Freedom's Fall Read Online Free PDF Page B

talk?”
    They turned their eyes to her and every hair on her body
stood on end. She had no idea what they saw in her face, but Dev set his feet
on the floor and leaned forward.
    “We always have time for you, Tansy. What do you need?”
    She sat on the coffee table, facing the males with her back
ramrod straight. She wiped her hands again. “I have a proposition for you and I’m
not sure… I think that…” She licked her lips and tried to find enough spit to
swallow. “I want to…”
    Bloody hell. If she kept this up she’d have to write them a
memo.
    Dev leaned forward, grazing a light touch over her knee. “Just
start slow and tell us in your own time. We’ve got all night.”
    She nodded, reaching up to smooth her black hair even though
not a single strand escaped her ponytail. Realizing she was never going to be
able to just blurt out her request, Tansy decided to come at it from another
angle.
    “I come from a family of soldiers,” she began. “You’d call
them warriors. From the time I was old enough to fall down or get scared, my
father taught me not to hide from my fears. He taught me to attack them head on
and keep coming until I conquered them.”
    Taking a long, unsteady breath, she tried to quell the
churning momentum of her stomach. “Being captured, being forced to…” Her breath
started to come short and fast and she wasn’t sure how successful this
discussion was going to be. She fought the edge of panic that threatened to
swell inside her as her vision blurred. Ruthlessly, she pushed it back,
squeezing her hands into fists and concentrating on her breathing until she at
least had the illusion of control.
    She licked her parched lips. “That asshole took something
from me. Something intimate and private that should only be shared when and if
I decide to do so.” When she raised her head, she saw she had the Enforcers’
full attention. “I want to try to take that back.”
    “And you want us to help you?” Rye asked.
    “Yes, if you would.” Her stomach rolled in a sickening lurch
of anxiety and her skin prickled hot and cold. “If it’s not asking too much.”
    Rye slid off the couch, coming to rest on his knees at her
side. Slowly he reached out and covered her interlaced, white-knuckled hands.
His palm was warm, a little rough and incredibly comforting.
    “We care about you very much, Tansy, and we’ll help you in
whatever way we can.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Are you
telling us you want to be more than friends?”
    She nodded, her eyes a little wild as she met his steady,
lavender gaze.
    Rye edged a little closer and placed his free hand on the
middle of her back. “It hasn’t been that long since we rescued you. Are you
sure this is the right course of action?”
    “Yes.” As soon as she spoke, the steel disappeared from her
backbone. “No.” Damn it.
    Tansy rubbed her forehead as if she could massage some sense
into herself. “How can I know anything for sure? I’ve spoken to the healers and
to the other rescued women, but the truth is we all process trauma in different
ways. What works for them isn’t going to work for me and vice versa.” She
dropped her free hand and laid it on top of Rye’s, squeezing tight. “I’m a
fighter, Rye. I don’t know how to be anything else. I fought Willersby
Lockmehdyhn when he had me trapped in his apartments, even when it would have
been smarter not to. How can I stop fighting now?”
    Rye flipped his hand over and bought hers to his mouth,
kissing her fingers. “We’re fighters too—it’s the defining characteristic of an
Enforcer. If you want to fight to get your life back, Dev and I will stand
beside you, swords drawn.”
    She looked at Dev, marveling at how eyes so icy blue could
burn so hot. “Whatever you need, no question,” he said. “But I would like
clarification. You need to tell us exactly what you want.”
    The thought of articulating her needs, of saying the words,
set her heart