Chapter 11: The Plea
Elsie’s POV
"No—please. Please, don't."
The words tore from my throat, raw and broken, shattering the silence I had spent days building. I scrambled backward on the mattress until my spine slammed against the bare headboard, my hands clawing at the sheets. The mask of stone was entirely gone, washed away by a flood of pure, unadulterated terror.
Collin stopped at the threshold of the door, his hand resting on the frame. He didn't turn around, but his broad shoulders tensed as he waited for Dean’s final word.
"Dean, please," I choked out, my eyes burning as tears finally spilled down my face. I looked at the massive eldest brother, begging, searching his hard, carved features for any trace of the man who had gently brushed the hair from my forehead the night before
