Chapter 46
Angie was worried about Rex.
Where could he be? She missed him.
He always had a smile or would make a joke. And he was always singing.
Very loudly.
And completely off-key.
She really hoped he was okay, but she had a bad feeling.
As she walked down the stairs, she heard a loud knocking on the door. North moved along the hallway and opened the door. She couldn’t really hear what was being said and she sat on the stairs so North didn’t see her there.
He and Jared were very against her walking up and down the stairs on her own since she’d mentioned her vertigo issues.
Ridiculous.
She wasn’t in the mood to have her bottom smacked just because she’d walked down the stairs. So she remained hidden.
Then North walked back in after closing the door, holding a large box. Setting the box down on a hallway table, he opened it and she could have sworn that he recoiled slightly.
Reaching in, he lifted up . . . a head.
Not just any head
Rex!
Somebody made a strange noise. It sounded like they were being injured. Like they were in a huge amount of pain. She clapped her hands over her ears, unable to stand the noise that just kept going and going.
North put the head back in the box and turned, staring at the stairs. At her.
Then he started rushing up the stairs, toward her. His lips were moving but she couldn’t hear what he was saying over the screaming. She wished that person would stop.
He reached for her, but she shied back.
He’d touched the head.
The head without a body.
Rex. It was Rex.
She buried her face in her knees, and immediately all that noise quietened.
Had it come from her? She hadn’t even realized.
She rocked back and forth slightly.
“It’s all right, Angel,” North said quietly. “It’s all right. You’re safe. I need to wash my hands so I can pick you up. Can you stay there?”
“R-R-Rex,” she sobbed.
“I know.” North’s voice was tight. “I know. Jared will be home soon. But right now, I’m the only one here. And I will look after you. Okay? Just let me wash my hands. Don’t move.”
But as he left she found herself getting to her feet. Her legs were trembling as she forced herself down the stairs.
She had to see.
Just a small peek.
Why? She had no idea. Maybe she thought it might be a prank.
At least, that’s what she was praying for. Even as she knew that wasn’t the case
Before she reached the box, she was stopped with an arm around her waist. She was lifted into the air as North drew her away.
“You are in big trouble.” He carried her into the living room and set her down on the sofa. “Stay here. I mean it this time. I know you’ve had a fright, but I will take you over my knee if you disobey me.”
She gulped. Okay. He seemed serious.
Nervous energy filled her, but she sat where she was until he returned with a blanket and a warm drink. North settled the blanket around her and placed the mug on the coffee table. Then he sat on the coffee table facing her.
“It’s R-Rex,” she said, her teeth chattering.
He nodded solemnly. “It is.”
“W-W-Who would do that?”
“I don’t know.” He glanced over her shoulder. “But I will find out.”
“I l-l-liked him,” she said.
“I know you did. He was a good cook.” He looked almost awkward as he spoke, as though he wasn’t sure what to say or do. “Jared is still an hour away.”
“O-O-Okay,” she said as she hugged herself tight and rocked back and forth.
She’d seen some terrible things as Fergus’s wife. Had awful things done to her.
But she’d never seen anything like this. And never to anyone that she’d liked. It felt like a family member had been murdered.
In an extremely brutal way.
Her breathing grew rapid. She was going to vomit.
“It . . . it’s all right i-if you h-have to g-go deal with t-this,” she said. “I’m o-o-okay.”
“Why are you lying to me about this?” he asked. “It’s clear to me that you’re not all right and I’m unsure why you would say that you are.”
“B-Because I don’t w-want you to f-feel like you have t-to babysit me.”
“I wasn’t aware that you regressed that young,” he mused.
Um. Okay.
She needed to explain herself better. “Not saying I’m a b-baby. Just . . . you must h-have important t-things to do.”
“And you think these things are more important than taking care of you? I must be going wrong somewhere if you believe that.”
Angie gaped at him. Was he saying that she was more important than the severed head in the box?
Oh God.
She didn’t want to think about the head.
Rex’s head.
Putting her hand over her mouth as she felt her stomach lurch, she looked around frantically for somewhere to vomit.
“What’s wrong?” North asked.
“Imgonnapuke!”
He quickly picked her up in his arms and raced for Jared’s office, which had a full bathroom attached.
He ran into the bathroom and set her down. But it was too late. She vomited all over herself.
Then she started to sob. Because how humiliating was this? She couldn’t even hold on long enough for him to get her to a bathroom. And now she’d puked all over herself.
She was covered in vomit. The stench was gross.
She was gross.
Tears streamed down her face and she knew she just had to get away from him. To wallow in embarrassment.
“P-please put me d-down,” she said between sobs.
“Do you still feel sick?” he asked. “Are you going to vomit again?”
“I-I don’t t-think so. Please.”
He set her down on her feet and she swayed, completely humiliated.
“Please leave,” she begged.
He peered down at her, shaking his head. “You aren’t steady on your feet. You might fall. You need help.”
“Please.”
“Why do you want me to leave?” he asked.
“Because I’m s-so embarrassed. I n-need to clean myself up. I c-can’t believe that I v-vomited all over m-myself. And it s-smells and it’s c-cold. And you sh-shouldn’t have to b-be here. I k-know you can’t w-want to be.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to be?” he asked.
She gave him an incredulous look. “Um, because I’m gross. I’m covered in vomit because I couldn’t hold on for a few more measly minutes. I stink. It’s disgusting.”
“You’re gross?” he asked. “You’re going to pay for those comments, Angel.”
She stood there, shaking and overloaded.
“What do you need from me?” he asked.
“T-to go.”
He shook his head. “I’m not going to do that. What else do you need?”
“S-Shower,” she said.
“Then I’m going to help you shower. Let’s get you undressed.” He reached for her clothes, pulling them off carefully.
Angie should probably try to help, but she wasn’t herself. She felt weak and numb.
“Wh-what’s wrong with me?” she asked him.
“You’re in shock,” he replied matter-of-factly. “The best thing is a shower and to keep warm.”
Okay. That sounded good.
He reached over and turned on the shower, then finished undressing her until she stood there naked and trembling.
“Who w-would do that?” she asked. “I d-don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“W-why not?” she asked.
“Because I’m going to take care of it. I will find who did this and I will kill them.”
The words shouldn’t have been soothing. She shouldn’t have let them calm her.
But she felt her panic starting to fade. Her shaking began to ease. And then he stripped off his clothes and a different feeling entirely filled her.
One that was warm and needy.
Was it wrong to feel like this when Rex was dead?
A whimper escaped her.
“Come on, Angel. Come with me.” He guided her into the shower.
“You didn’t n-need to come in w-with me,” she told him as she shook.
“Of course I did. You are close to collapsing. Jared would never forgive me if I let you fall over and you hurt yourself.”
“Is that the only reason you are d-doing this?” she asked as he grabbed some shower gel and started washing her gently.
“Because of Jared?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He stared right down at her. “No. That is not the only reason I’m in the shower with you.”
That was all he said.
But it was enough. Because he was also showing how much he cared as he washed her carefully. His touch lightly skimmed her skin as though he was afraid of breaking her.
“Shall I wash your hair?” he asked.
She shook her head even though she really wanted that. “It will take too long to dry.”
“I will dry it for you.”
“You will?”
“Of course. Turn around. I’m afraid it’s only Jared’s shampoo and conditioner, though.”
“That’s okay. There have been times in my life when I didn’t even have shampoo and conditioner. I’m happy with whatever.”
“From now on, you will only have the finest things in life.”
“North,” she said quietly.
“I mean it. The finest things. I know what it’s like to go without and as a child I promised myself that I would never go without again. And neither will you.”
“I’m sorry you grew up that way,” she told him as he turned her and squirted some shampoo into his hand.
“It was what it was. There is no changing it.”
No, she guessed there really wasn’t any changing the past. It still didn’t mean it was right. But she could also make sure that his future was far brighter. His and Jared’s.
And hers too.
North started washing her hair, he massaged her scalp, digging his fingers in and making her moan.
“You like that?” he asked.
“Yes, it feels amazing.”
“Good. Relax. Let me take care of you.” He kept massaging her scalp, then moved her under the water so he could wash the shampoo away.
Then he grabbed hold of the conditioner and started the massage again.
Lord.
That felt so good.
She closed her eyes and just let him take care of her. He washed out the conditioner and then turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her before he lifted her out of the shower and set her on her feet
He quickly dried her, wrapping another towel around her and one around her hair.
Then he picked her up, carrying her out of the bathroom.
“My dirty clothes,” she protested. “I should get them. Take them to the laundry.”
“I’ll take care of them later,” he told her as he carried her up the stairs. “By the way, don’t think I’ve forgotten that you came down the stairs on your own, either.”