Page 10 of Her Marine Master

"It's not up for discussion."He did his best at kind but stern.It wasn't his normal Dom persona—usually he was a cold-hearted bastard—but Kaitlyn needed warmth tonight.He hadn't thought himself capable of that anymore.It surprised him that he wanted to try.

For the first time since he'd come home from the last tour on a stretcher, without his detail, he felt something other than despair.

Which was pretty ass-backwards considering the girl he was with just got assaulted.

She wantedto stay wrapped up in Rob's arms for the rest of the night.

Make that the rest of her life.

He made her feel safe.Protected.Strength radiated from the powerful muscles, his calm in the face of nauseating trauma made it feel like everything would be okay.

She'd been an idiot.The whole thing was so shameful.She never should have let the chiropractor pick her up or know where she lived.She should have met him at a neutral location for their first date.She'd screwed up, and if Rob hadn't come along…

She shuddered to think what would have happened.Would he have killed her?

Her neck felt bruised and it throbbed where his fingers had nearly choked her to death.

She wondered if he was into asphyxiation, or if that had just been to subdue her so he could rape her without struggle.

She looked down at the bound asshole at their feet.She wished the cops would get there and take him away.She didn't want him in her apartment.Heck,shedidn't want to be in her apartment anymore.

"Do you want to call someone?A friend to go to the hospital with you?"

He had saidhewould go with her.Of course he'd probably prefer not to.She should call a female friend.She stepped closer to him.

He rubbed her back and allowed her to press her cheek against his muscled chest.

"Are you still going to come?"

"Yeah.If that's what you want.Definitely."

His demeanor was totally different now.Gone was the surly, angry young man.Now, he was just a pillar of strength.She supposed he'd had to do crisis on a daily basis while on tour.

A knock sounded at the door and she pulled away."I really don't want to do this."

"I know, but turning him over to the cops is the only thing keeping me from killing him."

She lifted her eyes in surprise.

"I'm serious.I'd rathernotdo the right thing here."

Okay, she didn't want Rob to do something illegal.

"You get it, I'll stay here and keep an eye on him," Rob said, kicking Alexander.

"Yeah.Okay," she whispered.She "opened" the door—which was hanging off the hinges.Apparently Rob had kicked it in.The police officers—one female, one male—entered and took charge of the situation, handcuffing Alexander.

Numbness set in as she and Rob gave their statements to the police.The paramedics wanted to take her in an ambulance, but when she refused, Rob offered to drive her.The female police officer advised her to bring a change of clothes, because they would keep hers for evidence.

Her stomach knotted up with the shame of the thing.She wanted this to be over.She wanted it to have never happened.

The hospital was a nightmare of having her privates dusted for fingerprints.Well, not exactly, but essentially.They took photographs of the bruising on her neck and asked her a ton of questions.Finally, two hours later, it was over.

When she emerged, Rob stood there, waiting, as he'd promised.

"Hey."

Once more, he wrapped her up in a hug.