Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
This was insane. He was insane. No man in his right mind would willingly volunteer to help his ex-girlfriend—the extremely sexy one he was still hopelessly in love with.
Who’d ripped out his heart with a lame ass Dear John letter in the middle of the damn desert and had probably planned on strangling him with his own leather belt just thirty-six hours earlier, unless he’d lost his freaking mind.
Yet, here Colt was, hand extended, his stomach lodged somewhere up in his throat as Ellis placed her small palm against his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She wobbled, and he reacted—catching her against his chest.
Holding her, even innocently, clinically, should not feel this good. Make his chest tighten and his damn dick hard. Thank god he had the good sense to ease her away before she felt the thick length against her stomach. Another few seconds, and he’d have been busted.
Might still get caught if she decided to look down—stare at his groin.
He’d rearrange his shirt once he was convinced she wouldn’t Peter Pan onto her head if he let go.
Because despite everything—the way she’d left.
The hurt she’d inflicted that, five years later, still felt fresh.
Still raw and bleeding. The thought of seeing another drop of her blood hit the floor sickened him.
Made him want to seal her away in bubble wrap until this entire ugly mess was over.
He couldn’t. They needed answers, and only Ellis had those.
And there was the part where they weren’t together.
Where he couldn’t dictate certain aspects of her life.
Couldn’t insist she let him and his team handle whoever had worked her over.
That their training surely outweighed hers, CIA agent or not.
Ellis had yet to substantiate those assumptions. Confirm which government agency she worked for—even though he’d given her a chance. A subtle one, but she’d understood what he’d been asking. The way she’d tensed, breaking eye contact. It was painfully obvious she didn’t want to talk, yet.
But she’d have to. Tell them why she’d been in that warehouse. What she’d stumbled upon to get her at the top of some hit list. Who she worked for. But after all he’d witnessed, he didn’t doubt she was CIA. It was the only answer that made sense.
All of that would have to wait, though, because he’d made a promise.
And he didn’t break those. Didn’t quit once he’d set his mind on something.
And somewhere between the bed and the bathroom he’d promised himself to see to her every need.
Whether it was a conscious decision or not, didn’t matter.
He’d honor it, regardless. Do whatever he could to ease her pain.
And she was in pain. The way her mouth pinched tight whenever she moved.
The slight tremble in her limbs, as if just standing took a toll.
She did a decent job of hiding it and, if he hadn’t spent two years intimately involved in her well-being, her happiness, he wouldn’t have noticed the small nuances that bled through her facade.
The ones that told him everything she hadn’t. Everything she wouldn’t.
Ellis steadied herself. Though, he saw that it cost her. The sudden paling of her skin. Her increased breath. She was fighting to stay on her feet.
Colt sighed. The girl had always been stubborn, but it seemed her change in vocation had also taken that to a new level.
He tsked then helped her step into the tub—sit on the back ledge.
Then, he busied himself readying the water.
Moving the soap to her side and placing a couple of towels within reach.
Once he was sure she had everything she needed, he turned, looking at her over his shoulder.
“Here’s the deal. Jericho left some clothes for you to borrow.
I’ll go grab them while you strip down and wash up.
Once I have them, I’ll come back. I can help you wrap up in one of the towels, then have you lean forward so I can rinse your hair.
That way you shouldn’t feel exposed. Sound good? ”
That smile. It wasn’t forced like before or fake. It lifted the corners of her mouth and crinkled a few fine lines around her eyes. Transformed her from beautiful to breathtaking. “You’ve seen me naked before.”
“But that was by choice. You don’t really have much of that, right now.
Not when we both know you’ll cold-cock yourself if you try to stand up and wrap that terry around you without me bracing your weight.
And I think after everything you’ve endured, the last thing you need is to feel cornered.
Even if it is with me.” He walked to the doorway.
“But don’t push it. You can’t afford to reopen those wounds.
And while we’re at it, don’t push me, either.
I can switch from accommodating to all alpha in a heartbeat. ”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But like it or not, I can’t afford not to get clean.”
“That’s the deal, El. The only way it’s going to happen. Or are we back to Ice or Jericho joining us?”
She huffed out a breath. “Fine.”
“Is that a yes?”
That look. Like daggers out of her eyes. There was just something about sparring with her that turned him on.
“Yes.”
“Good. Stay on your ass. I’ll knock before coming back in.”
Closing the door and walking away shouldn’t hurt.
Shouldn’t take all his freaking Delta skills to get his feet to move—his head to forget about how Ellis was stripping down as he made for the other room.
To focus on grabbing the clothing Jericho had left on his table.
And that wasn’t even accounting for trying to move with his damn boner leading the way.
Even adjusting it didn’t bring any measure of relief, not that he figured he’d get any as long as Ellis was in his apartment. Hell, in the same city.
Having the other guys look over at him as he left the bedroom didn’t help his mood any.
The smug smiles and knowing glances, as if they could tell he was sporting blue balls.
Hell, for all he knew, his erection was increasing the gravitational force in the room.
Weighing down the air until it was hard to breathe.
Or maybe it was just him gasping for air.
Feeling lightheaded because despite how hard walking away had been, he knew going back in was going to be even harder.
That he’d have to pretend seeing her sitting there, naked, didn’t affect him.
Didn’t make him ache to touch her skin—kiss the fluttering pulse at the base of her neck.
Hold her in his arms until everything faded away except the beat of her heart against his chest. The whisper of her breath mixing with his.
He’d have to suck it up. Pay homage to the creed that the only easy day was yesterday. And tomorrow wasn’t looking any brighter.
Ice leaned back in his chair when Colt grabbed the pile off the counter. “She okay?”
He rolled his shoulders—used the motion to ground himself.
Ease some of the tension straining his muscles.
“Still weak, but better. She wanted a shower—” He held his hand up at Ice’s rough inhalation.
“Don’t worry. I knew it was too soon. But…
she needed something. I let her sit on the back of the tub.
Use the hand nozzle to clean herself off.
I’ll help her rinse her hair, all without getting her stitches wet or tugging on them. Promise.”
Ice grunted. The man didn’t sound pleased, but he nodded. “I guess that’ll be fine. But if she does anything to compromise her health—”
“You’ll skin me alive, then make a suit out of my flesh. Yeah, I heard you the other night. And I wouldn’t have agreed, except…”
Shit, he couldn’t say it. Couldn’t get the words to form.
Even though she’d insisted they hadn’t raped her—what the fuck did actually mean, anyway—knowing they’d manhandled her boiled his damn blood.
Made it hard not to grab Six and hunt the bastards down.
The other man could find them. Colt had no doubts about it.
That Six was most likely just following Cannon’s orders.
Trying to keep things legal while they worked out a plan—one that wouldn’t land them all in Guantánamo Bay.
Screw legal.
Ice frowned. “Except?” Another rough breath. “Shit. I never thought to check…”
Ice mumbled a few words that weren’t clear, though Colt had a pretty good idea what he meant.
Of course, none of them had probably thought to mention the possibility because they weren’t capable of hurting a woman that way.
That it hadn’t really cropped up during their tours, at least not with their own units.
Ice pursed his lips, looked ready to bend steel with his bare hands based on how he fisted them together on top of the table. “Maybe we should take her to the hospital, even with the risks. Or there’s an excellent woman’s clinic not too far—”
“She said they didn’t…” He cleared his throat when the damn words got stuck, again. “She just wanted to wash off the feel, I guess.”
And he’d see that every one of the bastards burned for it.
Ice glanced around at the others, pausing on Harlequin.
It didn’t take someone with Six’s perception to guess that Ice was remembering how close he’d come to losing her.
When he was the one in Colt’s shoes. And while Colt hadn’t been there to help, he’d been briefed.
They all had in case anyone from the old organization came gunning for her.
Not happening. Not on their watch.