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            “Do you want me to stay with you for a bit?” he asked quietly. “Maybe I can help you relax a little so you can sleep.”

            My heart skipped a beat before taking off in a gallop. I heard it thumping in my ears and pressing hard against my ribs. It was almost panic, but not entirely. Something just on the edge of it.

            “Okay.”

***

            Bryan nodded, even though he was pretty sure she couldn’t see it. He took a deep breath and toed off his shoes before walking around the bed and sitting against the headboard behind her. There was a short distance between them. He reached out to brush his fingertips on the back of her shoulder.

            “Roll over onto your back,” he said softly. “And put that pillow behind your head.”

            He listened to the sound of the sheets rustling as Morgan rolled onto her back. Her shoulder brushed against his knee as she settled down. She lifted her hair up from beneath her head, draping it over the pillow above her.

            “Good girl,” he murmured before reaching out to brush his fingertips along her forehead. “Close your eyes. Put your hands on your stomach, one on top of the other.”

            She did as he told her to. His thumb traced over her brow soothingly. He felt her expression relax just as she let out a soft breath.

            “I want you to focus on the feeling of my hand on your forehead. Nothing else. Don’t think about anything else but the feeling.” Bryan watched her for a moment, giving her time to sink into the start of something calm. “Good. Now just breathe. In and out slowly. Don’t force it, just breathe and focus on my hand.”

            He gently stroked his thumb across her forehead, timing his movements with the cadence of her breathing. He stayed as still as possible otherwise. If he could just help her stop thinking for a few minutes so she could sleep, he’d be happy. She deserved some peaceful rest after everything.

            It took ten minutes for Morgan’s body to sink into the mattress. Bryan knew the moment that her muscles let go and relaxed. Her breathing grew deeper, slower. Yet he kept his thumb brushing gently along her forehead. He rationalized that she might wake up if he didn’t.

***

            Anna sat against the arm of the sofa with her eyes fixed on the door leading into Morgan’s bedroom. She clutched a pillow to her chest as she thought about what was going to happen when they had to go back to their lives. Morgan wouldn’t go home with her. No. She’d get on a flight to Houston and walk right back into the horrors that Sammy would bestow on her.

            “I wish I could get her to stay away,” she said softly. “I don’t know what it going to take to make her leave him. For good.”

            Moxley grunted. “Bry and I will give it a try, talking to her. We can be very persuasive.”

            “She won’t listen to me. What makes you think she’s going to listen to you two?”

            He grinned at Anna, stretching one arm out on the back of the sofa. “You don’t know the two of us very well, cupcake. I know for a fact that Bryan isn’t going to just step back and let her walk right back into everything with Guevara. He will drag her back to Aberdeen if that’s what it takes.”

            Anna felt a small smile curve her lips. Something burned in the bit of her stomach, but she couldn’t explain it. It was somewhere between hope and a deeply sad desperation. “Why are you guys doing this?”

            Moxley looked for a moment like he didn’t know what to say. “It’s fucking crazy, isn’t it?” He chuckled nervously. “Honestly, I don’t know what it is. Not at the heart of it. But I know that there’s nothing that’s going to get in our way of keeping her safe from him. You, too, just so you know.”

            “He’s good with her,” she replied quietly, surprisedly. “I don’t think anyone has ever been like that to her. That sort of firm gentleness if that makes any sense.”

            “Perfect sense, cupcake,” Moxley said, reaching out to pat Anna’s knee. “Don’t worry. You’re not alone in this anymore.”

            Anna sighed. “I don’t know how to help her, Mox. I’ve never known how to help her.”

            Moxley gestured her toward him. He draped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a firm squeeze before dropping a brotherly kiss on the top of her head. “You’ve never given up on her. That’s more help than you know, Jay.”

***

            Bryan sat back against the headboard; his focus turned on Morgan. He’d barely looked away from her since she’d settled into sleep beside him. His chest tightened as he watched her chest rise and fall with each slow, smooth breath. It was a moment of peace for her, and he gently swept his fingers along her hair, brushing it back from her face.

            “I don’t know what he did to you, but I swear… Sammy Guevara won’t ever lay a hand on you again, Morgan. It’ll happen over my dead body.”

            He’d no more than said the words when Morgan twitched violently. Her brow furrowed, and her face scrunched in something like pain. She clutched at the sheets draped over her, twisting them in her fingers. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream just before she wailed. It was a sound of intense pain. Of fear and terror. Of agony.

            Bryan moved faster than he could think. He ripped the sheets away from her before snatching her up against him. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against his chest. He held her firmly, tightly, but gently.

            “Morgan,” he said calmly, his lips against her ear. “You can hear me. You are safe. I’ve got you. You’re safe. It’s Bryan. I’ve got you.”

            She thrashed against his hold, throwing her head back hard enough that she would have broken his nose if he hadn’t moved. Her legs kicked. Her hands clawed at his forearms, nails digging in hard enough to draw blood. Bryan did little more than flinch as she tore into his flesh. His head vibrated with the wails and screams that tore from her throat.

            “Shh. Shh,” he soothed. His voice was calm but solid. Commanding. “Hush. Stop fighting. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

            Bryan didn’t look up when he heard the commotion at the doorway. He knew that Morgan’s screams would have brought Anna and Moxley running. The two of them stumbled into the room, one after the other. Anna took two steps toward the bed before Moxley reached out and stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

            “Let me fucking go!” she shouted at him, yanking hard.

            Morgan screamed again, legs thrashing and kicking. Bryan’s arms hugged her against his chest as he held her legs down with his ankles on top of hers. He rested his chin on her shoulder, keeping his mouth next to her ear.

            “You can hear me, Morgan. You can hear me.” His words came out almost stern, but with a soft edge to them. He closed his eyes and tucked his face against her neck. “You’re safe, bunny. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’ve got you.”

            Her body shuddered, giving one last whining thrash before she sank back against Bryan’s chest. He breathed deeply, rocking her side to side gently.

***

            It felt like I couldn’t get away. Every step took enormous effort. Pain lanced through my limbs. My flesh seemed to flay off my bones. Terror ran like venom through my veins, keeping me locked into this continuing spiral of torture that dragged me further and further down. I couldn’t breathe. My throat closed until I could only choke, desperate for air. The screams died against my vocal cords.

            I was alone. Totally and completely alone.

            You can hear me, Morgan.

            The words echoed through me, shuddering along my bones. They were somewhere so far away. Barely there. Almost lost in the haze of pain that continued to rocket through every cell of my body.

            You can hear me.

            I felt myself turn in circles, searching. Hoping to find the source of those words. I knew them. They were so close, like a name dancing just at the front of my mind but a breath out of reach. I ran, trying to find them. The ground rolled beneath my feet, tripping me and dragging me into something like quicksand. Every step bogged me further and further down.

            I’ve got you.

            A deep, heavy scream ripped through my chest. It sent blood pouring from my lips as my throat ripped open. Every muscle in my body tensed, tightening until it felt as if my bones would shatter from the force. It was an agony that would never end. My own personal hell that would hold me, enfold me in its arms until it had crushed me completely.

            You’re safe, bunny.

            As suddenly as the pain began, it vanished. It rushed away and left nothing but a numb, aching hollowness behind. What had been tears of terror and agony fell into wailing sobs of emptiness.

***

            Moxley stood behind Anna, watching from the door as Bryan restrained Morgan against his chest. Even across the distance, he could tell that his hold on her was firm but gentle. He held her and spoke calmly against her cheek.

            “Just given him a second,” Moxley said lowly. Anna tried to yank her arm away from his hold on her wrist, but he held on with just enough strength to keep her from getting any further.

            “Look at her,” she hissed back at him. For a moment, she was overcome with the urge to slap him just to get him to let go. “She’s in pain.”

            He sighed and tugged Anna back toward him. “Just… be patient. Give him a chance.”

            Moxley sucked in a deep breath as he watched Morgan slowly stop thrashing in terror. His heart raced in his chest as he saw Bryan’s hold loosen. Fingers gently slipped around her wrists, crossing her arms over her chest gently. Bryan’s chin dropped onto her shoulder, and his voice dipped too low for them to hear.

            “See,” Moxley said softly after a few moments. “I told you.”

***

            Bryan sighed in relief as he tilted his face into the curve of Morgan’s neck. Her skin carried a deep warmth and a faint scent of salt from her nightmare-conjured sweat. He closed his eyes and made himself take one slow breath after another as he counted her heartbeats beneath the pads of his fingers. She trembled against his chest, faint sobs ripping from her lungs as tears ran hot down her cheeks.

            “It’s okay,” he whispered against her ear. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

            He set his chin against the curve of her shoulder, fighting the urge to press a kiss against the soft sweep of her throat. A heavy sense of relief rushed through him as he felt her breathing slow.

            “What?” Morgan’s voice was small, almost broken. It was thick with the tears that still raced down her cheeks. “What’re you doing?”

            The sound of her voice was sweet against his ears. He tried to wipe the memory of her thrashing in deep and wounding pain in her sleep. Bryan gave himself just a moment more before he carefully let go of her wrists. He let his fingertips skim up her forearms before setting his palms against the bed beside him.

            “I came to sit with you,” he murmured, “and you started having a nightmare. You were thrashing and… I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

***

            I looked from Bryan toward Anna and Moxley standing in the doorway. My friend nodded in confirmation of his words. Something warm settled deep against my spine as I turned my attention back to the man holding me between his legs, my back pressed against his chest. If I closed my eyes and focused, I almost thought that I could feel his heartbeat somewhere near by shoulder blade.

            “I…” The words were caught in my throat. I couldn’t make my brain function. My tongue was stuck against the roof of my mouth. “I…Bry…”

            “Shh, it’s okay, Morgan,” he said, his mouth right next to my ear. His voice was that low and steady tone that calmed the rush of adrenaline through my veins. “There’s nothing to feel guilty or embarrassed about. Do you understand?”

            My head nodded of its own accord. Tears burned against my eyelids. Before… with Sammy… I shuddered, my entire body trembling with something between fear and shame. Bryan’s fingertips brushed against my wrist, and I jerked. Muscle memory dragged my body in tightly, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I moved to press my face against my knees.

            Bryan’s fingers ghosted up my arm until they cupped against my chin, stopping me from hiding. He gently turned my head until I was looking into his crisp blue eyes. “You’re safe, Morgan. You are safe with me. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re safe. Tell me you understand.”

            I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. The tears swelled, slipping down my cheeks. The intensity of it took my breath, shoving the air out of my lungs. It punched through my chest as if it would rip me into pieces.

            The fingers settled against my chin tightened just a bit. His voice came low and steady. “You. Are. Safe. And it’s okay to feel the way you are.” Bryan’s thumb stroked gently over my jaw. “There’s nothing wrong with you. And I’m not upset or disappointed with you. If you want me to give you space, I’ll move. I’ll leave the room. If you want to be alone, we’ll let you be alone. I promise you… Mox, Anna, and I are going to take care of you. Tell me you understand, Morgan.”

            I licked my lips, trying to force my tongue to form words. Bryan was a blur through the tears that still poured down my face. I ached. And I wanted so badly to believe that I could be safe. That I could rely on Bryan Danielson and his promises.

            “Please,” he said softly, almost to himself. His next words were stronger, clearer. “Tell me you understand.”

            “I…” My voice broke in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, cleared my throat, and tried again. “I-I understand, Bryan.”

            Bryan’s finger and thumb squeezed my chin gently. “Good girl,” he praised, a faint smile on his lips. “Good girl.”

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            He kept looking over his shoulder at Morgan, afraid something would happen the moment he took his eyes off her. “Do you have Tylenol?” he asked Anna in a hushed whisper as he stepped into the nearby bathroom and picked up a glass from the sink. He filled it with cold water, trying his best to be as quiet as possible.

            “Order some food, Mox. Get something bland for Morgan. Chicken soup or bread. Plain rice. Something that’ll go down easy,” Bryan instructed as he passed by, holding out his hand for the tablets from Anna. “And do it in the other room so you don’t disturb her.”

***

            Moxley watched Bryan cross back over to the sofa where Morgan rested. The other man sank slowly onto the edge of the cushion, sitting the glass of water on the side table. His back was straight, shoulders squared. This was take charge Bryan. Manage a situation Bryan. Even if there was something soft in the way he looked at her.

            He could hear Bryan’s voice murmuring, soft and firm as he lifted Morgan’s head and helped her take the medication. He gave her a few sips of water then tilted her head back to make it easier to swallow them. Once Bryan was satisfied, he settled Morgan once again and sank down onto the floor beside her head.

            “Huh,” Moxley said under his breath. He watched his friend for a moment more before reaching for Anna Jay’s hand and pulling her through the door into the bedroom. A second glance let him know Bryan hadn’t moved.

            “What?” Anna said, her brow lifting.

            Moxley shook his head. “Nothing. So, what does she like to eat? Orders are something basic.”

            She shrugged. “I guess Panera.”

            Anna stayed at his side while he put in the order on the app. She watched him carefully, making sure he picked all the right things. After the order was in, Moxley sank down on the end of the bed and ran his hand over his face. He sighed from deep within his chest.

            “Anna,” he said after a moment of silence, “what happened with Guevara? Seriously.”

            “It’s not my story to tell,” she said. “But it’s enough to say that he tried to break her. There was a long time that I thought he had. And when I say he almost killed her, I mean it. He literally almost killed her. She was in the hospital for God knows how long. She had so many surgeries… she doesn’t even really look like herself anymore.”

            “I don’t think I want to know,” Moxley replied with a groan.

            “No, no you don’t.”

***

            I felt my eyes get heavy as every ounce of my energy poured from my veins. I shivered. Everything hurt. A hand slipped tenderly into my hair, lifting my head while another held a glass to my lips.

            “Drink,” came a stern but gentle voice. “Not too fast.”

            My hand came up, fingers closing loosely around the cool glass. The fingers beneath mine were warm and a little rough. But they were gentle as they tipped the water against my lips.

            “Good girl,” the voice soothed. “A little more.”

            I took a few more sips before the water disappeared. The careful hand in my hair guided me back onto the soft cushion beneath my head. I took a few breaths and tried to figure out where I was. Not knowing made a sliver of panic settle against my spine.

            “It’s Bryan,” the voice came again. “It’s Bryan. Take a deep breath… good girl… again… good… one more… very good.”

            The calmness of Bryan’s voice settled into my bones. I took one more steadying breath and opened my eyes just a bit. “Thank you, Ma—” He gave me a stern look, and I stopped. “Bryan.”

            He smiled behind his beard. His thumb reached out and stroked gently against my cheekbone. “Good girl, bunny,” he whispered. “It’s just me. Bryan. The only thing you call me is Bryan, okay? Tell me you understand.”

            I couldn’t stop myself from leaning into his touch. “Just Bryan.”

            He opened his hand, setting his palm against my face. “You’re never to call anyone ‘master’ again. Tell me you understand.”

            I opened my mouth to argue, knowing that it wouldn’t be that easy. But the crisp look in his blue eyes stopped me. Part of me felt a thrill run through my chest at the idea of being my own again. Of not having to… I didn’t want to think about it. “I understand.”

            Bryan’s lips turned up into a gentle smile. The rough pad of his thumb brushed along my cheek in slow, soothing strokes. Back and forth. “Whatever’s happened before, you’re safe with us, Morgan. Mox and I won’t let anything happen to you or Anna.”

            Something slipped behind my ribs. It felt like my heart stuttered, skipping every other beat. Like it had forgotten how to work.

            “Stay,” I said quietly, looking down to focus my attention on the pattern on the fabric of the sofa. “Please?”

***

            Moxley stood at the door looking out into the little living room of the suite. Bryan was still there beside Morgan, sitting on the floor beside her head with his hand cradling her cheek. His knees were drawn up, ankles crossed as he watched her. His shoulders were still squared and solid as if he were about to take on the weight of the world.

            Stay. Please. The words were so quiet, but they hit Moxley like a freight train. All the air rushed out of his lungs. His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists. Morgan sounded so… small. So afraid.

            A fierceness rushed through him, setting fire to the base of his spine. He was overwhelmed with an urge to fight the world for her. No one deserved what happened to her—whatever it had been—and he would burn the world to ashes to protect her now. Moxley didn’t stop to understand or try to explain it. All he knew was that Morgan Knox would never be around Sammy Guevara again.

            “Food’s on the way,” he said softly. He was careful to keep his voice even and calm. She was already messed up enough, and he wasn’t about to make it any worse. “You can eat and rest.”

            Morgan’s eyes flicked toward him. There was exhaustion and a deep sense of what he could only describe as loss in her dark eyes. He grinned in the hopes that it would lighten her mood. “I promise the two of us won’t throw too big of a party. Mitch won’t be invited.”

            Warmth surged through his veins when he saw the small smile on her face. It wasn’t much, but he’d take it.

            “Anna, you want to help our girl here get cleaned up and changed? Bry and I will stay out of the way. You know, like gentlemen.”

            Morgan looked away from him, and he would have sworn that there was a faint pink across her cheeks.

            Bryan tucked hair behind her ear and tilted his head. “Mox and I are going to go down to the car and get our bags. You’re going to go with Anna. When you get finished, Mox and I will be here waiting for you.”

            Moxley choked on his breath. He’d never heard Bryan use that voice, that tone, with anyone. Morgan’s eyes settled on Bryan’s, something faint and soft in her eyes.

            “Tell me you understand,” Bryan said evenly but gently.

            She nodded, leaning into his touch. “I understand.”

            “Good girl.”

***

            Anna stood by the bathroom door while Bryan helped Morgan up from the sofa. He was gentle with her in a way that she didn’t expect. He held one of her hands while he wrapped his other arm around her waist as he helped her walk slowly across the room. When she stumbled or swayed, he stopped and whispered to her gently.

            After a few more steps, Bryan slipped one arm behind her back and leaned down to curl the other behind her knees. He lifted her from her feet and walked slowly toward Anna, who stepped aside to allow Bryan to carry Morgan into the bathroom. He sat her gently on the lid of the toilet and brushed her hair back from her face.

            “We’ll be right back. Nothing will happen to you or Anna, okay?” He crouched so he could look into her eyes. “Do you understand?”

            Anna watched Morgan’s eyes flutter shut for a moment before she nodded. “I understand.”

            He leaned forward, almost as if he were going to touch her again, but he pulled himself back. As he stood up, he turned toward Anna.

            “We won’t be fifteen feet from the hotel,” he promised quietly. “Keep the door locked and call one of us if anything happens. We’ll give you twenty or thirty minutes alone.”

            Anna nodded, lowering her voice. “What are you going to do? Stand guard at the door?”

            Her stomach flipped in surprise when he gave her a brief and firm nod. “Until I can literally watch over her, I’ll make sure nobody comes in that goddamn door.”

            Bryan reached out and touched her shoulder gently before stepping around her and disappearing out of the room. A moment later, the door of the hotel room shut firmly.

            Taking a deep breath, Anna turned back to where you sat on the lid of the toilet. “C’mon, sweetie. Let’s get you out of those clothes and into a bath. You’ll feel better after.”

            “Okay,” Morgan replied quietly, her voice small and timid.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she tugged her clothes off while Anna ran a bath. The water was warm enough to help Morgan relax just a little bit. Without shame or awkwardness, Anna helped Morgan stand and settle into the bathtub. She helped her friend to dip her head back into the water so she could wash Morgan’s hair.

            “Are they coming back?” Morgan asked quietly, not looking at her best friend.

            Anna could read the sadness and fear that ran in a current beneath Morgan’s question.

            “Yeah,” Anna replied soothingly as she tilted Morgan’s head back to rinse the shampoo from her hair. “They’re just outside the hotel. Then they’ll be just outside the door until you’re ready for them to come back inside.”

            Morgan nodded gently. “Sammy…”

            Anna shook her head firmly. “We’re not going to talk about him. Or even think about him right now. Mox and Bryan are here to protect you. They won’t let anyone or anything hurt you.”

            “I’m scared.” Morgan’s voice was so quiet, so full of an exhausted sort of terror.

            “I know. But I trust them.’

            Silence settled in the room for a moment. Morgan drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Me too.”

***

            I felt surprisingly normal after Anna helped me get dressed and dry my hair. She sat behind me on the sofa and gently braided my hair. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been able to sit alone with Anna. Sammy had kept us apart for so long that it was almost as if we’d forgotten how to be friends without him watching over our shoulders.

            The knock on the door made me jump, sending adrenaline rushing through my veins. My body curled in on itself, knees pulled up to my chin and my arms tight around them. I hid my face to hide the tears already threatening to spill out. He was on the other side of the door. I just knew it. It didn’t matter what Bryan and Moxley had promised. Sammy had found me.

            Anna wrapped her arm around my shoulders as her phone rang. She leaned over to grab it, keeping one of her hands on my back. Her body relaxed beside me as she turned her phone screen toward me. Bryan’s name flashed with each ring.

            She answered, putting it on speaker. “Where are you guys?”

            Bryan’s reply echoed through the room. “Right outside with food. I’m going to knock on the door.”

            A jolt of fear ran down my spine as the sound of knuckles against metal filled the space. It reverberated through the speaker of Anna’s phone.

            “I’ll be right there,” she replied before hanging up. She leaned over to kiss the side of my head before getting up to cross the room. I watched her hand clench around her phone as she looked through the peephole before swinging the door open.

            Everything drained out of me when I saw Bryan and Moxley step inside. Moxley pulled two rolling suitcases behind him even as he balanced another two backpacks on his shoulders. Bryan held up a carrier of drinks and a bag of food. I felt my heart settle just a little.

            “Relax,” Bryan said, a gentle firmness in his voice. “Put your feet on the floor and take a few deep breaths, Morgan.”

            A strange sort of peace began to leach through me. Nodding, I did as he asked. He watched me with a faint smile as I stretched my body out, settling my feet flat on the floor and drinking in one slow lungful of air after another. His smile got wider, and something flashed in his eyes.

            When he was satisfied that I’d relaxed, he carried over a drink and a small bowl. Instead of sitting next to me, he sank onto the floor beside my feet and placed the drink beside him. His fingers gently pried the lid from the bowl and handed it to me. The scent of chicken broth wafted up just as my stomach growled. Bryan chuckled softly. I was surprised I was even hungry after how messed up my stomach had been all day.

            “It’s warm,” Bryan said as he handed it up to me. A spoon followed a few seconds later. “Take it slow.”

            He waited a beat, holding the spoon just out of my reach. His brows lifted. I took another deep breath and nodded. “I understand.”

            “Good girl.”

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