This is Love, Baby(51)

She lets out a whimper when my fingers trail up her flesh and then I flutter them over one of her breasts. Her nipple hardens at my touch and I grin at her. “I even love this,” I assure her and pinch it between my thumb and finger.

“War,” she murmurs and straddles my waist. “I need you to make it all go away. Touch me all over. Please.”

She tugs her hoodie from her body and bares her full tits at me. Her nipples point right at me as if to accuse me for not saving her from Gabe. I tug her closer and put one in my mouth. My tongue teases the hardened peak and then I gently bite down on the tender flesh. A pleased gasp releases from her and my cock thickens between us. She seems to realize this at the same time and grinds herself against me. The groan that leaves my chest is one of pure bliss and it dizzies me.

“Shit,” I say as wave of darkness passes over my vision. “I need to lie back for a second.”

“Oh my God,” she hisses in horror. “I keep forgetting you’re hurt. I’m so sorry. I should—”

She starts to climb off of me but I grip on to her hips to keep her in place. “No, don’t leave me. I just need to catch my breath.”

Her lips pout into a small frown that does nothing to help my aching cock. “I just missed you so much.”

“Come here,” I say with a smile and tug her toward the crook of my arm. To my dismay, she shrugs the hoodie back on first before sliding back up against me. Her legs remain stretched across my thighs as if she’s attempting to latch onto me indefinitely. “Dad is going to be so fucking happy you’re back. I should text him and let him know you’re safe.”

She snuggles against me. “Text him in the morning. I’m so exhausted I can barely move.”

“Okay.” I stroke her hair. “And Bay, in the morning? After we call my dad and Stark, I want you to go down to the emergency department and get yourself checked out.” She stills against me. I don’t know the details, but I don’t need to. I know that monster violated her. Again. It’s written all over her face. And when she lifts her head to look at me, her watery eyes and the shame in her expression is all the confirmation I need. She offers me the same silent, tentative nod that I offered her just moments ago when this topic came up, before putting her head back down on my chest. She doesn’t want to talk about it. Whether it’s that she doesn’t want to talk about it at all or that she doesn’t want to talk about it with me, I don’t know. But it will need to be dealt with. She may be safe now, physically. But emotionally, my Baylee is anything but okay.

I continue stroking her hair while my mind begins playing out a future for us. A future where Baylee wears more than the earrings and watch I gave to her, but also a ring.

“Quiet your mind, Warren McPherson,” she says thickly as sleep begins to steal her.

I smile, letting my thumb slide along her jaw and then rest it on her pulse point. “Shhh, quiet your mouth. I’m counting the beats of your heart against me.”

She lets out a small sigh and soon breathes in a soft, rhythmic way that lulls the monsters inside me right to sleep. But there, in the darkness of that hospital room, I resolve to help Baylee fight her demons, just like she helped me fight mine.

I won’t let her exist in the darkness. I’ll bring her into the light.

With a yawn, I hug her to me and follow quickly behind.

I’ve finally found Peace again.




I wake with a start.

Cold, bitter, emptiness threatens to swallow me whole.

My warmth—my radiant, brilliant sun—has vanished and thrown me back into the darkness.

“Breakfast, Mr. McPherson?” Cathy chirps as she waltzes into the room, carrying a tray of food she and I both know I won’t eat.

I’m already climbing out of bed. “Where is she? Where the fuck is Baylee?”

Her eyes widen and she sets the tray on the table beside the bed. “Who? Are you feeling okay, Warren?

“She was here. Baylee came into my room last night. She got away from him—both of them actually—and I held her in my arms. So where the fuck is she? Call hospital security! Have them look over the security footage! We need to call Detective Stark!”

She frowns at me and then looks down at the floor. Her features quickly morph into one of shock as she bends over to pick something up. “This her shoe?”

I nod and once again the world spins.

“Sit down before you faint, Warren. I’ll call security.” She rushes out the door and I pick up my phone as I sit on the edge of the bed. I call and leave a message for Dad, telling him to hurry up with a change of clothes. Then, I phone Stark next.