back, but she needed to look into his eyes, eyes that had, in the past, soothed her with their gentleness and quiet strength.
She felt Dirk stroke a thumb over her cheek; he settled her face between the palms of his hands.
“Chloe, I want you to close your eyes,” Dirk commanded. Chloe complied. “Now, honey, open them slowly and look at me.”
She fluttered her eyes open, batting her lashes as she tried to focus. She gazed about searchingly. “Dirk, it’s too dark, I can’t see you,” she whimpered once more, feeling dazed and confused.
“Chloe,” she heard James say. He sounded agonized.
“James, where are you? Please turn the light on, I’m scared,” Chloe sobbed, reaching through the air for him, needing him, his comfort.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart, you’re safe.” She felt her flailing hand captured.
“James, I can’t see you, why can’t I see you? What’s happened to me?” Chloe asked. She ground her fist at her eyes in frustration; once more she blinked hard.
“You’ll be fine, Chloe. You received a horrific bang to your head. It appears to be affecting your sight. The doctor says you’ll be fine. Just rest. We’ll take care of you, I promise.” Chloe could hear the tremor in James' voice.
“Am I at the hospital?”
“No, sweetheart. You’re home, here in your own bed,” Dirk replied.
He never allowed them a trip to the hospital. The thought crashed into Chloe’s head like a tsunami. “Why didn’t you take me to the hospital?” Chloe asked in a small, tight voice. This was the worst she had ever been injured in her life. She should have been taken to the hospital.
“Chloe, it was no accident the house exploded. There was a bomb. A deliberate attempt on someone’s life. The police are asking too many questions as it is. It’s safer for you here, with us; we can protect you better. A hospital is too open, too easy to access. I want to keep everyone as close as possible for the time being,” Dirk explained.
Chloe swallowed heavily. She doubted the police even knew she had been injured in the blast, or that she even existed. James would have covered it up. What if she had died?
A horrible image of being placed into a glass case and covered over with cement came to mind. The many fountains James had in the backyard were all situated over cement.
Chloe sobbed at her terrifying thoughts. No one in the outside world would ever miss her; she had no other family and very few friends James deemed good enough for her. They were her family, they loved her, they must love her. It was a coincidence her father had been killed by a bomb, only a horrible coincidence. Dirk must be right, they could protect her better here…and yet she had been injured under their protection.
“It’s all right, Chloe. Don’t cry. You’ll get your sight back. Please don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you, I promise.” Damien pulled her from Dirk’s arms to cuddle her into his own. She felt his chin settle onto the top of her head.
“Don’t leave me,” Chloe whimpered, clutching at him. Hearing his soothing voice settled her thoughts. Of course she was safe. Damien would never allow anyone to hurt her on purpose. He was a grown man, a very powerful man. Built as powerfully as Dirk now. She wouldn’t let her mother’s suspicions and insanity get to her.
The book was full of lies. These men were her family, they loved her. Damien had always loved her. It was just shock that was disrupting her thoughts. She remembered he had raced to her after the explosion, without thought or fear to himself. They all had.
“I won’t ever leave you, babe, you’re stuck with me,” Damien replied.
Chloe could envision the soft smile on his full lips. She pictured his handsome face while her head lay against his warm chest. The subtle scent of his cologne drifted from his neck to tickle her nose.
She breathed him in, calming within his arms, her hands trailing along the familiar contours of his
She felt Dirk stroke a thumb over her cheek; he settled her face between the palms of his hands.
“Chloe, I want you to close your eyes,” Dirk commanded. Chloe complied. “Now, honey, open them slowly and look at me.”
She fluttered her eyes open, batting her lashes as she tried to focus. She gazed about searchingly. “Dirk, it’s too dark, I can’t see you,” she whimpered once more, feeling dazed and confused.
“Chloe,” she heard James say. He sounded agonized.
“James, where are you? Please turn the light on, I’m scared,” Chloe sobbed, reaching through the air for him, needing him, his comfort.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart, you’re safe.” She felt her flailing hand captured.
“James, I can’t see you, why can’t I see you? What’s happened to me?” Chloe asked. She ground her fist at her eyes in frustration; once more she blinked hard.
“You’ll be fine, Chloe. You received a horrific bang to your head. It appears to be affecting your sight. The doctor says you’ll be fine. Just rest. We’ll take care of you, I promise.” Chloe could hear the tremor in James' voice.
“Am I at the hospital?”
“No, sweetheart. You’re home, here in your own bed,” Dirk replied.
He never allowed them a trip to the hospital. The thought crashed into Chloe’s head like a tsunami. “Why didn’t you take me to the hospital?” Chloe asked in a small, tight voice. This was the worst she had ever been injured in her life. She should have been taken to the hospital.
“Chloe, it was no accident the house exploded. There was a bomb. A deliberate attempt on someone’s life. The police are asking too many questions as it is. It’s safer for you here, with us; we can protect you better. A hospital is too open, too easy to access. I want to keep everyone as close as possible for the time being,” Dirk explained.
Chloe swallowed heavily. She doubted the police even knew she had been injured in the blast, or that she even existed. James would have covered it up. What if she had died?
A horrible image of being placed into a glass case and covered over with cement came to mind. The many fountains James had in the backyard were all situated over cement.
Chloe sobbed at her terrifying thoughts. No one in the outside world would ever miss her; she had no other family and very few friends James deemed good enough for her. They were her family, they loved her, they must love her. It was a coincidence her father had been killed by a bomb, only a horrible coincidence. Dirk must be right, they could protect her better here…and yet she had been injured under their protection.
“It’s all right, Chloe. Don’t cry. You’ll get your sight back. Please don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you, I promise.” Damien pulled her from Dirk’s arms to cuddle her into his own. She felt his chin settle onto the top of her head.
“Don’t leave me,” Chloe whimpered, clutching at him. Hearing his soothing voice settled her thoughts. Of course she was safe. Damien would never allow anyone to hurt her on purpose. He was a grown man, a very powerful man. Built as powerfully as Dirk now. She wouldn’t let her mother’s suspicions and insanity get to her.
The book was full of lies. These men were her family, they loved her. Damien had always loved her. It was just shock that was disrupting her thoughts. She remembered he had raced to her after the explosion, without thought or fear to himself. They all had.
“I won’t ever leave you, babe, you’re stuck with me,” Damien replied.
Chloe could envision the soft smile on his full lips. She pictured his handsome face while her head lay against his warm chest. The subtle scent of his cologne drifted from his neck to tickle her nose.
She breathed him in, calming within his arms, her hands trailing along the familiar contours of his
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