then they would have protected her. The tears filled her eyes.
“I have some right here for you,” Gustave said as he opened the bottle of painkillers. Franco passed over a bottle of water. She slowly walked closer to them. She raised her eyes at them and swallowed hard.
“You’re mad at me.” She nibbled her bottom lip, and they just stared at her oddly.
“I should have let you stay. I shouldn’t have fought any of you on it. I didn’t want to face the truth,” she whispered, her voice hurting the more she spoke. She coughed, and Franco was immediately next to her.
“Let’s not talk about it. Let us take care of you, Illeanna,” Franco said and placed his hand over her hand that held the bottle of water. She took a sip along with the painkillers he handed her before he guided her to the bed.
“Lie down and we’ll get some ice on that ankle and your cheek,” Louis said, and Franco lifted her up and placed her in the center of the bed. The moment she hit the mattress fear clenched her belly, and she quickly scooted up against the headboard.
* * * *
Franco froze in place. It was obvious that Illeanna was still frightened. Even being on a bed, their bed, frightened her. He looked toward his brothers, and they remained firm on keeping her there as they each took a seat.
“Here, let’s put this on your cheek,” Louis whispered as he reached to brush a strand of hair away from her face. She flinched and then looked down toward her hands, clasping them. Franco could tell that it bothered Louis just like it bothered him. He watched Louis act as if it didn’t happen, and he reached again. This time she didn’t react so strongly. She allowed Louis to place the ice on her cheek.
Franco saw the light marks on her inner thighs. He tried to remind himself that it could have been worse, a lot worse. But she was here now in their home and safe.
Julien crawled up from the bottom of the bed and lightly tapped her foot.
“Can I put this bag of ice on your ankle?”
She nodded, and Franco snuggled a little closer to her by joining her near the headboard.
* * * *
Illeanna leaned back as the men got more comfortable around her. She went to close her eyes, feeling the exhaustion begin to kick in, and immediately she saw the masked man. She inhaled sharply, causing Louis to pull the ice from her cheek.
“What’s wrong?” Louis asked her as the tears filled her eyes. Why hadn’t she given in to their demands? Why hadn’t she let Johnny stay the night?
Louis placed the ice pack down on the side table and touched Illeanna’s cheek.
“Talk to us, tell us how we can help.”
She swallowed, and it hurt as tears rolled down her cheeks.
She looked into Louis’s hazel eyes and saw compassion. She glanced at the others, and they held the same expressions. They cared about her, and she needed them.
“I’m scared. I close my eyes and I see him, Louis,” she whispered.
He pulled her closer to him. She snuggled into him, laying her head against the pillow facing him. He faced her and clutched her hands within his own, holding them to his chest. She felt the second hand against her hip bone, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Franco then felt his large chest against her back and his strong arm hold her around the waist. She closed her eyes and absorbed the moment and the fact that their embrace was making her feel better, safe. She was wedged between two strong, sexy men she trusted, and she hoped they could get her through this.
* * * *
Louis watched her as she fought to keep her eyes open. She was afraid of what sleep may bring, and he wanted to help her. He wasn’t sure what to do, and on instinct he inched his lips closer to her and began to press tiny light kisses against her skin.
“Close your eyes, baby, and just feel. Know that it’s me touching you, taking away any bad memories of the night. I’m here now, baby, we’re all here for you,” Louis
“I have some right here for you,” Gustave said as he opened the bottle of painkillers. Franco passed over a bottle of water. She slowly walked closer to them. She raised her eyes at them and swallowed hard.
“You’re mad at me.” She nibbled her bottom lip, and they just stared at her oddly.
“I should have let you stay. I shouldn’t have fought any of you on it. I didn’t want to face the truth,” she whispered, her voice hurting the more she spoke. She coughed, and Franco was immediately next to her.
“Let’s not talk about it. Let us take care of you, Illeanna,” Franco said and placed his hand over her hand that held the bottle of water. She took a sip along with the painkillers he handed her before he guided her to the bed.
“Lie down and we’ll get some ice on that ankle and your cheek,” Louis said, and Franco lifted her up and placed her in the center of the bed. The moment she hit the mattress fear clenched her belly, and she quickly scooted up against the headboard.
* * * *
Franco froze in place. It was obvious that Illeanna was still frightened. Even being on a bed, their bed, frightened her. He looked toward his brothers, and they remained firm on keeping her there as they each took a seat.
“Here, let’s put this on your cheek,” Louis whispered as he reached to brush a strand of hair away from her face. She flinched and then looked down toward her hands, clasping them. Franco could tell that it bothered Louis just like it bothered him. He watched Louis act as if it didn’t happen, and he reached again. This time she didn’t react so strongly. She allowed Louis to place the ice on her cheek.
Franco saw the light marks on her inner thighs. He tried to remind himself that it could have been worse, a lot worse. But she was here now in their home and safe.
Julien crawled up from the bottom of the bed and lightly tapped her foot.
“Can I put this bag of ice on your ankle?”
She nodded, and Franco snuggled a little closer to her by joining her near the headboard.
* * * *
Illeanna leaned back as the men got more comfortable around her. She went to close her eyes, feeling the exhaustion begin to kick in, and immediately she saw the masked man. She inhaled sharply, causing Louis to pull the ice from her cheek.
“What’s wrong?” Louis asked her as the tears filled her eyes. Why hadn’t she given in to their demands? Why hadn’t she let Johnny stay the night?
Louis placed the ice pack down on the side table and touched Illeanna’s cheek.
“Talk to us, tell us how we can help.”
She swallowed, and it hurt as tears rolled down her cheeks.
She looked into Louis’s hazel eyes and saw compassion. She glanced at the others, and they held the same expressions. They cared about her, and she needed them.
“I’m scared. I close my eyes and I see him, Louis,” she whispered.
He pulled her closer to him. She snuggled into him, laying her head against the pillow facing him. He faced her and clutched her hands within his own, holding them to his chest. She felt the second hand against her hip bone, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Franco then felt his large chest against her back and his strong arm hold her around the waist. She closed her eyes and absorbed the moment and the fact that their embrace was making her feel better, safe. She was wedged between two strong, sexy men she trusted, and she hoped they could get her through this.
* * * *
Louis watched her as she fought to keep her eyes open. She was afraid of what sleep may bring, and he wanted to help her. He wasn’t sure what to do, and on instinct he inched his lips closer to her and began to press tiny light kisses against her skin.
“Close your eyes, baby, and just feel. Know that it’s me touching you, taking away any bad memories of the night. I’m here now, baby, we’re all here for you,” Louis
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