Stay with Me by Awesomekristii (jenna bush book club .TXT) 📖

DAMIEN

“We escaped that day, and fortunately didn’t get caught. Until… we reached the forest where I lost her. They were chasing us, and it was so terrifying, I… I couldn’t even understand how I would protect myself. But, till the morning I tried until I collapsed in the forest and I didn’t have any clue how I even reached the hospital.”

Her legs were pulled up close to her chest, her hands wrapping around them. I couldn’t stop the emotions- so many of them- whirling inside me.

She had been through so much, that I couldn’t even fathom. From being sold by her own father, to survive in a hell like that for five damn years was nothing but pure courage.

I could see her beautiful emerald eyes were glassy, the thin sheen of tears clouding her vision. My throat tightened the more I kept on looking at her. And what more stabbed my heart was the fact that it was Ethan fucking Louis. The guy I thought was my best business partner, and friend. How could I be so fucking blind? Not knowing human trafficking was a side-business for him. How could I not?

Her chin quivered and it didn’t take me long to move forward and wrap my arms around her. She would get justice and so would the other girls who were with her, trapped in there against their very will. She nuzzled her face in the crook of my neck, where I could feel the wetness against my skin.

Her small petite figure trembled and I knew she was crying. She hadn’t been that expressive after the incident except for the terror to be near to anyone. I pulled her on my lap, her legs on the other sides of my body.

“I… I couldn’t protect myself… Damien.” Her breathing fastened as she spoke, her words reverberating in my bones. “I was so weak, so helpless to even fight back or p-protect myself.”

“Shh…” I ran my fingers through her hair, smoothing the little knots, feeling her calming down a little. “You're the bravest woman, I have meet till now. You are a fighter, a survivor and so goddamn full of courage.” My voice held firmness and authority I wanted her to know.

I wanted her to believe in herself, to know absolutely no one but she herself had fought her demons, had survived in a place like that. “You are a fucking angel, sweetheart. An angle who had been in a hell and survived.” My fingers didn’t stop running through her soft, brown curls and I could feel her crying stopped and now replaced with little sniffs.

I placed a kiss on the side of her head, letting her rest against me. I couldn’t even imagine what this incident must had left a imprint on her, a repeat telecast of a former incident. My arms tightened whenever I remember the dirty hands of James on her. My body shivers imagining the cry of help echoed in that empty hall, her bleeding self, unconscious and so fucking hurt.

My blood boiled and I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to kill him with my own bare hands.

“Sweetheart, lets have the soup now.” She shook her head, her arms around my neck clutching firmly. “Please. You have meds to take after that.” She was reluctant to leave me, but had to.

I grabbed the soup bowl and brought near to her. Her hands trembled and I could see her difficulty holding the bowl, I took the situation in my hands. Taking a little soup in the spoon I blew some air to cool it down before moving it towards her lips. She opened her mouth a little and I made her have the soup. “That’s like a good girl.” I smiled but she didn’t reciprocate that, but it was okay.

It took me few more minutes, to complete her the entire soup, and made her have her tablets. She was looking so timid, so different from her former self that it hurt my soul. It hurt everywhere, knowing the suffering she was in. Emotionally. And physically. The bandage in her head needed to be dressed tomorrow, and luckily I have learnt it from the nurse yesterday itself.

“Sleep. It will make you feel better.” She nodded and I tucked her in the duvet and placed a kiss on her forehead. I dimmed the lights of the room and walked towards the door, before going out and shutting it behind me.

•••••••

I walked to my study, after tucking her in bed. My heart was unsettled as I sat there staring at my laptop screen. I couldn’t stop the thoughts of Lilah out of my mind.

Getting enough of this, I grabbed my phone and pressed a call to Ash. “Hello.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Ash, I want you to cancel my meetings for today. I will be staying back at home.”

“Okay, Sir. What about the meeting with Louis Enterprise?” My blood boiled at the reminder of that name.

“Cancel and cut all the deals we have ever had with them. I want you to abolish him from our company partner.”

“Okay, Sir.” I cut the call and pressed my head against the seat, trying to calm down my nerves. I didn’t fucking want just to cause physical pain to them, I want them to see their entire fucking empire going down. See the destruction in front of their eyes.

I called Stev, knowing it’s him whom I could trust the most in this situation. For the first time it didn’t take me two calls to get to him. “Hello.”

“How is she doing?” Knowing it was the first thing he would definitely asked, I wasn’t surprised at all.

“She is sleeping now, after taking the meds.” I contemplated whether to share her past with him or not, but I even knew without his assistance I wouldn’t be able to do this at the best.

Taking in a deep breath, I briefly described him the all. There was a deafening silence from the other side of the call, and I began to feel the soreness in my back.

“That was…” I nodded at his words, stalking towards the kitchen to have something. It’s already past the lunch time, and I didn’t have anything for breakfast except for the hospital sandwiches.