He was gonna fucking teach her self-worth. If it was the last thing he did.
“We will get them out. Keep them safe. I promise you.”
She buried her face into his chest and cried. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I should have said something straight away. I’m a coward.”
“You were used. You were abused and terrorized and threatened. And even through all that, you found a way to warn me. That makes you fucking brave. I won’t hear you call yourself that again, understand me? Or you’ll be over my knee before you can blink.”
She cried against his chest, just clinging to him, barely moving. As though she didn’t have the energy to move, to do anything other than sit there and wet his shirt with her tears.
And it was breaking his heart.
Reyes suddenly stood over them. He looked up as the big man crouched down and picked up the blanket that had slipped down. He wrapped it gently around Betsy, then to Ink’s shock he ran his hand down her blonde hair.
Reyes wasn’t an affectionate guy. Hell, most of the time he refused to speak to anyone who wasn’t part of the Iron Shadows. The only women he could ever recall the cold president even speaking to were Jewel and Sunny.
So this was completely out of character.
“Poor little subbie,” Reyes muttered. He looked at Ink. “You need to watch her. She’s so filled with guilt over all of this that she’ll likely do anything to protect you. Without any thought to her own safety.”
“That’s not happening,” Ink growled. He tightened his arms around her. “She’s not even leaving my fucking sight from now on.”
At least not until all threats were eliminated. Maybe not even then.
Betsy stirred in his arms. She glanced up at him, she was a mess. Hair everywhere. Eyes puffy. She wasn’t a pretty crier. Not at all.
And yet, he thought she looked gorgeous.
Got it bad, man.
“Ink, I have to go back.”
“What?” He had to have heard her wrong.
“I have to go back. I can’t stay with you.”
15
Betsy watched as his face turned to ice. Tension flooded her. She didn’t want to upset him. But leaving wasn’t an option.
“Her shadow downstairs is starting to get antsy. Betsy, were you supposed to check in with him?” Brody suddenly asked.
“With who?”
“The man who followed you here.”
“I…no, I don’t even know who is following me. I know there is always someone watching. There had to have been at least one person at the club and someone who watched me on our date. That’s how come I left you a note. They’ve probably bugged my phone, although I’ve only had that a short time.”
“Angus was being blackmailed,” Ink told her. “That’s why he let you into the club, and set up that meeting between us.”
It made sense.
“Do you have a way of getting hold of him?” Duke asked her.
She blinked, feeling confused. “Who? Forrest?”
“No, brown eyes,” Ink explained. “The guy downstairs. He’s getting suspicious.”
“Probably because the two of you have been making porn noises for the last forty minutes,” Brody stated matter-of-factly. “He’s gotta be wondering how Ink has that much stamina.”