Lucian's POV
"I am here to protect you. I won't let a single bastard touch you. Trust me, they're all gone now," Rafe said calmly. One hand gently caressed her tangled hair, while the other held her steady at the waist. "You don't have to fear them anymore."
She hadn't stopped biting him, yet Rafe continued speaking as if pain didn't exist for him.
"Do you remember that evening," his voice softened, carrying an almost startling tenderness, "how I once beat those thugs who tried to harass you when you were coming back from the shop with groceries?"
The words stunned even us. We hadn't known it had ever happened.
He went on, as though reliving something that belonged only to the two of them. "The one who grabbed your hand—I broke his hand that day, and he still lives with only one. The one who spat vile words at you—I broke his mouth so he would never speak again. And the one who blocked your path—he lost his legs for it." He paused, letting his words sink in.
