Free Twisted Desire by Laura Dunaway

fast, I thought it’d give me whiplash.

    “What did you say?” I asked her, not believing she’d really just asked me that.

    She put her face in her hands, her shoulders slumping. “Are you mad at me?”

    I was instantly up and kneeling in front of her. The urge to touch her was great, but I didn’t, not knowing if she’d welcome it after all she’d just been through. Instead, I just spoke.

    “That’s what I thought you said, yet I can’t understand why the hell you’d even think it. No, querida, I’m not mad at you. I’m out for more of Rico’s blood, but no, I’m not mad at you.”

    Her shoulders started to shake, telling me she was crying, and I couldn’t take it. I stood up and reached out my hand to her, then pulled it back, worried it would frighten her. Seeing her like that, my heart slammed in my chest. She didn’t deserve any of this—being kidnapped and now that bastard’s attack on her. I was pissed at Roman.  

    “Will you hold me?”

    That request shook me out of my thoughts. “What?” I had to make sure I heard her correctly.  

    Her face still in her hands, she asked again. “Will you hold me? Please?” She raised her face a little to look at me, her salty tears leaving a path down her cheeks. I gave a little groan and sat up on the table next to her, taking her gently in my arms. I ran my hand up and down her back, trying in any way I could to help calm her down. I didn’t know if it was helping, but unless she told me to stop, I’d keep going. Her hot tears soaked my shirt, but I didn’t care; all that mattered was the girl in my arms and helping her recover.

    “I thought you’d be mad at me for leaving the cabin,” she suddenly said, her face still buried in my chest.

    I continued stroking her back. “Well, yeah, I wasn’t happy but was more worried than anything. I’m just sorry it took me so long to finally find you.” I clenched my jaw, berating myself.

    “Don’t blame yourself, Tag,” she said with a sniff. “What happened was totally my fault.”

    Oh, hell, no. No way was she going to blame herself for that bastard’s action. I forced myself to stay calm as I replied.

    “Listen to me, Penny,” I started. “In no way, no way whatsoever is what happened your fault. It is one hundred percent Rico’s fault, and no one else’s. Don’t you ever blame yourself again for what he did.”

    She looked up then, and the sight almost brought me to my knees. Her big almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears and…desolation? Whatever it was, I didn’t like it. Rico would pay for what he did to her.  

    “But if I had only stayed in the cabin, none of this would have happened,” she whispered, her breaths coming out uneven after her tears.

    I framed my hands around her face and pressed my forehead to hers. “I don’t care if you had marched straight to his cabin and knocked on his door, querida. This was not. Your. Fault.”

    She looked uncertain but didn’t argue. “He was going to rape me,” she said instead, piercing my soul with her tortured words.

    I pulled her face back to my chest, setting my chin on top of her head. “I know.”

    “I fought him, but then my whole body went numb,” she started, and I knew she didn’t expect me to reply; she just needed to get it out. “I felt like I had floated to the ceiling and was watching it from above. It was like my mind took me away from reality.”

    I just nodded and waited for her to continue.

    “He was saying all these weird things, like telling me he knew I wanted it and why was I being a bitch resisting. I asked him to stop, but he wouldn’t. He was just about to do it when you came in.” Her sobs started again, and I swear if she wasn’t in my arms, I’d be storming out to find that son of a bitch again and kill him.  

    “You’re safe now. You’re with me,” I told her, holding her close to me as she continued to cry. “He won’t ever touch you again. I promise.”

    “I’m