“Actually,” Eric grumbled, “I was going to have Ephraim suggest it.”

Chris winced on his father’s behalf. He didn’t even want to think about what Madison would have done to his father if he suggested she abandon her home for places unknown.

“Oh, this does remind me. When your father found out what you did he asked me to tell you that you had twentyfour hours to get your ass back home or he was going to come get you,” Eric said, chuckling.

“That’s just what I need, an overprotective Pyte on my ass,” Chris said, knowing his father only gave him twentyfour hours because the man needed the time to convince Madison not to come after him on her own.

“How is Isabella handling all of this?”

“Fine,” he said, wondering why she was being so damn quiet.

“Have you told her where she’s going?”

“Not yet.”

“Do me a favor and tell her. Explain to her why we’re doing this. I don’t want her to feel like she’s prisoner,”

Eric said, even though they both knew that she was.

“I will. Don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow, Eric,” Chris said, starting to get a little nervous.

Why the hell was she being so quiet?

“Where?”

“The Boston compound,” Chris said, knowing that they’d have to head back north and hating it, but it was their best choice. If Eric couldn’t get to them then they’d have a safe place to hide out for a few days. The only problem was keeping his family in the dark. He didn’t need them getting any more involved in this bullshit then they already were.

“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Eric said before hanging up.

Chris returned the phone to his pants pocket and cautiously moved towards the mostly closed bathroom door. He listened for a moment and when he heard her breathing, immense relief surged through him. It was yet another reminder of why he couldn’t keep her. She was weak and would always need his protection and he couldn’t give it to her. There was too much on his shoulders already.

Forcing himself to be the ass**le she expected and needed to be if everyone was going to walk away from this whole, he opened the door and stepped into the room and nearly tripped over his own tongue.

How in the hell had he forgotten that he’d left her naked?

He started with her cute little toes and slowly ran his eyes up her shapely little legs to the beautiful heart shaped ass that he wanted to nibble on to her lovely back and beautiful blonde hair, up to her small delicate hands that were currently trying to pull the bolted shower rod out of the wall with absolutely no luck. The effort did however make her ass do this cute little jiggle that had his balls tightening up.

“Hi, Munchkin, did you miss me?” he asked as he strolled into the room, trying not to smile at the adorable little squeal she let out when she turned around, too fast and almost fell. Just before she would have dropped and probably hurt her wrist, she righted herself and glared at him.

“You’re lucky I’m handcuffed to this rod, because if I wasn’t I would so kick your ass all over this bathroom for doing this to me,” she threatened, probably thinking that she looked menacing when she really looked cute.

“Well,” he said, pulling the small key out of his pocket, “here’s your chance, Munchkin. Kick my ass.”

“Don’t think that I won’t,” she muttered as she watched him through narrowed eyes as he reached up and removed the handcuffs from her hand and the rod.

He tossed the cuffs on the bathroom counter and held his hands up. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“You know you have this coming,” she said as she lowered her arm. “I’m going to enjoy-ouch! Ouch!

Ouchie!” she cried out as she shook her arm frantically before hugging it her chest.

“Blood rushing to your arm?” he mused. “Yeah, that probably hurts. Now if you don’t mind I need a shower, so if you could take your little rain dance into the other room that would be great. Thanks,” he said dismissively as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it on top of her pile of dirty clothes.

“Jerk!” she snapped at him even as her eyes dropped to his bare chest and she licked her lips hungrily. “I’ll be back in five minutes to kick your ass.”

“And I’ll be cowering in the corner waiting,” he said, chuckling as she forgot that her arm hurt and went to slap him only to let out a cute little growl as she hugged her hand back to her chest and stormed out of the room.

He was just pulling off his pants when she stormed back into the room.

“Eager to kick my ass, are we?” he asked, tossing his pants onto the pile of dirty clothes.

“I thought you were getting clothes,” she said accusingly as she did her best not to look down and failed multiple times.

“And I did,” he said, deciding to keep his boxer briefs on while she was in the room. There really was no need in letting her know just how much she was affecting him.

Then again it was going to be difficult to hide his reaction to her if she didn’t put something on soon.

“Here,” he said, grabbing one of the large white towels off the folded stack on the corner of the sink counter and held it out to her, “put this on.”

She pushed the towel away as though it offended her when in reality it would probably protect her. He really needed to stop thinking about ha**ng s*x with her again. Not that he could really call what he’d done to her sex since he hadn’t gotten in a single thrust, but he wanted to do it again, this time without the mortifying quick ending.

Having sex with her again was not a good idea. He didn’t need to know how good it would be to f**k her until neither one of them could walk again. It would just make things worse. It was bad enough that the experience of being inside of her was probably going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He didn’t need to add to his misery.

“I’d rather put on some clothes,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him. Did she not realize that she was naked? he wondered as he looked her over.

“I’m sure you would, but until I’m ready to leave, your clothes are going to have to remain out of reach for now, Munchkin. So be a good little girl and go eat and then go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,”

he said, turning his back on her to turn the shower on and to hide the huge tent in his underwear.

After a short pause she sighed heavily and left the room.

He was a little shocked, but thankful that she’d left.

After tossing his underwear on the ever growing pile he carefully pulled the not-so-white gauze off his arm and sighed with relief when he saw that the sutures had dissolved, leaving him with thick scabs. He tossed the gauze into the trash and stepped into the tub and turned down the temperature of the water until he was forced to grit his teeth as ice cold water poured over him. It took a few minutes before his dick went down, but when it did he sighed in relief.

One more day and this would all be over, he reminded himself.

Five minutes later he was washed, dried and dressed in a pair of clean underwear and jeans. He stepped out of the bathroom and came to an abrupt halt when the first sob reached his ears.

His eyes shot over to the bed to find his little mate curled up on her side, facing away from him as her body shook with each heartbreaking sob. She looked so small and helpless in that big bed, he thought as he took a step towards her, but stopped himself.