up. Sarah could imagine snuggling between Damon and Jared. Their solid, warm bodies draped on either side of her, possessive arms wrapped around her. She could sleep safe, be temporarily freed from the cycle of nightmares that sometimes kept her awake all night long.
“We can bring you to their apartment as promised, but if you allow it, we’ll take you back home with us. No sex, if what you need is comfort,” Jared offered.
Sarah saw the silent questions racing through their heads, but if she planned on having any sort of relationship with them, she needed to be honest. She took a deep breath. “I’d like that.”
“Excellent answer, sweetheart.” Even though Sarah couldn’t see Damon’s face, she knew he wore that impish grin of his.
“Lie down, rest your eyes a bit, little one. We’ll wake you when we’ve arrived,” Jared said in soothing tones.
Sarah did just that. She curled more comfortably on the seat, spreading herself out, and closed her eyes to the sound of the rain pelting the car and Jared and Damon’s soft voices.
Chapter Five
After killing the engine, Damon and Jared opened the passenger door. On a Friday night, the multi-story car park connected to their apartment building was still empty of cars. They had a couple of properties scattered throughout the city, but this one was the one they called home. They stared at the woman bundled in their back seat for a couple of minutes.
Stuck inside the car after promising Jared he’d stay put and let him handle the situation, Damon fumed. He had a hell of time keeping himself from simply tossing Sarah over his shoulder and dumping her in the car so the stubborn little sub wouldn’t catch a cold. Damon still couldn’t shake off how she looked—impossibly young and vulnerable, especially dressed down in casual clothes, holding onto her black case like her life depended on it.
Damon wondered if she had any inkling how tough it was, wrangling her location from Bobby and James’ lips. It looked like Sarah temporarily lived with them, but the way they treated her reminded Damon of two uncles treating their favorite niece. The two men were overprotective of her, but maybe they had a reason.
Was Sarah in danger? Running away from the bastard who hurt her before? Hell, that poor fucker better not make the mistake of coming into their city because Damon and Jared would make sure to leave him in pieces.
Damon didn’t understand why he and Jared were so possessive of a woman they barely knew, but Damon knew enough. Better yet, he understood her at her most vulnerable, when she splayed herself open and surrendered herself to their care. Trust didn’t come easy to a broken sub, yet she gave it to them all the same. It was a gift they didn’t intend to take advantage of or throw away.
“Let’s get her inside,” Jared finally suggested.
“Dibs on getting to carry her,” Damon interrupted when he began to move forward.
Jared threw him an amused look, the smug bastard, but allowed him the courtesy. He took Sarah’s keyboard instead. Damon gently gathered Sarah in his arms, marveling at how light she was. With her past, Damon expected her to fight or claw at them when they picked her up.
Instead, she nuzzled her head closer to his chest, like a kitten seeking warmth. Damon couldn’t help but grin at the sight. Jared brushed away the stray stands of slightly wet brown hair that had fallen across her face. Eyes still closed, her chest rising and falling unevenly, Sarah mumbled something under her breath.
“Feels like we’ve picked up a stray,” Damon commented as they took the lift up to their floor.
Damon hadn’t lied. Sarah’s absence at the club drove him to the verge of insanity, even shattering his attention during daylight hours, when he should be paying attention to reports and at important business meetings.
Right now, Damon noticed every tiny reaction. Drank the motions down like a drug because she was exactly that. Potent.