Damien sat on the bed in Dale’s downstairs guestroom. He had a feeling there was a reason as to why he was downstairs and not upstairs in the only other available guestroom. Hell, he didn’t blame Dale for not trusting him near his family. He had gone a little loco the day before. But seeing how the Carson family interacted with each other seared a hole through his chest. It was beautiful to see, but it made him feel even lonelier. Even little Third made his presence known. All that laughter, happiness and comical conversation, it made him want Victoria Secret even more. He’d quickly excused himself before he jumped on Ellie again.
Though he’d had a fitful night, it was the most rest he’d had in the longest time. It was a comfortable bed, not like the seedy ones he’d slept on chasing false leads on VS around the country. He ran his hand tiredly over his face, pausing to stroke the light buzz on his chin and around his mouth. He’d shaved some, all that was left was cutting his head of long curls. But for now—he combed his hair back and held it at the base of his head with a rubber band. Holding the towel around his waist, he moved to the closet to grab his bag. Hopefully, he’d have something clean to wear and then he would ask Dale about a washer and a drier. He was sure Dale was still home. He didn’t trust Damien around his wife and sadly neither did Damien. Every time he looked at her he saw…
The door opened and he turned to it. There standing with a pile of his clothes—clean and folded—was the object of his torment.
“Ah, hi. I didn’t think you had anything clean—I asked Dale to—I hope you don’t mind that I—” she held the pile out and he had to control himself from laughing at how she stammered through that. “Here all clean. Including underwear.”
He watched as her throat moved in a hard swallow, her forced smile fighting to stay straight on her lips. She was nervous. It made him grin.
Slowly, smoothly he walked to her watching as her eyes looked over his naked torso, reaching his waist then she quickly looked away. Why was she acting all shy around him? Maybe…
He’d loved the taste of her when he’d kissed her. He’d been disappointed when she didn’t kiss him back and instead forcefully pushed him away before Dale stepped in between them shoving Damien back. She looked up, catching him staring at her lips and her eyes immediately widened. He finally saw and understood the whole deer in headlights thing on a person’s face.
Maybe…
“Stop where you are,” Dale growled stepping into the doorway behind Ellie. He turned to his side, stepping into the room. Still glaring at Damien he grabbed his pile of clothes and pushed them into his chest. “Get dressed. She’s been spotted again.”
Damien went rigid, hugging his clothes to his chest, “Where?”
“At a prep school in the next district. Let’s go.”
He grabbed Ellie’s hand and dragged her out, banging the door closed in their wake. Wasting no time Damien pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans then quickly slid his feet into his worn but reliable Timberland boots. He grabbed his phone and wallet and rushed out the door. He’d gotten to the entryway of the living room when he heard the quiet sniffling of someone crying. Dale was wrapped around Ellie as they stood in the middle of the room and she was barely visible under all that mass of muscle and he could only see her from the waist down. She was crying and Dale had his head lowered, his lips to her ear whispering softly. When he finally spotted Damien he said something short and followed it with an ‘I love you’ and a kiss to her forehead before he unwrapped himself and walked towards Damien.
“Let’s go. Grab a jacket from the hallway closet.” Dale commanded gruffly as he walked past him.
Damien just nodded still staring at Ellie’s back and her bouncing shoulders. It was clear that she loved her sister despite all the hurt and harm Ellsa had caused in her life. Ellie still loved her.
Wanting to comfort her in some way Damien took three large steps towards her, but didn’t dare take the last one that would have her in his arms in a second. “I’ll make sure she’s alright, treated fairly that is. She won’t come to any harm with me there, especially if she’s—” he pressed his lips shut before he said something he wished wasn’t true.
Just because he was smart didn’t mean he didn’t indulge in some superstition.
She turned around. With a sad smile and swollen red-rimmed eyes, her arms crossed over her chest “Especially if she’s Victoria Secret? Yeah, Dale explained the confusion. Damien, I’m not her, but she could be Ellsa.”
Ah hell, she said it. He clenched his jaw to keep from muttering Indian rebukes to her words.
She took the remaining step and closed the distance, placing her small hand on his large arm. His muscles flexed at her touch, but he kept himself immobile. “Please, that woman you spent that weekend with, the one you fell in love with, that’s my sister. She’s the one I grew up with, the one I know, not—please if there is a chance of getting her back, for both our sakes, help me!” A tear trickled down her cheek. “Please, don’t let them—she needs to be alive for us to help her.”
Damien stiffened. Dear God he hadn’t thought of that. She was a dangerous escapee from a psycho jail and Dale—he would do anything to protect his family even kill his sister-in-law.
“Damien! Let’s go!” Dale barked behind him making Ellie jump.
“I promise,” he whispered so that only she could hear, then he pulled away and followed Dale out, grabbing a brown leather jacket from the closet on his way out.
****