Page 290 of Conquered

I laugh as he leads me out of the bathroom still wrapped in the towel, feeling a lightness inside myself that I’ve not felt in weeks.

LOKI

A piercing scream wakes me a few hours later, my heart racing as I bolt upright in bed.

Lilly struggles next to me, sheets tangled around her legs as she thrashes and whimpers, her head moving from side to side.

“Hey, Princess, shhhh,” Ash whispers from her other side, his hand reaching out and stroking her face gently.

Another cry leaves her lips as she sits upright, her eyes wide like moons in the darkness. I can see her pulse beating a fast rhythm in her neck, her cheeks wet with tears that continue to fall down her face. She swallows, blinking, her eyes focusing on mine, and my heart shatters at the lost look in them.

“Loki?” she rasps, voice hoarse, and she coughs to clear her throat.

“I’m here, baby,” I assure her softly, reaching out my own hand to brush the tears away. She flinches, and my hand stops,a lump forming in my throat. “You okay, Pretty Girl?” I ask, begging with my eyes for her to let me in.

“I–I’m fine, just a bit hot,” she mumbles, awkwardly getting to her knees and crawling to the end of the bed.

“Lilly?” Kai questions from beside me, and I turn to see his forehead creased, his tired eyes dull with worry.

“I just need some air,” she replies, getting out of bed and putting on one of Jax’s shirts, the huge, black garment covering her completely, though her rounded stomach is starting to push the fabric out.

“Want some company, Baby Girl?” Jax asks from the other side of Ash, his voice thick with sleep and an undercurrent of concern.

“I’ll be fine,” she says, racing out of the door, not even turning to look back at us.

We all watch her leave the room, and there's a tightness in my chest, an uncomfortable feeling slithering over my skin. The feeling increases asPanic Attackby Liza Anne filters up from the speakers downstairs.

“Ash?” I inquire, biting my lip as my throat constricts.

“She just needs some time,” Kai interrupts, ever the peacemaker, his hand stroking soothingly down my arm.

“She needs us,” Jax growls out, and I glance at him in time to see him run a jerky hand through his long hair.

“Ash?” I repeat, looking to our leader to see what he thinks, needing his calm control as I can feel the edge of my world spinning out of control at the thought of losing her again.

He looks up at me, the grey swirling in his eyes, his brows pinched and neck tight.

“Let’s do as Kai suggests and give her time. She needs to know we’re here for her, but have the space to process what she's just been through.” He sounds more confident by the end of hisspeech, though the way he swallows and looks down tells me that he’s not a hundred-percent certain.

We all settle back down, my arm going to the gap that should be filled by our girl, the bed cool and no longer as inviting as it was when we all lay down together several hours ago.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LILLY

The guys come down the next morning, looking clean yet anything but refreshed. My own eyes feel gritty and dry, my throat tight when I remember last night.

I woke up feeling suffocated, unsure where I was or who was in bed with me. I couldn’t stand the heat from their bodies, something I’ve always found comforting but ever since that night when I awoke to my uncle getting into bed with me, knowing that he’d been doing it the whole time…

I look up, catching grey orbs full of concern. Ash’s image wavers as moisture fills my own eyes.

“I–I’m so s–s–sorry, Ash,” I whisper brokenly before burying my face in my hands. The sofa I’m lying on dips next to me as I’m gathered up, the achingly familiar scent of ginger filling my senses.

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize, my love,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my tangled hair. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!” I wail, lowering my palms and catching piercing blue eyes as Jax crouches in front of me. “How is any of this okay?”

“It’s not,” he tells me, his deep voice a soothing balm to my hurting soul. “But we’re here to look after you now, baby.” He grasps my hands in his large ones, rubbing his thumbs over mine. My lip trembles as I try to contain my emotions.