The Deal

Chapter Twenty Five

"I remember they're hands on me when he dragged me inside to them, grabbing me violently, still in my pajamas..He almost got away with it and he would have" I pause, shutting my eyes again and I press my face against his chest, trying to breathe in his scent, feeling it calm me when the smell of pine and his cologne fills my nose.
My hands shake as I tug at the fabric of his shirt. "Aria ran to one of the neighbors crying, they called the police and found where he took me, they'd been watching him and knew he was making connections with..whoever they were" I tell him, feeling his arm tighten around me, making me feel overwhelmingly safe..I only wish I was this safe from the memories.

"Just by chance.." I breathe. "Just by chance they knew where he might have taken me, they those men were involved in child trafficking and they were..they were taking them as payment in exchange for drugs and my father.." my voice cracks as I blink at the stinging in my eyes before they fill with tears. "Offered me right up.." I barley whisper.

My lips start to quiver and I sit up, burying my face in my hands swiping the tears away. "Lily" he breathes, the shifting before he sits up, pushing the hair off my shoulder before I feel his breath on my neck. "Where is he?" He asks, pulling me to sit between his legs, his hands resting at my waist. "I don't know" I shake my head. Feeling my heart rate slow down just having his hands on me. "He ran" I tell him, feeling his hand slip under my shirt and rest on my stomach, making me shudder at his touch, sinking into him.

A moment of silence falls between, only the sound of his breathing fills my ears, feeling his warm breath on my neck. "Does Haley have a different dad?" He asks after a minute only making nausea creep in as I shake my head. "No..he came back and..paid my mom a visit" I tell him, deciding I can't stomach the details right now but I can tell he understood what I mean by the way his breath pauses against my neck and his knuckles flex against my tummy.

"He hasn't come around in years but I'm afraid he will" I tell him, falling back against the mattress when he shifts, pulling me down next to him. "If he does I'll fucking kill him" he tells me, pressing his forehead against mine, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his side. "You'd go to jail" I say, reaching up and playing with the neckline of his shirt, before looking up and meeting his gaze.
His beautiful blue eyes pouring into mine, the moonlight reflecting off of them. Wondering why he's being so soft and calm but deciding not to rack my brain over it right now. He is, he's here, lying with me. I'm in his arms and I never want him to pull away.

"Wouldn't matter if he's dead" he tells me. "I know you're not joking" I tell him. Some odd strong feeling swirling in the middle of my chest, making my heart thump and my stomach fill with warmth yet whatever it is sends a shiver up my spine knowing he isn't joking..he is a thousand percent serious I just don't understand why. Why would he kill someone for me?

"You need to sleep" he tells me, his arm sliding over my hip and resting there. I nestle my face against his chest, listening to his heart and trying to match my breathing to his. Swearing I feel his lips kiss the top of my head but he probably just moved..

—Rafe—

"Did you install this correctly?" Aria asks as I lift Haley into the back seat of my truck. "I guess we'll find out if she goes flying out the window" I tell her flatly and she rolls her eyes. She is so fucking snotty..she's almost worse than Alilia. I should leave her ass here with no ride..Except she's just a fucking smart ass who won't stop running her mouth. Aria is just a typical teenage snot case. Or maybe she has reason to not like me..I'm sure Lily has told her things.