Under His Protection
Chapter 24

The moment the men knocked the door in he heard her scream and when the light flashed on her as she cowered on the bed he holstered his gun and was by her side in a split second. “It’s me, Jade, I’ve got you.”

“Zane,” she cried out and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. She clung to him tightly like a drowning man to a life raft. She felt his arms pulling her close to him, cradling her head against his head.

“You’re safe now,” he cooed. Moving he took her face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears that fell faster than he could wipe them away. “Did he hurt you? Are you ok?” He noticed the rope on her wrist.

“He didn’t hurt me,” she said, sniffing.

“Let’s get this off you,” he said, attempting to undo the knots. ” Damn it,” he swore when he couldn’t untie it. “Can someone get this off?” He shouted over his shoulder.

When one of the men had it off he pulled her back into his arms and not caring that his fellow officers were there he kissed her. It was deep and all his pent-up worry and fears went into that kiss before stopping. Her body was trembling so he grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“We need to ask you a few questions Miss Edwards,” Joe said, standing before them.

Zane snapped his head towards him. “For God’s sake Joe, not now and not here. Can’t you see the shape she’s in? She’s not in any shape to answer questions.”

Joe nodded, seeing her trembling and still scared he relented. “OK. I’ll have someone drive you both home. I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Where are your shoes sweetheart?” he asked, having looked around he couldn’t see them.

“I don’t know.”

He wasn’t about to let her walk barefoot. So even with his bad arm, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the crumbling building and into the squad car. Once she was settled he got in beside her, holding her in his arms. “Can you tell me what he did to you?”

“Not now Zane, I just can’t. I just want to go home and take a hot shower and not think about it,” she said. Her body shook and she sobbed hysterically as he held her.

The officer who drove them back to Jade’s place went with them till they got to her apartment and after saying goodbye left.

“You can put me down now,” she said when they were inside.

He liked holding her, she was so light in his arms and he never wanted to let her go. Reluctantly he set her on her feet but kept his arms around her. “I’ve been going out of my mind worrying about you.” A tear trickled down his face.

She wiped his tears away, her own eyes filling with tears. “I thought I’d never see you again but seeing your face was the only thing that kept me going.” She gasped. “Your arm. Oh, my God, you carried me after you’ve been shot.”

“I’m ok, don’t worry about me. It’s you I’m concerned about. I bet you’re hungry, let me make you something while you take a shower.”

“I’ll help you and then we can shower together.” She took his hand and they went into the kitchen and started taking out bread, meat and other fixings to make sandwiches. She grabbed the milk and poured some into a glass, drinking it in one long swallow.

They sat down to eat, both dead tired and looking like hell and still wearing the same clothes from the party. They ate in silence. She was starving for real food that didn’t taste like cardboard and gobbled her food up, not caring how unladylike she must have looked. She was glad that he didn’t question her about what took place while she was held captive.

A sense of calmness filled the room and there was no need for words as they got up, going hand in hand to the bathroom. There he turned on the shower and they peeled off their clothes. Stepping into the shower he held out his hand, she took it and stepped in. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood there letting the warm water run down their bodies.

It felt good being in his arms, just holding each other as their bodies touched. The cold chill that had plagued her entire body was soon replaced with a warm sensation, warming her inside and out. There was no sexual intention from either of them, all they wanted was to be held and know they were both safe.

“I’m so tired,” she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.”

“Me too, let’s go to bed.” Turning off the water he reached for two towels, handing her one and they stepped out of the shower.

After drying off they got into bed, both naked laid in each other’s arms. Seeing the red welt on her wrist that was caused by the rope he kissed it. “I never should have taken you outside at the party. If I hadn’t this wouldn’t have happened to you.”

“Don’t blame yourself, it wasn’t your fault. If there’s someone to blame it’s me, I insisted on going to that party. The most important thing is we are here, and safe. You look so tired so let’s just go to sleep.”

It was almost eleven o’clock when they woke up.

Zane watched as she slowly opened her eyes, his heart fluttered when she looked at him and smiled. “Morning,” he said. Lowering his head he claimed her lips. It was meant to be a light and tender kiss but when she tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer, pressing her body flushed against his he deepened the kiss.

She moaned softly into his mouth when his hand moved down, cupping her breast and moving lower. “Take me,” she said softly when he removed his lips from hers.

Climbing on top, his lips left a trail of kisses down her chin to her neck. Shifting his position he entered her slowly. He felt her lifting her hips up, her hands moved up and down his spine, making him shiver with pleasure. Then remembering about the condom he went to pull out but she wrapped her legs around his waist, preventing him from doing so.

“No, don’t,” she cried out. “Don’t stop.”

“I need to put something on.”

She stared deeply into his eyes. “No, no you don’t,” she said. Putting her hand behind his head pulled him back down for a kiss and started grinding against him.

Being inside her, feeling all of her it felt so amazing. With his hands on either side of her, he started rotating his hips, moving slowly. As their breathing became heavy, bodies started to sweat he began to move up and down faster, going deeper. Her pants and grunts sounded like sweet music to his ear and when her body trembled, shaking and she called out his name he felt her come. He was so close himself but wanted to watch her when she had an orgasm. “Come again for me sweetheart, come with me,” he said as he rode her hard again and he let go when he felt her second orgasm. He stayed on top till he got his breathing under control.

Rolling onto his back he took her hand and their fingers intertwined. “You broke your rule for me, why?” She had always insisted they use a condom and wondered why not this time. Not that he was complaining, it felt better without one.

“I wanted to be closer to you. We’re both clean and I am on the pill so I’m not worried about getting pregnant. I-I just wanted for once to be even closer to you than before.” She looked up at him. “I’m not making any sense at all?”

He knew exactly what she meant as he felt the same way. “Yes, yes you do and it was so much better. But I’m guessing it was a one-time thing.”

“I think that would be for the best, don’t you? I mean we can’t risk it since the pill is not always effective.”

“I guess you’re right,” he said, feeling a bit sad.

“How did you replace me?”

“Kenny.”

She looked up at him, relieved that he had been caught. “So you got him?”

“Yes. It took some time before he told us. He’ll never be able to bother you again. The man is criminally insane and will be put in a secure institution.” He let out a sigh. “Because of his condition, he’ll never stand trial.”

“I knew you would replace me.”

He stroked the side of her face. “I was never going to give up,” he said and kissed her. As he was getting ready to make love to her they heard a loud knock at the door, stopping them from enjoying each other.

“That will be Joe to take your statement. If you’re not ready I can ask him to come back another time.”

“It’s ok, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Zane got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, grabbing a shirt he bent over and gave her a kiss. “I’ll let him in, come out whenever you’re ready.”

The door opened and Joe saw how Zane was doing up his shirt, his eyebrow lifted. “Hope I haven’t come at a bad time?”

“No, come on in, I was about to make some coffee,” he said and led the way into the kitchen. “After not getting any sleep in the last 48 hours we slept in. Jade will be out shortly,” he said as he put on a pot of coffee.

“How is she doing?” Joe asked, sitting down at the table.

“Still shaken up, but after having something to eat and a good night's sleep she’s doing much better.”

Joe stood up when Jade entered the kitchen. “So glad to see you are looking better, how are you doing?”

“Much better thank you,” she said. Going over to Zane took the cup of coffee from his hand. Their fingers touched briefly and their eyes locked for a second.

“Are you up to answering some questions?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” she said, sitting down across from Joe, Zane at her side.

“Can you start at the beginning, the last thing you remember at the hospital?”

“I was told you were waiting for me in the waiting room. I figured that whatever you needed to say you didn’t want Zane overhearing. You weren’t there so I headed back to Zane’s room when someone grabbed me from behind. I struggled but a cloth was placed over my mouth, it smelled terrible and the next thing I knew I woke tied up to a bed.”

“Then what?” Joe asked, taking notes on his pad.

“I was alone until I heard the door opening and Kenny walked in wearing a disguise. I begged him to let me go. He said he couldn’t, that he had to keep me till I realized I loved him. He kept going on and on about how I had to become pure for him. Once I was he would make love to me and we would leave the country and get married. He wanted us to have children together.”

“Did he hurt you or try to touch you?”

She looked over at Zane. “I told him I would never let him near me. He became angry and yelled at me for”- she looked back at Zane before going on. “He was mad that I slept with another man, he said he waited months for me to be pure and that Zane ruined me. That he would have to wait longer before he made me his. I told him that Zane would replace me and he became furious and jumped on top of me, he tried to kiss me. I wouldn’t let him and he got off me. He apologized, he seemed sincere.”

“Did he say how you were going to become pure, and what exactly did he mean by that?”

“He said that if I didn’t have sex for a few months that would make me clean. It was like he thought that would make me a virgin again. He said he checked on the internet and found foods that would give me back my virginity, ones I could eat and some I would have to put in my bath water. He was crazy, he really believed what he was saying.