Jennie

It's hard not to fidget while Lisa undresses me for the third time in the space of ten hours.

This time when she pulls my panties down, her palms brush all the way down my legs before coming back up to settle on my hips.

Her fingers dig into my skin, and a growl rumbles from her chest. "This is the sweetest fucking torture."

My gaze goes to the bathtub. "I can really do it myself."

"Fuck no. I'm not missing out on the opportunity to bathe you."

Lisa takes hold of my left hand. "Get in, moya Malen'kaya Feya."

Holding onto her, I climb into the balmy water and sit down. Lisa rolls her shirt's sleeves up to her elbows, exposing the veins snaking beneath her skin.

Why is that so damn attractive?

Lisa crouches next to the tub, and grabbing a loofah, she squirts body wash onto it. She starts to wash my back and shoulders while I focus on keeping the cast braced on the side of the tub so it won't get wet.

It feels nice having her attention on me until the loofah slides down my abdomen to between my legs. My body immediately tenses, and I divert my gaze to the cast.

From the corner of my eye, I see Lisa tilting her head, her movements growing slower. "Why did you tense up?"

My mind races to think of an acceptable lie. My tongue darts out to wet my lips. "Ah… I'm just tired."

I can feel her eyes burning on me. Her hand with the loofah stills between my legs, then she orders, "Look at me."

Destructive emotions spiral into my chest as I shake my head.

"Hey, talk to me," her tone is too gentle for me to handle right now.

Not caring about my right arm, I climb to my feet and scramble out of the bath. Sharp pains shoot through my arm, and I bite my bottom lip to suppress the groan.

Grabbing a towel, I wrap it around me and leave a trail of wet footprints all the way to the walk-in closet.

"Jennie," Lisa snaps, her voice filled with brutality and tension. "What the fuck happened while you were with the Cosa Nostra?"

I do a poor job of drying my body, and when I try to step into my underwear, I fall to my side. Before my right arm can slam into a set of drawers, Lisa grabs hold of me, yanking me back onto my feet. She forces me to turn to her, then pins me with a stare that's filled with rage.

"What the fuck happened?"

My voice is shaky as I say, "I already told you."

The expression on her face darkens until she looks like death itself. "You're lying to me."

Pulling free from her hands, I step back. I close my eyes and whisper, "You're scaring me."

I hear her suck in a couple of deep breaths, then she gently pulls me to her chest. There's so much worry in her voice when she says, "Please tell me."

The humiliation is too fresh, and I don't know how Lisa will react. She's no longer the only person who's touched me.

"I'm just tired," I groan. "Let me get dressed so I can sleep. Please."

She lets out a deep sigh, then grabs my underwear and crouches by my feet. "Left leg." I place my trembling hand on her shoulder and step into the panties.

While Lisa dresses me, exhaustion sinks into my bones. Everything inside me feels black and blue, and with every passing minute, the trauma sinks its claws into me.

While I had to fight for my life, there was no time to process anything, but now that I'm safe, it's all flooding me like a tsunami, hell-bent on drowning me.

When I'm dressed, Lisa frames my face and leans down to capture my eyes. "We'll talk once you've had some sleep."

I nod, thankful that she won't push the subject right now.

She presses a kiss to my forehead. "Get in bed, moya Malen'kaya Feya. I'm just going to shower, then I'll join you."

She tugs me to the bed and throws the covers back. When I lie down, she gently tucks me in and presses another kiss to my temple.

"Night," I whisper.

"G'night, baby."

I quickly close my eyes, the term of endearment threatening to make the tears come.

I listen as Lisa moves around the room and the water running in the shower. When she comes out of the bathroom, the bed dips under her weight. she pushes an arm beneath my head and pulls me back until I'm cradled against her body.

I keep my eyes tightly shut and my breaths as even as possible, hoping she'll think I'm already asleep.

"Ya lyublyu tebya, moya Malen'kaya Feya," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair.

I think I know what the words mean and focus on how safe they make me feel.

No one can hurt you anymore.

You're safe in Lisa's arms.

Walking through a field, I'm surrounded by giant buildings that reach into the clouds.

Suddenly a tornado warning fills the air, the sound sending a wave of alarm through me. Shadows start to form from the clouds, then they take the shape of the five heads of the Cosa Nostra.

"Die," Mr. Messina hisses.

"Die," Mr. Amato echoes him.

The tornado warning grows louder, and I frantically glance around for a place to take shelter. A door opens in one of the buildings, and I run to it. When I dart inside, lights flicker on, showing a great hall. There's a stage where my grandfather, father, and uncle are seated.

Uncle Ricco's eyes rove over me. "She'll go for a good price."

"No!" I cry, my heart splintering into a million pieces. "Why did you do this to me?"

"I'll pay ten million," Mr. Yang's voice booms through the hall.

I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out.

"She's a child, only seventeen," my grandfather roars.

"Nonno," I sob. "Help me."

"She has to pay our debt," my father demands.

Mr. Yang's fist comes flying at me, then I'm grabbed by Alessandro. I start to fight with all my strength, screaming and sobbing for them to let me go.

Shooting upright, arms lock around me. My body is inundated with panic and fear, and I slap at a solid chest as I struggle to get free.

"Jennie!" Lisa's voice yanks me back to reality so fast that my body jerks.

Desperately, I gasp for air as the remnants of the nightmare shudder through me.

Another gasp, then I crumble like a house of cards.

"Christ," Lisa snaps harshly. Her arms tighten around me, and she engulfs me. "I've got you. You're safe."

Broken cries spill from me, my tears falling between my cheek and her chest.

It felt so real.

"Lisa," I whimper, unable to carry the trauma by myself.

My family were sex traffickers. Because of them, I've been through hell. I've been beaten and violated, and I can't handle it.

"I'm here, baby. Talk to me."

In the safety of her arms, I force my humiliation over my lips, "T-the one g-guard t-t-touched me."

There's a dangerous tone to Lisa's voice as she asks, "What do you mean he touched you?"

I hunch my shoulders and cower against her solid chest, then whisper, "Between my legs."

The air shifts as Lisa tenses, then it starts to feel as if every particle in the room is vibrating from the rage coming off her.

"Which guard?" she grits the words out through clenched teeth.

I shake my head. "You already killed him."

"Blyadʹ," she curses.

I swallow hard and attempt to squash the emotions deep down, but I can't, and they spill from me in the form of sobs.

"Shh…" she presses a kiss to my temple. "I'm so fucking sorry I didn't get to you sooner."

My voice is broken and hoarse as I whisper, "I'm sorry you're not the only person who's touched me."

"Jesus, Jennie. Don't fucking apologize, baby." She pushes me back and frames my face. Leaning down, she locks eyes with me. "None of this was your fault. Do you understand me?"

I nod in her hold, tears still spilling down my cheeks. My voice is small as I ask, "You're not disgusted with me?"

It looks like she's in physical pain, her eyebrows drawing together. "Why would you think that?"

"B-because…" I shake my head and try to pull away.

Lisa tightens her hold on me. "Why?"

I lower my eyes to her chest. "I'm disgusted with myself." Intense shame threatens to overpower me. "And I'm disgusted with my family."

Although rage still burns in her eyes, her features soften. "Moya Malen'kaya Feya, you're not your family. What they did bears no reflection on you." Her gaze bores into mine. "And what that fucker did to you…" She has to take a calming breath, a shudder raking through her body, "Jesus, I wish I didn't give him such a quick death. If I had known, he'd be choking on his fucking dick."

God.

Lisa's thumbs brush over my cheeks, and the longer she stares at me, the softer her gaze becomes until I see the love in her eyes.

"As for me, yes, I'm angry as fuck, but not at you." She shakes her head. "I can never be disgusted with you, moya Malen'kaya Feya. If you knew…" The corner of her mouth lifts slightly, "I love you, Jennie. I love every-fucking-thing about you. How petite you are. How gentle and pure your nature is. How fucking exquisite every inch of you is." She leans closer, pressing her forehead to mine. "I love you so fucking fiercely and will never let you go. It's you and me for life."

My eyebrows draw together, and my face crumbles as my love for her grows so much it feels like it will burst from me. With a sob sputtering from me, I say, "I'm so glad you kidnapped me."

Lisa lets out a chuckle. "There's something I never thought I'd hear."

A tear spirals down my cheek, which she captures on her thumb. When she licks it off, it looks freaking hot and no longer sinister.

"Why do you do that?"

The corner of her mouth lifts. "Because I want to possess every part of you, moya Malen'kaya Feya. Even your tears."

Holy shit.

I feel her breaths on my lips as I whisper, "Do you want to hear the truth?"

She nods, her eyes locked on mine. "No more lies."

With my entire heart, I say, "I love you, Lisa."