Page 66 of The Ecstasy of Sin

A rattled breath escapes me as the drug forces my central nervous system to calm down.

He saved my life. He eased my suffering. He gave me pleasure when all I knew was pain. I want him to be my hero, and all I can do now is hope he means everything he says. Hope that he isn’t going to torture and kill me now that he has me right where he wants me.

“You have me now, baby,” he murmurs, rocking me gently in his arms. “You’re mine. I’ll keep you safe.”

I’ll keep you safe.

The words echo through me, looping through the darkness, until a heavy fog descends and fills my head. It feels like drowning, but instead of panic and pain, all I feel is warmth and comfort as the storm inside of me becomes blissfully quiet.

CHAPTER 17

Dominic

Forthefirsttimein my life, I’m trembling from something other than adrenaline and exertion. My entire body feels like a cord pulled too tight, vibrating with the need to snap.

The feel of Wren’s gentle, steady breaths puffing against my throat as she lies unconscious in my arms sends my mind spiraling into the blackest pits of my insanity.

It took everything I had to remain calm up until now—to not terrify her with the depth of my depraved obsession. To make her feel as safe as she truly is, despite my psychotic thoughts.

The raw, feral need to possess her, to own her, to keep her in my bed, and in my home where she’s safe, and healthy, and fed and fuckable and—I’m losing my shit.

With one arm secured around her back, pressing her tighter to me, I lift the other to stroke the outline of her heart-shaped face. She’s so fragile. So delicate and soft. Wren Holloway is everything I didn’t know I ached for.

A good man would be ashamed of what I’ve done, but all I feel is the euphoric rush of knowing she’s mine.

Watching her fight through her fear and panic only to surrender to me anyway…fuck, it has my chest aching like nothing else ever has. This feeling is foreign, but I never want it to stop.

She’s so relaxed in my embrace, but the cold is starting to tint the pale pink of her pillowy mouth. I slip off my newest leather jacket and wrap it around her, pulling her flush against my body to trap her against the heat radiating off me.

Reaching down, I grab my phone from the grass and pull up Ghost’s contact details.

It only rings twice before Ghost is answering, his voice thick with sleep. “Yeah?”

“Warrick.” My voice is low, but it shakes like I’m coming down from a brutal high.

He prefers his chosen name, but when I use his first, it triggers something in him. It tells him everything he needs to know; act first, ask questions later. And do it fast.

“Location?”

“West Avenue Park, north exit.”

“Coming.” He hangs up without another word, and I know he’ll get here as fast as traffic allows.

I take a few minutes to brush my fingers through Wren’s hair, untangling the mess from everything we did last night. I’m careful not to pull too hard, even though I know she couldn’t feel it if I did.

My beautiful girl. I’m going to give you everything.

I’m on my feet and heading for the small parking lot when Ghost pulls in, the bright light of a new day catching the glimmering black of his Dodge Challenger.

He gets out, saying nothing, as he rounds the car to open the back door for us.

Holding Wren tight, I slide into the dark interior and settle myself in the cool leather seat. I buckle myself in while Ghost comes back around and climbs into the driver seat.

He pulls out immediately, slipping through a few quiet side streets before merging into traffic on one of the main roads toward my place.

I catch his gaze in the rear-view mirror—those cold, pale blue eyes flicking between the road and me.

“Everything okay?”