering how she’d feel about seeing him. Taking a deep breath he turned the corner and saw her.

Prudence lay on the hospital bed. Without all the makeup to cover her face the bruises stood out harshly against her pale skin. James stared at her from where he stood against the doorframe. She looked peaceful in sleep. No matter what he did, he’d never be able to rid his mind of the panic or fear on her face.

Her eyes opened with a start. James moved closer into the room as she looked like she was going to scream. “Don’t worry, I’m here,” he said, taking her hand within his.

“James?”

“That’s right. It’s me, baby.” He leaned down brushing her temple with his lips. Without the makeup he saw the harsh bruises on her face. The different shades of purple looked out of place on her skin.

****

“You came for me,” she said. She’d cried so much in the last few weeks. Prue thought she’d cried all of her tears. “I’m sorry.” She wiped under her eyes hoping he didn’t get annoyed with her tears.

“Don’t worry about it, baby. Cry, sob
, and weep. I’m here, and I’m not going away. I love you,” he said.

Sitting up, Prue pulled him in close squeezing him tightly.
“I didn’t think I was going to see you again,” she said.

“I wasn’t letting you go.” He stroked her hair
, each caress making her feel comforted. She’d thought being rescued and being in James’s arms had all been a dream. This wasn’t a dream but a reality.

Flicking the bedding off her, she crawled into his lap. His arms surrounded her. She didn’t care how needy she appeared. Being surrounded by his warmth was essential to her.
“I’ve got you. I’m never letting go.”

He lifted her up in his arms then settled on the bed. She fisted her hand in his shirt. Prue didn’t close her eyes for fear of falling asleep. She needed to know he wasn’t a fantasy.

“I thought I was going to be lost forever,” she said. The words came out a whisper. The tightness in her throat made it almost impossible to talk. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life.”

“Talk to me, Prudence. Tell me everything.”

She gazed up at him. Tears shone in his eyes, but they didn’t spill down his cheeks. “They didn’t … erm … they didn’t take advantage of me, James. I’m still me.”

He wiped the tears away. “I don’t care. I love you.” His arms tightened harder around her. She needed his strength at that moment.

“After I woke up at Ravage Daren was there. He’d been leaving me heavy breathing calls for some time, but I didn’t know it was him. I figured a guy with issues was the one calling me.”

James stroked her hair.

“I watched him shoot Jermaine. Did he die?” she asked.

“Yes. He died in my arms.”

She sobbed harder. Part of her hoped the other man had lived. Life was unfair to have taken someone like Jermaine. He’d been a nice man.

“Daren took me. I don’t know much after that besides the pain when he called you. Then I woke up on a boat. I thought
about jumping overboard. Drowning seemed a lot easier than what Daren had planned. Then we were in England, and I was locked in a room. They never let me out of that room.” She cringed at the fear in her voice. For the most part, she’d thought she’d done remarkably well to keep her wits about her. Now, she couldn’t even bear for the door to her room to be shut. She needed the light and the space; otherwise she’d go mad.

Being locked away had affected her more than she cared to realise.

“I’m here, Prudence. I’m here.”

“Say it again,” she said.

“What?”

“Say my name. I need to hear you say my name.”

“Prudence Star. Prudence Star.” He repeated the name over and over again. There was a time when she hated the full use of her name whereas now she wanted to hear him say her name completely.

“What are you going to do with your hair?” he asked.

“I’m going to grow it and then dye it back the same colour. I liked it.”

“We’ll be leaving tomorrow,” he said.

“Those are the best words I’ve heard in a long time.”

He chuckled. She loved to sound.

“Nothing is ever going to happen to you, Prudence. I’ll take care of everything.”

“What if I’m not normal? What if I’m changed?”

“Then we’ll work through it together. I’m not letting you go.”

She lay in his arms inhaling his masculine scent. The sound of a throat being cleared distracted her. She looked over to see C
indy standing in the doorway. The other woman wore a hospital gown like her.

“You got away?”

“Yes. When the police rushed through they forgot all about me. I’m free, and I’m Melanie again.” She walked farther into the room. “I want to thank you, Prue. You fought until the end even when I’d given up. Thank you for being so brave.”

Prue’s
cheeks heated under the praise. Minutes later Melanie left. She closed the door behind her. Prue tensed. James left her on the bed to go and open the hospital door.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No worries. Go to sleep. I’ll be here no matter what happens.”

She lay against him playing with the button on his shirt. “Do my parents know what happened to me?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I saw Veronica, but if she told them or not I can’t tell you.”

“It would be easier for me if they didn’t know. I couldn’t bear to see the pity in their eyes when they looked at me.”

“No one could look at you with pity. You’re a strong woman, and I for one am so proud of you.” He kissed her head.

Prue closed her eyes hoping she was strong enough to get over what happened to her. She didn’t want her life to be controlled by what Daren and Henry did to her.

Be strong, Prue. James came for you.

Was he too late?

Tears fell from her eyes as the words pierced her heart. She was stronger than this.

James stood in the doorway waiting for Prudence to finish getting dressed. She’d slept fitfully the last night
, her dreams filled with nightmares. He’d stroked her hair constantly. The desire to calm her filled every part of him. Lucas was on crutches outside waiting with Sean. They were all waiting to leave. He’d signed a check and the forms releasing Prudence into his care.

He was concerned for her health.
She’d need time to adjust to life away from here. Two weeks may have been a short time, but they were long enough to have hurt Prudence. She no longer liked being confined in small places. He hoped she survived the plane ride back home. Melanie had said goodbye to her. She’d been transported back to her parents and was recovering at home.

“I’m ready,” she said.

Turning to face her, Jams saw her face looked badly bruised still. He despised the bruises more than anything. How could a man hurt a woman in such a callous way?

Going to her side, he cupped her cheek gently. She winced at the touch but didn’t pull away.

“I love you so much.”

Prudence smiled. He noticed she didn’t say the words back to him. Did she blame him for everything that happened to her?

“Are you ready to go home?” he asked.

“Yes. I really want to go.”

He took her hand leading her out of the hospital. There was a limo waiting to pick them all up. Lucas climbed in last, and they were on their way to the airport. She curled up against the window without saying a word. He missed her talking.

“Cadeon and the other
s have been called. Stephen, Isabella, and Dane will be there at the airport to pick us up,” Sean said.

Lucas moaned, grabbing a carton of pills. “Leg is fucking killing me. I forgot how much it hurts once the adrenaline is gone.”

James smiled but kept his gaze on Prudence. She was too quiet, and her gaze remained on the window. He’d never been happier to see the back of a country than he was to see England behind. Loading up in the plane was easy enough. Prudence remained by the window, buckled in tight.

She barely said a word during the drive.

He spoke with Lucas and Sean. When she fell asleep he moved away. He sat with the two men. His gaze kept going back to where she sat on the plane.

“What’s the matter, man?” Lucas asked.

“She’s not spoken a word.”

“You’ve got to give her time to get use
d to you, James. She’s been through a massive ordeal. Give her time,” Sean said.

His words made sense.
But James couldn’t help but be fearful. His future lay less than ten feet away.

“What if she no longer wants me?” he asked. He sounded like a pussy even to his
own ears.

“Then you do what gentlemen do,” Lucas said.

“And what’s that?”

“You let her go.”

He shook his head. “No, I can’t let her go. She’s the other part of me.”

“Then you do everything you can to win her back. Prudence is an intelligent woman and has been at the mercy of those assholes for a long time. You’ve got to give her time, James. Going in now and ruining your chances
is fucking stupid. Just give her time,” Lucas said. “Look at Isabella. She’s doing great considering she was gone for so long.”

James nodded. His
gaze never left her. She lay curled in a ball. The plane ride was excruciatingly long. He didn’t want to fall asleep and spent most of the journey watching her. Something was going on inside her head, and he needed to figure out what.

When the plane touched down, James gently shook her.

“Prudence, baby, we’re here.”

She opened her eyes then smiled. He noticed she didn’t reach for him. They left the plane behind without a backward glance. Lucas and Sean went first walking through the terminal. James spotted Stephen, Dane
, and Isabella waiting for them. He also noticed Veronica stood away from them.

He hadn’
t phoned her. James reached out for Prudence. She turned to face him. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Please, don’t take this the wrong way, James.”

“How am I supposed to take it?” he asked. His anger rose with every passing second. He still hadn’t forgiven Veronica for the trouble she caused.

“I’m not saying we’re over or anything
, but I need my space,” she said.

“I came for you, Prudence.” He cupped her cheeks pressing a kiss to her lips.

“I know.” Tears fell from her eyes. “And it was more than I can explain. I spent most of my time begging for you to come for me.”

“Then why are you leaving me?” he asked.

He should have expected it. She’d been distant and quiet.

“I’m not leaving you. I’m asking you to respect my wishes. Please, I need to be by myself.”

“With your sister?” he asked.

She took his hands away from her face kissing both of them in turn. “I’m not asking you to understand my decision, James.”

“Then what are you asking for?”

“Time and patience. I know I’m hurting you
, and I’m sorry. Two weeks ago I would laugh at the thought of being away from you. I couldn’t bear the thought of spending a day away from you.”

“Then why are you leaving me?” he asked. They were causing a scene. James didn’t care.
If Prudence left with Veronica he feared he’d never see her again.

“Because I’m different, James. I couldn’t even bear for the door to be shut on my room last night. I’m not the same woman
who was taken. I can’t give you what I promised.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. He stared over at his friends seeing the pity on their faces.