father?
And what about the razor blades? Who did that except people with serious emotional problems?
Will leaned forward and typed in “self-cutting.” He blinked in surprise when Google listed hundreds of links with titles ranging from self-mutilation, self-hurt, self-violence, to just plain “cutters.” There were medical articles, personal stories, and support groups. He picked one at random and started reading. And reading. And reading. Ultimately, he knew he stumbled into an emotional quagmire in the figure of Jessie Bains.
He knew what happened to Jessie in Mexico. But what happened to her before the kidnapping? Why was cutting her way to deal with whatever she couldn’t handle? And what would this do to her now? Obviously, she was currently spinning out of control. What concerned Will the most was he didn’t know what the hell he was suppose d to do about it, or why it had to be him.
Chapter Nine
Jessie screamed when she came to in the dark room. She felt a hand on her body. She struggled frantically, but as usual, the man’s brawn held her down. She was always too small, too weak, to fight anyone off. She twisted desperately to make him stop it. Whoever he was.
“Jessie , stop! Stop it! It’s Will.”
Will. She recognized the voice. Will Hendricks. The soldier. Her soldier. The only person who ever realized she was in trouble. She stopped moving, but her heartbeat raced like it was ready to leap right out of her chest. Dripping with sweat, her shirt clung to her back.
Will immediately let go of her arms. He backed up from the bed as she came to. Will always released her. She trusted that.
“Why is it so dark in here?” She hated the fearfulness in her voice, almost like a whine of anxiety.
“I put you in my bed because you fell asleep. I turned the light out when I left.”
“I can’t sleep in the dark.”
“Okay. Okay , Jessie. We’ll turn the light back on. I didn’t know.” She heard his voice and its soothing quality, like he was talking her down from the ledge of a building. She could have been that, couldn’t she? She was like a crazy person trying to jump off a building. Then the lamp on the bedside table clicked, and she blinked as the soft, golden light filled the room, and revealed Will sitting beside her on the bed.
The clock said it was only three-thirty. She hoped a good night’s rest would put things into better perspective. But she only made it halfway through the night. She slumped back down onto the pillow.
His brown eyes were watching her. “What was it about?”
“What?”
“Your nightmare.”
“The dark. What is it ever about?”
“The cell?”
“Yes.” She sat up. “Stay in here, please, I only fell asleep because I knew you were there.”
He shook his head. “I’m not getting into bed with you.”
“Then will you get a chair? Please , Will?”
He tapped his foot impatiently. Did he think she was trying to seduce him? After what he saw tonight? Yeah, right. She supposed his mistrust was well deserved. She was known for just that.
He finally went out and got a dining room chair, which he brought into the bedroom. He sat in the corner as far away from her as he could get. There was no mistaking Will wanted nothing to do with her.
“That doesn’t look very comfortable.”
“Neither was hanging out in the air ducts of the building you were being held in. I can handle it.”
“Right , soldier. You can handle it all, can’t you? But you can’t handle being in bed next to me.”
He sat down on the hard chair, and crossed his arms over his broad chest. He looked her straight in the eye. “I’ve had sex with women against walls too , and I’m not averse to sex for the sake of having sex. So, no. I’m not going to sleep next to you, precisely for that reason: if I should, accidentally or otherwise, wind up having sex with a kid like you. Besides, you’re just baiting me, because that’s what you do. You might as well stop. You’re not
And what about the razor blades? Who did that except people with serious emotional problems?
Will leaned forward and typed in “self-cutting.” He blinked in surprise when Google listed hundreds of links with titles ranging from self-mutilation, self-hurt, self-violence, to just plain “cutters.” There were medical articles, personal stories, and support groups. He picked one at random and started reading. And reading. And reading. Ultimately, he knew he stumbled into an emotional quagmire in the figure of Jessie Bains.
He knew what happened to Jessie in Mexico. But what happened to her before the kidnapping? Why was cutting her way to deal with whatever she couldn’t handle? And what would this do to her now? Obviously, she was currently spinning out of control. What concerned Will the most was he didn’t know what the hell he was suppose d to do about it, or why it had to be him.
Chapter Nine
Jessie screamed when she came to in the dark room. She felt a hand on her body. She struggled frantically, but as usual, the man’s brawn held her down. She was always too small, too weak, to fight anyone off. She twisted desperately to make him stop it. Whoever he was.
“Jessie , stop! Stop it! It’s Will.”
Will. She recognized the voice. Will Hendricks. The soldier. Her soldier. The only person who ever realized she was in trouble. She stopped moving, but her heartbeat raced like it was ready to leap right out of her chest. Dripping with sweat, her shirt clung to her back.
Will immediately let go of her arms. He backed up from the bed as she came to. Will always released her. She trusted that.
“Why is it so dark in here?” She hated the fearfulness in her voice, almost like a whine of anxiety.
“I put you in my bed because you fell asleep. I turned the light out when I left.”
“I can’t sleep in the dark.”
“Okay. Okay , Jessie. We’ll turn the light back on. I didn’t know.” She heard his voice and its soothing quality, like he was talking her down from the ledge of a building. She could have been that, couldn’t she? She was like a crazy person trying to jump off a building. Then the lamp on the bedside table clicked, and she blinked as the soft, golden light filled the room, and revealed Will sitting beside her on the bed.
The clock said it was only three-thirty. She hoped a good night’s rest would put things into better perspective. But she only made it halfway through the night. She slumped back down onto the pillow.
His brown eyes were watching her. “What was it about?”
“What?”
“Your nightmare.”
“The dark. What is it ever about?”
“The cell?”
“Yes.” She sat up. “Stay in here, please, I only fell asleep because I knew you were there.”
He shook his head. “I’m not getting into bed with you.”
“Then will you get a chair? Please , Will?”
He tapped his foot impatiently. Did he think she was trying to seduce him? After what he saw tonight? Yeah, right. She supposed his mistrust was well deserved. She was known for just that.
He finally went out and got a dining room chair, which he brought into the bedroom. He sat in the corner as far away from her as he could get. There was no mistaking Will wanted nothing to do with her.
“That doesn’t look very comfortable.”
“Neither was hanging out in the air ducts of the building you were being held in. I can handle it.”
“Right , soldier. You can handle it all, can’t you? But you can’t handle being in bed next to me.”
He sat down on the hard chair, and crossed his arms over his broad chest. He looked her straight in the eye. “I’ve had sex with women against walls too , and I’m not averse to sex for the sake of having sex. So, no. I’m not going to sleep next to you, precisely for that reason: if I should, accidentally or otherwise, wind up having sex with a kid like you. Besides, you’re just baiting me, because that’s what you do. You might as well stop. You’re not
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