I sat in a jail cell next to a woman who could crack nearly every joint in her body. She’d started at her neck and worked her way down, then up again. It was rather fascinating how she shifted her pelvis to pop her hip joints, but the noise her knees made was kinda sickening. She was just beginning her show again from the top when Super Agent appeared.

“Really? Assaulting an officer? That’s a new one for you.”

I eased into a standing position and sidled up to the bars, careful not to move too quickly. Man, was I glad to see him. “I only wish I’d gone for his nuts.” I swept out a hand, indicating my lovely cell. “It would’ve made my time here so much more worthwhile.”

A guard came over and opened the cell door. “You’re free to go.”

I slipped through the opening and slammed into Super Agent, hugging him hard. “Thank you for springing me.”

He held me back just as hard. I sucked in a breath and shifted so that his arms hit a different spot.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “I owe Detective Cruz for dropping the charges and not notifying your probation officer.”

I pushed out of his arms. “No.” Rattling the cell door, I called for the guard to come back. “I’d rather rot in this cell than owe that sadistic bastard anything.”

Super Agent’s attention snapped to my wrist. He jerked at my sleeve, revealing dark red welts and cuts where the cuffs had bit in. He pulled my hands free from the bars and examined them. “What the hell?”

I just stared stubbornly at him, my cheeks hot, my eyes stinging.

Detective Cruz had enjoyed hurting me.

Super Agent’s voice got very scary. “Where else?”

Pressing my lips together, I fixed my gaze on his and shook my head. He gently took my elbow and towed me to the end of the hall, out a door and into a bathroom. As soon as he closed and locked the door, he reached behind me and slid down the zipper at the back of my dress. I let him. Easing it off my shoulders and down my arms, he got his first look at what Cruz’s “favor” had cost.

“Son of a bitch.”

I didn’t dare look. If it looked as bad as it felt, I wouldn’t be able to keep it together. The last thing I wanted was to show any weakness here at the police station where I might run into Cruz and he’d see it. He never saw me cry. No matter what he did, I hadn’t given him the satisfaction.

“Did he…?”

I shook my head so Super Agent didn’t have to say it. No, Cruz hadn’t raped me. I didn’t know why he hadn’t. He could’ve. I’d been handcuffed and helpless, and he’d been extremely pissed off.

Super Agent brought me carefully into his chest, with a hand at the back of my head and the other around my waist. I flinched when his finger hit the bump on the base of my skull. Pulling back to watch my face, he gingerly ran his fingers over my scalp, his full lips pressed flat.

“That’s the only one,” I told him. “I think.”

He nodded and helped me put my dress back on. I couldn’t read his expression. Other than the occasional jaw tick and grim set to his mouth, he gave nothing away. When I was finally put back together, he took my hand and kissed the back of it, then led me out of the bathroom without another word.

The next couple of hours went by in a blur. After Super Agent spoke to Cruz’s commanding officer, he took me to the hospital where I was examined. Photos were taken. Questions were asked. I couldn’t look at Super Agent during that part.

He never said anything and never left my side. I thought I’d been holding it together for me because I’m just that stubborn, but really I’d kept a tight rein on my emotions for Super Agent. It was almost like a competition. When I felt him coming close to losing it, I put more steel in my spine and resolve in my tone. When my voice wobbled, he visibly tensed, giving me the strength I needed to power through.

When I was released, Super Agent drove me home. We hadn’t spoken more than the necessary words to each other since he’d come to bail me out of jail. We got to my house and found a plain brown box about the size of a shoebox on my doormat. Probably those shoes I shouldn’t have ordered but were too cute to resist. Super Agent picked it up and set it on the coffee table for me when we went inside.

“Thanks for…everything.” I tried for cheery, clasping my hands together and pasting on a smile. “I was thinking of ordering a pizza if you want to stay. Or if you have plans, that’s cool.”

“I’ll stay.”

“Okay, well.” This was awkward. “If you want to go ahead and order the pizza, I’m fine with whatever.” I hooked a thumb down the hall behind me. “I’m just going to take a shower and wash off the prison funk.” I started to back up. “There’s wine on the counter and beer in the fridge. Just help yourself.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No. I’m good. Been taking a shower on my own for a while now.”

“Maggie?”

I’d turned to go down the hall, but his voice brought me back around. “Yeah?”

He looked around the room as if it might give him a clue as to what he wanted to say. Finally his gaze landed back on me. “Could I stay with you while you take a shower?”

I tilted my head to the side.

He rubbed a hand over his smooth head. “I’m not asking to…you know. I’ll just lean against the counter or sit on the toilet lid and keep you company. If you want.”

Now it was my turn to search for words, but I couldn’t come up with any so I just nodded and headed down the hall. He followed. I turned the water on and started to undress. He stood just outside the bathroom door, his face averted. He’d seen me in my underwear. Heck, he’d seen me fully naked on one occasion and been nose to skin with my body. His chivalry was sweet.

As soon as I’d climbed in and closed the shower curtain, I heard Super Agent lower the toilet lid and sit down. Tipping my head back and closing my eyes, I let the hot water flow over me. And that was when everything hit me. I buckled under the weight of the images that crashed over me. His face, the way he’d smelled, the ugly things he’d said…and done. The pain. Gasping, I swiped a blind hand out for purchase, hitting the shower curtain. Super Agent caught it, then stepped in and caught me.

Wrapping myself around him, I gripped handfuls of his shirt, needing his solidity. The water beat down on us, soaking his clothes. He held me, whispering nonsense to me as I tried to catch my breath. I fought hard. I wasn’t going to break down. I wasn’t going to let that jerk get any more of me than he already had.

Somewhere along the way my lips found Super Agent’s and I kissed him as though I needed the feel of him to keep breathing. He kissed me back the same way. I don’t know what happened to his clothes. It all got so frenzied and overwhelming. Hands were everywhere, his and mine. And then he lifted me, shut the water off, toweled us both off and carried me into the bedroom.

Ever so gently, he laid me on the bed. The look in his eyes made me flush, heating up my already oversensitized skin. He was so beautiful in the meager lamplight that for a moment I almost didn’t think he was real. His gaze traveled over my body, taking in the bruises and marks between my tattoos.

“Don’t,” I warned. “Don’t look at them.”

“I’m not sure how to touch you.”

I reached over and turned out the light, settling the darkness around us. “Now come here, close your eyes, and figure it the hell out.”