Page 37 of Savage Desires

I want to pull her into my arms and kiss her breathless in thanks for making me feel this way. At the same time, I want to spank the hell out of her for making me feel so much. I care for my friends like they are my brothers and their wives like my sisters, but this is so much more. It's all-consuming. Obsessive.

"I should get dressed," she says quietly, opening those fathomless blue eyes that suck me in.

I stand and pull her to her feet. Instead of giving her privacy, I lift her t-shirt over her head, stripping her. Willow doesn't protest when I kneel and help her into clean leggings and a better-fitting t-shirt. Even though it's the smallest size in the drawers, it's still too big for her small frame.

I decide then and there to do whatever it takes to get her back to health. I will ensure she eats every meal, including snacks, until she's no longer skin and bones. She will want for nothing for the rest of her life. She's mine now. It's a terrible idea and unethical to keep her, but her fate was sealed when I saw her on that auction block… even before that. I've been obsessing over her since that night at Mecca.

"Come on, beauty. Let's go see your friends."

She frowns. "They aren't my friends. Not really."

That confuses me because I got the feeling that the five women they auctioned off knew each other. They definitely knew of each other because there appeared to be a comfort level between most of them that went beyond a shared night of horror.

"Do you know them?"

"Yeah… The five of us came from Mecca, but you don't exactly make friends there."

"How so?"

"We are mostly kept apart, and it's everyone for themselves when it comes down to it. My cellmate, Georgie, was my only friend."

"What happened to her?" I ask, hating the sadness in her voice when she talks about her friend.

"She's still at Mecca, as far as I know."

"How many women are there?"

She sighs, shoulders slumping. "I'm not sure. After an auction, they get new girls. I think there were twelve left after they sent us to the auction."

Anger like I've never felt before bubbles up inside me at the reminder of the auction and what could've happened to Willow had I not been there. Talking about this is obviously upsetting her. I need to know everything she knows about the operation so I can help the other women and shut the bastards down, but I don't want to push her right now.

"Let's go downstairs. We can talk more about this later."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to help those women and shut the whole operation down."

Fire sparks in her eyes, and I can see the desire to get revenge burning inside their blue depths. I get the feeling that she will want to be involved in taking those bastards down. I want to give that to her. With the way she fought me and how willing she was to handle a knife and gun, I know she will be able to hold her own. With a little weapons training and time to get stronger, she will be a force to be reckoned with.

I can't wait.

I lead her out of the room and to the stairs. She's moving slowly from all the abuse her body experienced during her escape. When she grimaces, I scoop her up and carry her down the stairs. She doesn't protest, but she also doesn't relax against me like she did last night. She asked to see the others, but now she's tense, and her heart is racing.

I'm not sure why she's on the verge of panicking, but I don't like it. I don't know what her relationships are like with those women. Were they some of the ones that looked out for just themselves to the detriment of others? I don't like the thought of putting her in an uncomfortable situation.

"Beauty, you don't have to see them right now. If you want to rest in your room, I will carry you back upstairs."

She takes a deep breath and relaxes against my chest. "I'm okay. I can do this."

"You can do anything. You're the strongest person I've ever met," I say honestly.

She lets out a soft sigh and nuzzles her face into my neck. I have no idea if she realizes she's doing it, but my fucking cock is rock hard. I grit my teeth, cursing my dick for being so damn responsive to her every touch. It would probably terrify Willow to know how much I want her. She's been a fucking sex slave for six years, for fuck's sake. I'm a bastard for even thinking about her that way.

Instinctively knowing she won't want to look weak in front of the others, I let her down at the bottom of the stairs. I guide her to the living room, where the other women are spread out, watching TV and quietly talking. Lexis is curled up on a chair in the corner with a book. Gladys said she's keeping her distance from the others and seems to be the least traumatized by her situation. Probably because she chose to be a prostitute at one point and was able to disconnect in a way that the others weren't. It's not unheard of, at any rate. She'll be offered therapy just like everyone else to deal with her trauma.

"Willow!" one of the women squeals and rushes up to her. Willow winces when the other woman hugs her.

"I'm so glad you're okay. They told us you were but wouldn't let any of us see you."