Free Riding Steele: Aftershock by Opal Carew Page B

to their rooms to get some sleep.
    *
    Laurie felt the blackness closing in on her, stifling her breathing. A hand clutched her throat, choking her. She tried to flee, but she couldn’t move. Her hands were restrained. She murmured, unable to scream, fear exploding through her.
    She tried to kick, but her legs wouldn’t move. Panic blazed through her.
    “Laurie.”
    Her eyelids popped open. Darkness surrounded her. A body was pressed against her. Big and hard. A man’s strong arms were wrapped around her.
    Oh, God, Donovan. Memories of the cage he’d locked her in flashed through her brain. Fear and anguish gripped her.
    She lurched forward, scrambling from his hold, and scurried through the darkness. She didn’t know where she was. But her ankle buckled and she fell to the floor.
    The light snapped on and she rolled onto her butt, then pushed herself backward with her one good foot and her hands, but found herself trapped in a corner of the room.
    *
    “Laurie, what the hell?” Steele was still half asleep, but at the sight of Laurie on the ground panting, he became fully alert. He pushed himself from the bed and walked toward her slowly.
    She cowered in the corner, like a trapped animal, her eyes glazed in fear.
    He crouched on the floor, still several feet away. “It’s okay, baby. Did you have a nightmare?”
    Her gaze darted back and forth as she sucked in deep breaths. Did she even recognize him?
    “Laurie. It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re here with me.”
    She focused on him, her eyes wide, and seemed to relax a little.
    “Steele?” she said hesitantly.
    “That’s right, Laurie.”
    Then tears welled in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. His heart clenched at the sight.
    “I … I …” She sucked in a breath.
    He sat down on the floor. “It’s okay. Just take it slowly.”
    “I was in a cage. He tried to choke me. I was so scared.”
    The words tumbled from her mouth in a rapid flow, punctuated by shallow breaths.
    “I know, baby.”
    He wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he didn’t want to approach her. All he could do was be here for her and wait for her to come to him.
    She sucked in a few more breaths, then her gaze turned to his. “It was real, wasn’t it? It wasn’t just a nightmare.”
    He nodded.
    She started to tremble. She pulled her knees close and wrapped her arms around herself.
    He moved closer. She stiffened a little so he stopped.
    “It’s all right now. You’re safe,” he crooned.
    She stared at him, wide, glistening eyes, almost hopeful.
    He opened his arms. She hesitated for a moment, but then she pushed forward the short distance between them. He took her in his arms and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close. She rested her head against his chest and he stroked her hair. He could feel the dampness on his shirt as her tears flowed.
    “You saved me,” she murmured. “Thank you for finding me.”
    “Of course. I told you, I’d do anything to protect you.”
    They sat like that for a while, him holding her in the comfort of his arms, then he lifted her and carried her back to the bed. She snuggled into his arms under the covers and he stroked her back, until her breathing became soft and regular. She was asleep.
    He laid there, his anger at what had happened to her smoldering within him. He would do his best to protect her forever, but even after death, Donovan’s actions preyed on her.
    How could he protect her from her nightmares?
    *
    A knock sounded on the door. Laurie opened her eyes and sunlight danced across her face. She was in Steele’s strong, comforting arms. She closed her eyes again.
    The nightmare last night had shaken her, but Steele had been there to calm her and take care of her. His arms tightened around her now.
    Another knock.
    “Yeah?” Steele called, his voice hoarse from sleep.
    Laurie shifted in his arms, but kept her eyes closed, not ready to be jarred from this comforting cocoon just yet.
    “It’s Rip. Can I