Chapter Five

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Axel

Novella jerked awake in my arms with an alarmed noise, her eyes snapping open. Her fingers curled into my shirt, her eyes roaming over the room, her breathing quickening. Harlan immediately went silent, and Griffin sat forward a little more.

"Baby," I gently called, cupping her cheek. She flinched, and my stomach rolled. I never wanted her to be afraid of me, and that flinch was like a fucking sledgehammer to my gut. I gently turned her head so she was forced to look at me. I stroked my thumb over her cheek, hating the frightened look in her eyes. "You're safe, you hear me? He can't touch you."

Tears flooded her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. And before I could even attempt to calm her down, she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, buried her face against my throat, and burst into tears. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, holding her to me as I gently rocked back and forth, doing my best to soothe her.

"You're okay," I promised. "I've got you."

Her nails dug into the back of my neck, but she didn't say a word. After a few moments, her tears began to slow, but she didn't lift her head—just continued clinging to me as if I was her lifeline.

I secretly fucking loved it.

"I'm sorry," she croaked.

I stroked my hand down her back. "You have nothing to be sorry for, baby," I promised her. "I'm here for anything you need—protection, comfort, basic necessities. Anything. Don't forget that."

She lifted her head then and began swiping at her cheeks. My skin felt oddly cold without her pressed against me, and I decidedly fucking hated the feeling. I wanted her so close, she was in my skin. While it wasn't possible, I knew it wouldn't stop me from continuously trying it.

Skin-to-skin wouldn't be close enough.

I looked at Harlan, jerking my chin toward the door. Understanding the silent order, he tapped Griffin's shoulder as he stood from his chair. Silently, both of them left the room, shutting my office door behind them to give me some privacy with my sweet angel.

"Want to tell me about your nightmare?" I asked, settling my hand on her thigh. I brushed my thumb back and forth, hoping my touch calmed her. It seemed to work, and she relaxed back against me, resting her head on my shoulder. Unable to help myself, I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"D—" Her voice abruptly broke off, her body tensing.

"Shh," I crooned, holding her a little tighter. "You don't have to say his name, baby."

I heard her swallow, and her fingers curled into my shirt again. It was a coping mechanism; she was grounding herself. And fuck yes, I loved it. I wanted her dependent on me. I gave no fucks about how toxic and bad codependency was; I planned to nurture the fuck out of it until she couldn't breathe without me.

"He came for me," she finally whispered.

A low growl rumbled from my chest. "I'll detach his fucking hands from his wrists," I promised her. "You have nothing to fear, baby. Never again."

She nodded. "I believe you."

I looked down at her before reaching up to brush some of her hair back from her face. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

She looked up at me from beneath her lashes. Her face was purely innocent, but the move was full of seduction, even if she didn't realize it. Fuck, I couldn't wait to train her properly. To show her how good it could be when she obeyed me and she let me take care of every aspect of her life. She would never have to think again. Never have to worry again. Because she would know and understand that I would always take care of everything.

I couldn't wait to show her how freeing that was.

"What movie?" she tentatively asked.

"Whatever you movie you want to watch."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I don't know what to watch. I don't get to watch movies." Anger brewed in my gut, but I kept it there. Refused to let it expand. Not around her. Never around her. "Can you choose? Just, um, nothing scary."

"Yeah, baby," I assured her. I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Why don't you go up to my room and take a shower? You can wear whatever of mine you want; I don't care."

Her smile was so goddamn pretty, it took my breath away. It reached her eyes, lighting them up in a way I was quickly becoming addicted to. "You sure?"

"I'm sure," I promised. I gently tapped her thigh. "Go on. I'll get snacks together and get a movie going. Meet me in the living room."

She nodded and stood from my lap before walking to the door and leaving. I rolled my neck around before grabbing my phone out of my pocket and dialing Draven's number. He answered on the second ring. "Boss," he rumbled.

"Anything yet?" I demanded, my fingers burning with the need to destroy Dexter. I wanted to fucking mutilate him until he was unrecognizable.

"Not yet," he told me. "He's hiding well, but we'll find him, Boss. And the second I've got my hands on him, I'll call you. He'll pay for hurting the queen."

That he fucking would. I would make sure of it. And I wouldn't properly rest until he was bleeding out at my fucking feet.

Novella was un-fucking-touchable. And Dexter was about to find out what happened when my queen was harmed.

She may have been his at the time, but she was now mine. And I would make him pay for every bit of suffering he'd put her through.

He could hide as much as he wanted, but I always got what I wanted.

And I wanted him dead.