“He—made sure I couldn’t get out. Superglued the lock, kept me shut in, and brought me meals while he decided what to do. I felt like a captive animal.” Alana bites her lower lip, and though she doesn’t let a single tear fall, I can see how hard it was for her. It makes rage bubble up in me, hot and thick and murderous, and I clench my teeth.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I hiss. “I’m not going to wait for them to find him. I’m going to hunt that motherfucker down, and—”
“Ian.” Alana touches my arm, and the feeling of her palm against my skin is enough to clear the red in my vision just a little. “I know you’re pissed. I am too. But I need youhere, with me. Not running off on some vigilante manhunt. Kam will come back to find out about the baby. You don’t need to chase him down. We’ll settle all our scores then. But for now—I just need you.”
There’s a hint of vulnerability in her words, something I haven’t heard from her in a long time, and it’s enough to make me relent. I lay back down against the stack of pillows, taking Alana in my arms again, kissing her softly as she tells me the rest of it, everything leading up to Cal and Dexter finding her. I kiss her hair, her forehead, her nose, breathing in the scent of her, reveling in the feeling of having her in my arms again.I’m never going to let her go,I think to myself as we lie there, and when she’s finally done, I tilt her chin up, kissing her lips lightly.
“No one will ever hurt you like that again,” I promise her. “You’re safe now, Alana. You and the baby.” I stroke my hand down her hair, feeling my cock starting to stiffen again at the feeling of her warm naked body pressed up against me.
“I want to make love to you in my own bed,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her once more. “Let’s get dressed and go home, Alana. I want to take you home.”
She looks up at me with those wide grey eyes and nods. “I want to go home with you too, Ian.”
The truth is, though, as she kisses me—anywhere she is, is home for me.