Chapter 12 Kreed #2
I took her hair in my hands, letting hot water sluice through the tangles as I worked shampoo into a rich lather.
I did my best to smooth away the grime and terror of the last three days.
When I moved to her shoulders, my fingers trailed over evidence of her captivity, bruises in the shape of grabbing hands and thin cuts that spoke of struggles and resistance.
She winced now and then, but she didn’t pull away.
I washed around the injuries, careful never to be rough, treating her skin as if she were precious.
“You have no idea how good that feels,” she murmured.
I washed her back, following the delicate curve of her spine. With every touch, her muscles loosened, her limbs growing heavy, sinking to the bottom of the spacious tub. It was big enough for two, and the thought of climbing in with her crossed my mind. How could it not?
She sighed again, soft and incredulous. “In fact, I think you should experience this for yourself.”
“Is that so—”
I caught the flash of her smile right before she reached up and yanked me forward.
I lost my balance and fell into the tub.
The soapy water was so slippery that I managed to slip to the side of her but not before my chest brushed against hers and I felt the bud of her nipples.
I lifted my head. “If you wanted to get me wet, you should have at least undressed me first.”
“An oversight on my part that I have every intention of correcting.” Her fingers went into the water, finding the hem of my drenched shirt, and pushed the material up my chest. I took over, removing it the rest of the way and disposing of it over the side of the tub in a splat. “Now the pants,” she ordered.
I fumbled with the button and zipper on my jeans. “This would have been easier before I got in the tub.”
“What’s the fun in that? Besides, I like watching you undress.” Her fingers ran over my chest, tracking the lines of my tattoos and distracting me from my task.
“If you keep touching me, I’m never going to get these pants off.”
“They look exactly as I remembered.”
“My tattoos?”
She nodded, chewing on the corner of her lip. “I would try to recall each one and where they were on your body.”
“Did you think of me often?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
“Every second of every day.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been so afraid as I was waking up and finding you gone. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, little raven, but you’re a part of me, just like my tattoos. You’re permanently inked on my heart.”
Her eyes flared with emotion as her wet fingers forked through my dark hair. “I can’t believe I had to get kidnapped for you to say romantic things to me.”
I snorted. “I talk better with my hands.”
She tipped her head back, her fingers toying with the ends of my hair. The abundance of bubbles hid most of her body, and I contemplated blowing them out of the way so I could see the crest of her breasts trying to peek through. “Are you ever going to kiss me?”
I blinked, surprised by her boldness. I hadn’t expected her to want me to touch her.
I hadn’t asked the question that darkened my mind.
I wanted to give her time, but I needed to know, and at some point, I would ask.
“Eventually, but once my lips touch yours, I won’t be able to stop, little raven.
And right now, I don’t want to overwhelm you. We’ll get there, just not tonight.”
She pouted, and I nearly lost my resolve to do the right thing.
I ducked my head under the water and came up with bubbles on top of my head. It hadn’t helped at all to reinforce my discipline.
“Great. That’s worse,” she said, staring at me.
My lips twitched, and I shook my head, drops of water flying everywhere.
“No one should look as good as you do. I nearly convinced myself you weren’t as gorgeous as I remembered. The annoying thing is you’re actually hotter.” She touched the scars just under my eye.
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“I told you I don’t want things to be weird between us. I know we need to talk about what happened before I left—”
I pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. “It can wait.” I dragged my thumb down her lip. “I think you’re clean enough.” Taking her hand, I turned it over, examining her wrinkling fingers. “I can’t have you turning into a raisin on me.”
“You have no idea how much I needed this.”
After getting out of the tub and securing a towel around my waist, I helped her out of the tub and wrapped her up. She stood for a moment in steam and terry cloth, looking like something ethereal that might disappear if I blinked too hard. Her wet hair waterfalled around her face.
Once she was dried off, I slipped one of my tees over her head and followed it with the hoodie I’d worn the other day.
The sweatshirt swallowed her frame, dark gray fabric hanging loose around her shoulders and sleeves extending well past her fingertips, but somehow it looked exactly right on her, as if she’d been meant to wear my clothes, and the sight of her made my chest stir with possessiveness and tenderness.
Her fingers ran up and down the sleeves before she lifted her hands to her nose and inhaled the material.
I set her down gently on the king-sized bed, my hands lingering at her waist as I tucked her beneath the thick comforter.
The mattress dipped under her slight weight, and she immediately burrowed deeper into the pillows, seeking warmth and softness after days of…
I shook my head, not wanting to ruin this moment with the past and what my twisted mind imagined she went through; we’d been tormented enough.
Her hand reached for mine as I started to turn away, interlocking our fingers. “I need another minute to just look at you—”
Grayson appeared in the doorway, a wooden tray balanced expertly on one hand while the other gripped a steaming ceramic mug.
The Elite always seemed to have the worst timing or the perfect timing, depending on whose side you were on.
Grayson eyed me from the doorway, and it was a familiar look.
Kaylor was home, and the truce between the Elite and the Crew was coming to an end.
For the Elite, things might stop here, but for my brothers and me, our fight wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot. Kaylor might be home, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet.
Her life was still in danger, and I wouldn’t relax until I extinguished the threat myself.
If that meant tearing apart Rusty’s ring piece by piece, so be it.
I was more than up for the fucking challenge.
I just wanted a day or two with Kaylor to make sure she was okay before I got started. Hopefully, we’d hurt Rusty and his guys enough to buy us a few days.
Kaylor’s fingers fell from mine as her big, light-blue eyes landed on Grayson. “Brock?” she immediately asked. Worry furrowed into her features.
“He’s okay,” Grayson said without preamble, setting the tray down on the bedside table. “Fynn and Raine found him about twenty minutes ago. They’re on their way back to the house now.”
Relief flooded her features so completely she melted into the mattress. “Thank God.” She exhaled loudly. “And Josie? Does she know he’s okay? She must be worried sick.”
Grayson’s expression shifted. “She doesn’t know about tonight. None of the girls do.”
Her eyes snapped wider. “Are you completely insane?”
“Well, as long as everyone here keeps their mouths closed, it won’t be a problem,” Grayson said pointedly, his eyes holding hers. He was expecting her to keep their secret, and I didn’t know how I felt about that.
“You know these things always have a way of revealing themselves,” she shot back, pushing herself up on her elbows despite the obvious effort it cost her. “Secrets like this don’t stay buried. They’re going to be absolutely pissed when they find out.”
“Probably,” Grayson admitted with a grimace. “But they’re safe, and in Josie’s condition, there was no way Brock was letting her anywhere near that place.”
Kaylor’s eyes narrowed, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head as she processed the implications. “Condition? What’s wrong with her? Is she sick? Injured? What happened?”
“Eat,” Grayson said, deflecting smoothly, his gaze flicking to me in a silent plea for backup. “You need food in you before we worry about anything else.”
Whatever was going on with his sister, it was clear he didn’t want Kaylor to know about it, at least not right now, not when she was still fragile from her own trauma.
Kaylor opened her mouth, no doubt preparing to demand answers. It was that stubborn determination that had gotten her into trouble more times than I could count, but I was faster, slipping a spoonful of warm broth between her lips before she could voice whatever snarky retort she’d been planning.
She glared at me over the spoon, eyes flashing as she was forced to swallow instead of arguing. The moment the liquid hit her tongue, her expression transformed completely. “God, that’s good,” she muttered. Her gaze lifted to Grayson’s. “Thank you. For everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Kay. You’re family,” he said before leaving the room, allowing her to eat, but not before giving me one last wary glance.
“Have some bread,” I encouraged, tearing a generous chunk off the mini loaf Grayson had included on the tray. The crust crackled under my fingers, releasing the yeasty scent of fresh-baked bread.
She took it without looking up from her soup, immediately dipping the bread into the thick, creamy broth. She sighed. “I could eat this every day for the rest of my life.” Color was creeping back into her face.
When she’d finished the entire bowl and most of the bread, she rested against a stack of pillows. Her eyes were heavy, but they never left my face.
I took the tray and set it aside, turning to stare down at her. “You should get some rest unless there’s something else you need.”
“There is.”
“What is it, little raven?” I would gladly give her whatever she desired. The moon. The stars. Anything at all except if she asked me to leave. My presence was nonnegotiable.
“I just really want you to hold me. If that’s okay,” she said quietly.
I slid onto the bed beside her, the mattress dipping as I pulled her carefully against my chest. She fit so perfectly against me, like two pieces of a puzzle joining together. I went to turn off the lamp on the side table, but Kaylor stopped me.
“Could you leave the light on? I want to be able to see your face if I wake up.”
I jumped to so many horrible conclusions from the simple statement.
Was she afraid of the dark? Did she fear she might not recognize me in the middle of the night?
I nodded. “Done.” I tucked her tighter against me, one arm sliding beneath her neck to pillow her head while the other wrapped around her waist.
I knew the nightmares would come. She’d had them before, and I couldn’t begin to imagine how brutal they’d be now, but I made a silent vow I would be here to pull her out of every single one, night after night, until they finally faded into distant memories.