Ky. I whimpered in gratitude and relief.

His tanned rugged face was awash with horror as his blue eyes took in the scene. Then his expression darkened to one of murderous rage.

Behind me, Tiff froze over my bruised, bare flesh, then backed away, leaving my exposed body on show. Jule’s fingers dropped from between my legs and she scampered over the mattress to join Tiff. I tried to move, but I was frozen in place. Every part of me screamed in pain and fear, rendering me unresponsive. When Ky glanced down at me, I saw the same fear reflected in his eyes. It was not fear for himself, but fear for me.

Behind Ky, the door smashed open again. Hush and Cowboy burst through.

“Shit!” Cowboy spat as he saw me on the bed with bitter tears dripping down my nose. “Shit! Lilah!”

Ky suddenly punched the wall and that was all the warning Ky gave as he charged forward like an animal, rabid fury in his stare. He ripped a long thin knife from his cut. Tiff and Jules started screaming and held each other in fear. Shocked at this sudden action, I scrambled up the bed, curling up in a ball against the headboard.

“Fuck!” Hush spat and ran at Ky, wrapping his arms around his waist, stopping him in his tracks. Ky struggled against the hold, trying to break free to get at Tiff and Jules.

“Cowboy, get them the fuck outta here. Hold them in the bar!” Hush ordered. Cowboy ran past a livid Ky and Hush gripped Tiff and Jules by the arms and dragged them out of the room.

“Ky, calm the fuck down!” Hush said trying to soothe Ky. He released his arm, and Ky turned, pushing Hush against the bedroom wall.

“They attacked her!” Ky bellowed, his fists gripping tightly to Hush’s shirt. “Those sluts fuckin’ attacked my bitch!”

It was all too much. I was sore, hurt and, more than that, terrified of Ky’s anger.

Dropping my head in my hands, I screamed. I screamed until my throat was raw. I screamed until I could scream no more. I turned my head to the wall, covering my ears with my hands and whimpering. Every part of me ached, my mind holding the image of Tiff and Jules pinning me down.

Lord! Please save me! Please let me forget what I have just endured, I prayed.

“Fuck, Ky!” I heard Hush say. “She’s freaking out. Your bitch is freaking the fuck out! Do something!”

A few seconds later, a hand touched my shoulder. I jumped out of my skin, eyes darting with fear. Ky was kneeling beside me, his face contorted. “I need to get you cleaned up, Li.”

Seeing the anger still evident on Ky’s beautiful face, more tears gushed from my eyes. Who was this Ky? This Ky frightened me. Tiff and Jules had attacked me… touched me… pushed themselves on me…

Ky dropped his head near my bare legs and sighed. “I ain’t gonna hurt you, baby. It’s me, Ky. You can trust me. Please…”

I did not believe him. He had charged at Tiff and Jules. He was going to hurt them in my name. My head shook as he reached out for me, and I tried to meld myself with the wall.

“Li! It’s fuckin’ me, Ky! Come back to me.” His voice sounded to me like razor blades. When I beheld his eyes, I saw only desolation. “I need to hold you, baby. Check you are okay with my hands, my fuckin’ eyes.”

When his arms thrust forward, I instinctively cowered back. Ky’s face fell, and he said, “Li, please. I ain’t gonna keep asking. And I ain’t gonna hurt you.” Ky looked sideward at Hush quietly leaving the room, but said in a quiet voice, “I fuckin’ missed you, baby. I missed you. Me, Ky! And I came back to see those sluts… I gotta touch you, baby. I ain’t gonna ask again.”

Lowering my head, I tried to relax. Then Ky crawled on the bed, curled his strong arms under my legs and back. Carefully Ky lifted me to his heaving sweaty chest.

Ky rocked me back and forth and said, “I’m so sorry, baby. I…didn’t realize they’d pull something like this. I knew they were pissed, but to come after you… They’re jealous fuckin’ bitches. Raging that I dumped their rancid asses a few nights ago. They didn’t take it too well.”

My bottom lip quivered. Shock was setting in and Ky muttered something under his breath. Ky covered me with my ripped and bloodied slip.

Ky stroked back my hair and said, “Fuck, Li,” in a pained voice. I could not speak. My stomach was in knots and my constant trembling felt unbearable.

Ky drew in a long breath and asked, “Did they touch you, Li? Was I too fuckin’ late?”

Managing to nod my head to indicate yes, Ky’s rage was palpable. Then he stood abruptly and went into the washroom. A few seconds later, he came out with a wet white washcloth. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ky began cleaning my injuries in the most delicate fashion.

The taste of blood now seemed normal in my mouth.

Ky’s expression was stone. With every new injury he found, he became tenser. When he pressed the cloth against my bruised cheek, I flinched. Ky asked tightly, “Lilah, why the fuck were you down here tonight? I told you the rules. I told you to never come down without me. That it was dangerous.”

Ky implored me to answer with his harsh stare. Using my hands to shift higher up the bed, I gathered my wits and, feeling rather foolish, I said, “I… I was looking for you.”

Ky’s eyebrows pulled down and suddenly his expression softened.

His fingers met my forehead and he pushed back my hair. “You were looking for me?”

“Yes,” I whispered, my focus now on the bed linen. “I saw you return home and I so wanted to greet you. I saw you enter the yard and felt… felt an overwhelming sense of excitement to see you again.”

“You did?” Ky rasped out, and my gaze slammed to his. “Baby…” I watched him take a deep swallow, and he lifted my hand, pressing a kiss to the skin on the back.

My breathing stuttered and my heart fluttered in my chest.

“Even still, sweet cheeks, you shouldn’t have been down here alone. It ain’t safe for a bitch to be unprotected.”

“I am sorry,” I said and began to cry. “Tiff and Jules followed me to your room and attacked me. They said they wanted to find out why you liked me over them, why you had left them for me…then they touched me, rid me of my clothes and kept telling me I was beautiful as they touched me against my will…”

The temperature in the room dropped fifty degrees as Ky’s face became glacial. “Those motherfuckin’ whores did what?” he exclaimed through gritted teeth.