I wasn’t certain I understood. “What do you mean? What are you going to do?”
His arm around me tightened as his volume lowered to a whisper. “First, you’ll be checked out by the doctor.” Another kiss to my hair. “We’ll get you cleaned and bandaged. We need to learn everything you can recall. Those men are no longer a threat, but you may have heard something. We need to learn what that is before you forget.”
None of that sounded like anything to make me sorry.
“And when you’re up to it” —he laid his other hand on my thigh— “I’m spanking your ass.”
My head came away from him. “I told you I’m not a child.”
“I wouldn’t spank a child.”
“I don’t understand.”
He gently seized my chin again as warm breath skirted over my face. “You, Emma, are an intelligent woman who did a dangerous thing. Once I’m done, you will remember that.”
I wanted to say I would remember, yet... As I tucked my lip between my teeth, I couldn’t help wonder how I could be so sore, relieved, and at the same time, intrigued.
Emma
We had arrived to Rett’s home through the underground garage. I recognized the decline in the road, the different scents once the car door opened, and the way Rett’s voice echoed in the concrete cavern.
Despite my offers to walk, I remained cradled against his chest as he carried me up the cement stairs. The sounds around us changed as we entered his home. Over the last week, I’d learned to rely more on my other senses as my sight was limited. The world was filled with sensory input if only we took the time to be receptive.
Rett’s step had more bounce as we moved from cement, to tile, to hardwood. Now, after climbing another set of stairs, his footsteps were muted, indicating that we were walking down a rug-lined hallway. A latch clicked as I imagined a door opening. After a few more paces, Rett laid me on a soft bed. Without speaking, he covered my legs and torso with a blanket.
Although I tried to utilize scents and sounds, I couldn’t identify our location. We hadn’t traveled up another stairway. That meant we weren’t on the third floor. I felt the warmth of his body as the bed dipped, and Rett reached for the blindfold. “Hold still, Emma.”
Lifting my hand, I stopped him. “Before you do that, I want you to know that I trust you.”
He made a noise similar to a scoff.
“I do, Rett. More than I realized.”
“I wish I could say the same. After this stunt, I can’t.”
His response pierced me in a way that corporal punishment couldn’t. The honest truth was that Rett was right. I hadn’t given him reason to trust me. I’d ignored his repeated warnings and risked my own life as well as his and maybe others. I deserved his lack of trust—Ian’s also.
“I’m sorry...” My repeated apology floated through the air unmet with a verbal response.
Sulking in my own doing, I didn’t realize how long it was taking Rett to untie the blindfold. Meticulously, he worked to loosen the knot and free my hair. Every now and then, I tensed as he worked. Once I felt the blindfold come free, I began to turn toward him.
“Not yet.”
It was all he said before working to untie the gag. Somehow, I’d forgotten about the wet material, still around my neck. As he worked on that, I took in my unfamiliar surroundings. Soon, it too was gone.
Rett gently turned me until we were facing each other. Exhaling, he leaned forward until our foreheads met. “You need to keep trusting me, Emma. Keeping you safe has been my only objective.”
Sighing, I looked down. “I’m sorry that you had to save me.”
He lifted my chin. “I’m not.”
“You’re not?”
Rett released me and sat taller. “I’m upset at what you did. I’m disappointed, but I’m not sorry for coming after you, for saving you from whatever those vile men had planned, and for stopping your ending up at the mercy of your brother.” His head shook. “Just imagining those outcomes makes me see red.” He lifted my arm, looking down at the red droplets. “Blood. Never doubt that I’ll shed it without hesitation to keep you safe. I’ll hunt down and punish anyone who puts you in danger.”
My eyes opened wider. As they did, I could feel the tenderness and swelling on my right cheek. Squinting, I lifted my hand to gingerly touch the tender skin.
Rett took my hand and kissed my fingers. “You’re guilty too, Emma. You put yourself in danger as much as those men who died tonight did.” His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. “We’ll discuss your punishment later.”