Authors: Nichole Matthews
“I have nothing to complain over.”
“Parker, I know you.” She flashed a brief smile. “You wouldn’t grumble even if there was something legitimate to be upset over.”
***
G
ranville stood in his empty dungeon
and growled. The multiple cells equipped with stocks, cages, and benches with straps were normally being used vigorously by the members of the club at this time. Full of women or men, some eager to play and some who were not. He didn’t care which and neither did most of the men who belonged to this club. Their only concern was appeasing their lust and now many were angry because they were being forced to hide. They were forced to tame their activities now that they had nowhere else to go. Most feared that their identities would be revealed because
she
had escaped.
The bitch.
She had ruined everyt
hing.
He thought it would be amusing
to play with her for a while. She had held no other value to him after his brother
’s death
. He should have gotten rid of her when he had the chance.
He had seriously fucked up.
Sleep, baby, sleep
Your father tends the sheep
Your mother shakes the dreamland tree
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee
Sleep, baby, sleep
Sleep, baby, sleep
P
ersephone stifled a yawn,
stretch
ing
her arms high above her head
and
hitting a solid object with her fists.
She had been dreaming. The most delicious of dreams filled with comfort and warmth. She blinked rapidly several times
to clear her sleepy eyes and spied the plaster ceiling arched above her head instead of a cold, cloudy sky. She swallowed to ease the dryness in her throat as fear shrouded her, effectively cutting off her breath at the realization she was no longer lying on the cold hard ground but cocooned in delicious warmth, wrapped in thick quilts on one of the so
ftest beds she had ever slept.
She remembered the feel of a han
d stroking over her cheek. So
soothing.
What happened?
Her brow knotted in confusion.
Where was she?
She jerked upright from the thick, soft mattress, her heart suddenly pounding, muscles coiled, and
quickly
kicked
free from her blanket
s. Rising
to her knees as the toasty warmth of her surroundings truly infiltrated her still foggy mind
, confusion swamped her
. The last thing she remembered wa
s stopping to rest in a field.
A bit frantic, her eyes widened
.
“Tillie?” She
anxiously
scanned the opulently appointed room decorated in deep blue and gold until her gaze landed on the large man dozing by the fire.
Her heart tripped at the sight catapulting her into abrupt wakefulness.
Dear Lord, no. Not again.
She couldn’t do t
his again. She was too tired. “Tillie?”
She slid
from the
high
bed and swayed, g
rasping the thick post of the large oak bed for support as her legs were like jelly, taking a deep breath, waiting for the rush of dizziness to pass before racing frantic
ally to where he sat.
“Where is she?” She gripped his arm and tugged him awake. “Where’s my baby, you monster?”
Her eyes wide like a frightened rabbit, but her demeanor that of a protective mother hen.
“You cannot have her.”
Parker pushed himself upright just as Miss Smith hurled herself at him again and landed a surprisin
gly hard blow to his shoulder.
“What have you done with my daughter?”
Her pale cheeks were tinged with pink, almost as if with fever
and her eyes dilated in
alarm
.
“Bloody hell, girl.” He rubbed the spot on his shoulder she had just pummeled with her tiny fists.
He frowned almost imperceptibly.
He didn’t know how long he had slept, but judging by the shadows in the room it was near
ing
sunset. He had fallen asleep debating on how to
move forward without causing her more fear. How he was going to as
sist Miss Smith and her child.
“What have you done with Tillie?” Her arms flailed, her fist connecting with the bone near his left eye. She hissed in a breath as pain shot up her hand and traveled to her elbow.
Parker cringed at the strength behind the blow becau
se she was such a tiny person.
“Give me back my baby.” She sobbed hysterically, tears burned, scalding
as they spilled over. She put her hands over her mouth
muffling her sobs
.
She dropped to her knees; her head falling to her chest
one
hand palm facing up on her thigh
.
“You can’t have her too.”
Her bruised hand clutched against her breasts. “You can’t—she is all that I have left in this world.”
Helpless.
“No, no, no!”
A heart wrenching cry tore from her throat and assaulted his ears.
Parker blanche
d when she looked up through
lashes tipped with tears, tre
mbling with
obvious
distress. “Please
,
s
ir, I beg of you.” She stare
d at him with apprehensive eyes fringed with red tipped lashes
gripp
ing
his
massive
hand
with her thin white fingers
, carrying it to lie against her heaving bosom. “I
wi
ll do anything you ask, just don’t harm Tillie.
Please, don’t harm my daughter.
”
Her voice broke on a desperate sob.
Parker snatched his hand away,
as the meaning of her words filtered into his brain. S
ick at heart that anyone’s eyes could hold
such fear and could only imagine why
some
one had used her so
despicably
.
He bent closer gripping her shoulders in his firm grasp, t
hen lowered his voice to soothe.
“Miss Smith,
no one is taking your daughter anywhere.
” He ran his hands up and down her arms in a soothing motion.
“
Tillie is sleeping quite comfortably in the
cot
over
in th
e
corner.”
He pointed toward the far corner
a
few feet from the fireplace
,
an in
tricately carved shield separating
the fire from the cot. “
My aunt has sent for a nurse from Ashford to assist so that you can rest. She should arrive later this afternoon. You were exhausted.” He straightened to his full height, his hand still settled lightly atop her shoulder. “
Pray, do not worry.”
Persephone tried to pull away from his touch
, but she needed the human contact
. The comfort. She craved it. She had missed it
.
She hiccupped, her red-rimmed eyes rose, widening in relief as she spi
ed the white lace-covered cot.
A sob of relief broke free from her lips and he could feel her shoulder trembling beneath his hand
—
in relief, he hoped.
Parker hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her to stand. He rose, scraping a thumb over her brow, smoothing it.
She flushed and h
er eyes fell closed when he lowered his hand to capture one of the tears that rolled down her cheek before cupping her jaw in his warm
, call
used
palm. “Look at me, Miss Smith.”
He cupped her
face in his palm and held her.
Heart pounding, she sucked in air, then she
opened her
large
eyes blinking in rapid
succession to clear the tears.
The
breath rushed out of her lungs
and
she shuddered, her jaw trembling
under his palm.
He watched as it seemed to take a lot of effort on her part to look him square in the eyes, but she finally did. H
er green eyes
,
large against her pale skin
,
finally lifted
and
he paused taken aback by the terror
still present and pushed back a straggle of
fallen hair.
He was mesmerized by what
he
had originally thought
a
dull red
,
but in the firelight, it became a vibrant canvas of
rich
reds
,
golds
,
and browns
that leapt around her head.
He cleared his throat to ease the ache.
“I assure you, Miss Smith, Tillie is in excellent health.” Parker couldn’t help but notice the stubborn lift of her chin and knew it would take
time for her to trust. To believe he wasn’t out for something she did not want to give and continued, “She has been changed and sufficiently fed and now
is sleeping quite peacefully.”
Persephone couldn’t stop herself from leaning into his warm palm
, nearly groaning when his index finger stroked slowly over her skin
.
She did her best not to flinch, but to savor his touch.
She took a deep breath, then another. It had been so long since she had felt any human contact, let alone a gentle touch. A pariah, ruined, a whore. No one looked at her. No one spoke to her. And certainly no one touched her—willingly, at least not since Tillie’s birth. She had forgotten how a touch could comfort, not just produce fear. She sighed and sobbed out a c
ry at the sam
e time. Now that she was free
,
an uncontroll
able shaking started deep within
.
She rested her forehead against his chest, willing her panic to abate.
“We have no nefarious intentions t
owards you here at
Rosebriar
.”
His voice was deep and compelling, and it helped ease her anxiety.
She
pulled back, wiped the tears from her
cheeks, and looked up into his face
.
Parker set his head to one side and looked at her assessing for a moment before
he
tucked
her hand in the crook of his
arm
,
leading her to the cot. His fingers brushed gently over the back of her
hand as he escorted her across the room
,
as if he were trying to calm a frightene
d animal
.
H
er pale skin flushed a light shade of pink adding healthy color to her otherwise pallid complexion and altering her appearance dramatically. He watched a
s she reached down and touched her
baby almost reverently. Taking a deep breath, he stepped closer to her as she laid her pa
lm flat on Tillie’s chest
mak
ing
certain she was breathing.
“
Rosebriar
?” Persephone glanced up at him, then wished she had
not. H
e was so close, so warm, f
ull of strength and kindness. She felt as if she were looking into his soul as she gazed into his penetrating b
lue eyes, which frightened her. T
heir depth made her feel naked and bruised.
That she could feel anything at all confused her.
She straightened her shoulders and raised her chin.
“My home.” His smile lit up the room and her thoughts scattered at the love that reflected in his eyes for this place of brick and stone. Did
his eyes brighten the same for people
?
Her hand felt engulfed in his large one and suddenly she felt safe. For the first time she felt that she might be able to let down her guard, however briefly and truly rest. She swallowed with difficulty.
He turned her until she faced him.
“Tell me what happened to you, Miss Smith.”
When she refused to look him in the eye, he used his finger to raise her chin. “Tell me.” Hi
s eyes pinned her gaze to his.