I recognized the feel of both their hands gripping mine; Joseph on my right, Marco on my left.
Reassured, I sank into the warmth.
My throat was dry, and my head ached. I stirred with a groan.
“Here. Drink this.”
I kept my eyes closed, but I knew it was Marco who propped me up and Joseph who held the glass to my lips. I gratefully gulped down the water.
“Open your mouth,” Joseph commanded when he pulled the glass away.
I complied with that order, too.
Something small and round dropped onto my tongue, and the glass returned to my
lips.
“Swallow it. You’ll feel better soon.”
I did as I was told, swallowing down the pill.
Marco was still holding me up, and his other hand was wrapped around mine. He squeezed gently, and I finally opened my eyes to look at him.
His gaze was dark, the fine lines on his face drawn with concern. His thumb traced little circular patterns on my palm.
“You scared me, babygirl.”
“What were you thinking?” Joseph demanded, his cutting voice making my head throb.
I winced, and he softened his tone. He set the now-empty glass aside and took my other hand in his.
“Why did you do that, angel?”
My mind was still foggy. “You think I’m a slut.” My words were thick on my heavy tongue. “I had to get away.”
“Of course I don’t think you’re a slut. You’re perfect: our sweet girl. You got yourself hurt.”
“It was wrong,” I slurred. “You… Both of you…” I couldn’t quite focus on why I should protest. My mind was growing foggier, my body heavier.
“Yes,” Marco said firmly. “Both of us. We care about you. We don’t want anything to happen to you. Go back to sleep, princess. We’ll be here when you wake up.”
He eased me down onto the bed, and I drifted off without a thought.
Chapter Sixteen
Marco
It took a couple days before Joseph and I eased off on feeding Ashlyn painkillers. Neither of us could bear to see her in pain, and we only woke her for meals and to see to her essential needs before we dosed her again.
She wasn’t hurt. Not really. She had a small cut on her forehead. I knew how freely even benign head wounds could bleed, but the sight of crimson blood trailing down her pale cheek had made panic rip through my system.
If we hadn’t been ensuring her comfort, her entire body would have ached from the whiplash. Thank fuck the BMW’s safety features had protected her. The doctor we’d called to the house had promised she’d be fine after a few days of rest.
My car was totaled, but I didn’t give a fuck about that. I was more concerned about the structural integrity of the gates. Now that I’d almost lost Ashlyn, I was more fiercely protective than ever. I couldn’t allow our enemies the opportunity to slip into our safe haven. I couldn’t let them get to her.
They’d proven they were watching the estate when Ricky had threatened her at the restaurant. So, I’d paid a small fortune to get the gates repaired on the same day she’d smashed into them. The damage to the sturdy structure had been minimal, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
Our fortress was secure again, and no one would get in.