After I end, Jaxon drops to his knees proper in entrance of me, like his legs can’t maintain him up anymore. “No child,” he barely whispers. There’s torment in his eyes and I can’t stand the look.

He walks on his knees the remaining ft separating us. I pull my legs aside so he suits higher in opposition to me. He rests his head in opposition to my abdomen and wraps his arms tightly round me. After a couple of minutes, he lifts his head and appears up at me.

“I’m so sorry, child. I’m so sorry you went by means of that. I’m so sorry I can’t repair what occurred to you. I’m so fucking sorry that I wasn’t there.” He finishes by kissing my abdomen.

I sniff and rub the final of my tears from my face. Working my fingers by means of his hair, I ask him, “What did you do with the field?” I had seen it was gone whereas I used to be telling my story.

His voice is tough once more when he speaks. “It’s outdoors. I wished to trash it however figured the cops would possibly want it.” I nod, realizing one of the best factor to do is name the cops. I’m undecided if it’ll assist, however Jaxon mentioned he was good mates with the sheriff so I hope he’s capable of do one thing.

“What am I going to do, Jaxon? I’m so scared.” My voice is so small that I do know he barely hears me.

He places his fingers on both facet of my face, forcing me to have a look at him. “First, we’re going to name the cops and make a report. Steven appears sensible sufficient to not go away fingerprints, however there’s all the time an opportunity that he was careless. Second, I’m going to speak to the sheriff and see what we will do, get him to run a background verify on him. I’m additionally going to make just a few calls to these acquaintances within the FBI I informed you about. There’s obtained to be one thing on the market that proves he’s not the upstanding citizen he likes to painting. We’ll get him, angel, a technique or one other.”

The dedication in his voice helps reduce my nervousness. I’ve little doubt that Jaxon will do no matter it takes to deliver Steven down.

“I’m going to take a bathe,” I inform him. I have to do one thing to assist wash away the recollections. Taking a scalding-hot bathe and rubbing my physique uncooked will hopefully assist.

Jaxon sits again, solely to lean over till his lips brush mine softly. Pushing again, he will get to his ft, extending his hand to assist me up as effectively. After I’m standing, he pulls me into arms. I bury my face in his exhausting chest and breathe him in. Excessive of my head Jaxon says, “When you’re within the bathe I’ll name the cops and make just a few different calls.”

I nod and pull again. Making my approach to Jaxon’s bed room, I seize some sweat pants and one in all his t-shirts. As soon as within the grasp lavatory I flip the water on sizzling and strip my garments off. After I step into the bathe, I hiss on the blast of sizzling water that hits my physique. I seize a washcloth, squirt some cucumber-melon bodywash on it and begin vigorously scrubbing my physique. I scrub and scrub till my physique aches. I can see the blood coming to the floor just below my pores and skin in splotches.

It doesn’t work. Regardless of how exhausting I scrub the recollections and filth gained’t wash away. I drop the rag and sink to the ground with the water nonetheless blasting throughout my physique. I increase my knees in entrance of my chest, wrap my arms round them, and lay my head in opposition to the highest of my knees. The uncontrollable sobs are again and I can’t push them away.

I hear the bathe door open after which a curse. I look up at Jaxon. “Jesus Christ, Bailey. What are you doing?” Jaxon reaches throughout to show the water off, however yanks his hand again from the warmth. “Fuck!” He rapidly grabs a hand towel and wraps it round his hand and turns the dial till the water is off. He drops the hand towel, grabs a much bigger one and bends to scoop me up into his arms.

As soon as outdoors the bathe, he wraps a towel round my shoulders and begins to pat me dry. I whimper on the contact of the towel in opposition to my reddened and sore pores and skin, and Jaxon instantly stops.

“Goddamn it! Why did you do that to your self?” Jaxon scolds me and begins to pat the towel extra frivolously in opposition to my pores and skin. I start to shiver from stepping out of the recent bathe into the air-conditioned lavatory. The toilet is so thick with steam that I can barely see something.

My tooth chatter once I reply. “It’s t-the solely w-way I c-can f-feel clear once more. B-but it didn’t w-work. N-no matter how m-much I scrubbed, the f-filth wouldn’t g-go away.” I begin to cry once more.

“Oh, angel.” Jaxon bends to select me up beneath my legs and again. Strolling into the bed room, he gently locations me on the mattress and runs again to the toilet for my garments, one other towel, and a jar of some type of cream. Jaxon removes the towel draped over my shoulders and slowly begins to use the cream throughout my burnt physique. Afterward, he gently clothes me, making an attempt to maintain the clothes from rubbing in opposition to my pores and skin. My shivers have died down some, however I nonetheless really feel chilly. Going to the closet, he grabs one in all his hoodies and places that on me as effectively.

My pores and skin continues to be very delicate, however the heat of the garments helps maintain in my physique warmth. Jaxon sits behind me on the mattress along with his legs on both facet of mine and begins to dry my hair. As soon as it’s fairly dry and never dripping anymore, he places his arms round me and tugs me backwards till I’m resting in opposition to him.

“How lengthy have you ever been taking showers like that?” he asks in my ear.

I reply in a small voice. “Since I used to be a bit of lady. When my dad and mom had their events and their mates obtained maintain of me, I might all the time really feel so soiled afterwards. The one factor that helped was a boiling-hot bathe and scrubbing my physique as exhausting as I might deal with. I finished once I left residence, however when Steven began his video games I began taking them once more.”

Jaxon kisses the facet of my neck earlier than replying. “Angel, that wasn’t only a sizzling bathe I walked in on. I don’t see the way you don’t have second-degree burns. I couldn’t even contact the water and I don’t see the way you have been capable of breathe by means of the steam. Promise me you gained’t don’t do this once more. You scared the shit out of me.”

I do know that my sizzling showers are a bit of an excessive amount of, however it’s was really the one factor that helped me keep clear all these years. I really feel sorry for scaring him. I flip my head and nuzzle my face into his neck.

“I’m sorry I fearful you. The new showers have been my coping mechanism, however I’ll try to tone it down a bit sooner or later. I do know they aren’t good for me, however I used to be determined to really feel clear once more after seeing what was within the field. Seeing that decimated doll introduced all the things again to me.”

“I perceive, angel, however should you ever really feel the necessity to take one, please come to me first. Discuss to me, and I’ll do all the things it takes so that you can overcome the soiled.”

I nod in opposition to his neck. “Okay.”

My physique is worn out from the warmth and abuse of the bathe and my eyes begin to drift shut. Proper earlier than I succumb to sleep, I hear a knock coming from the entrance door.

“That’s the police,” Jaxon says, and slowly pulls away from me.

All I need to do is get into mattress with Jaxon holding me and sleep, however I do know that now we have to make a report first. I rise up and comply with Jaxon out of the bed room to the entrance door. After searching the peephole, Jaxon opens the door and I’m stunned to see Mac on the opposite facet.

He’s dressed casually in a button-up hunter-green shirt and a pair of darkish denims. On one hip is a badge and on the opposite is a holster carrying a gun. My jaw drops. This have to be the sheriff who’s pal Jaxon was speaking about.

“I didn’t know you have been a cop,” I say, dumbfounded.

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