Resurrecting Charlie's Girl by Debra Kayn Read Free Book Online Page B

away from reality.
    "Charlise."
    He
received no sign that she even heard him or realized she sat on his lap. He
pulled away and framed her face with his hands.
    "Look
at me, Charlise." He kissed her forehead. "Pay attention,
sweetheart."
    Her
eyes stayed closed and the lines over her forehead wrinkled with distress. He
only knew one thing to do. Garrett taught him the same method several times
over the course of the years. Training taught him how to cope with women who'd
been held captive or lived in abusive situations, but he'd never had such a
severe case. Case? She wasn't a damn case. Not anymore.
    "Charlise.
Look at me." His voice deep, he demanded she follow his orders.
"Now."
    She
remained closed off to him. His gut tightened, and he fought the urge to gather
her in his arms and talk softly to her. To give her everything she deserved.
    Buck
up, you have to be tough.
    "Damn
it, Charlise. Open your eyes and look at me!" Tom shuddered inside, but
kept his face stern.
    One
way he could get past the shield she erected was to appear in control. Give her
no options and make her obey. Therapy studies backed him up that victims
usually related to someone more powerful than themselves.
    Her
eyes opened, but those perfectly shaped eyebrows pulled together in a fight to
keep herself out of reality.
    "Keep
your eyes open." He ran his hands through her hair, but never let go of
her head. If she stayed focused on him, and let him carry the load for her, he
might be able to pull her back to him without causing her more pain.
    ***
    Why
did Tom sound mad at her? His voice frightened her, and she didn't want him to
talk to her that way. Tom never raised his tone to her. Jared raised his voice.
She wanted to escape.
    Tom's
hands pressured her head to stay still. "Don't shut me out, dammit."
    She
tried to cover her ears, but he brushed her hands away.
    "Charlise,
look at me," Tom ordered.
    She
shook her head, but his hands—those big hands that held her own hands when she
needed comfort and that caressed her—stopped the movement.
    "No—"
She cut off her words and screamed
    It
isn't supposed to happen this way. Tom brought her peace, not pain.
    Tom's
hands protected her, held her. The shock poured out in a wail of grief. These
same hands now resembled chains, and wouldn't let her go where no one would
hurt her.
    Tom's
hands massaged the back of her neck. "That's it, baby. Let it out."
    The
pain of living day in and day out in fear bubbled over and ripped apart the
armor she'd worked so hard to build. She became someone she didn't know and
hated. Someone she never allowed out for fear of being hurt beyond repair.
    She
pummeled the hands that held her prisoner. She wanted to lash out at the
injustice done to her. She wanted her life back.
    "I
hate him," she screamed.
    Most
of all she wanted to drive Tom away. He promised to help her, be her hero, and
she wanted to make him disappear from her life. If she drove him far enough
away, Jared would leave him alone.
    She
refused to let Jared reach out of the pit of darkness and harm everyone she
loved. Her life needed to end.
    "Go
away." She pushed against Tom's chest, desperate to leave the safe spot he
made for her. "I don't want you with me."
    "You're
doing fine, Charlise. It isn't fair. Hell, you've been through so much."
Tom ran his hand down her cheek.
    Charlise's
arms weighed down with exhaustion fell to her lap. "Fuck you!"
    The
only way to hurt Tom was through her words. "Get the fuck away from me or
better yet, let me out of the car and I'll find my own way."
    She
didn't move. She couldn't even muster enough strength to climb off his lap.
    Tom's
hands cupped her face. His lips touched her forehead and her eyelids. She
despised herself for falling in love with him. She should've run away from the
cabin instead of letting him take her away from Jared. Now it was too late.
    "I
hate you." She spat on him.
    Tom
continued to touch her face. He planted kisses around her mouth.
    "Don't
you hear