Chapter 27
Davina stared out the window as Zach drove along the familiar streets to her house.
She’d called Wyatt from the hospital, where Zach had insisted she get checked out, and asked Justin’s mom if Wyatt could stay overnight again.
He didn’t know anything about what had transpired tonight, and if he saw her right now he’d know something was terribly wrong.
She was shaken to her core by what she’d seen and experienced, the ease with which Zach handled it showing her he was clearly used to such traumatic events.
He treated her gently, holding her hand and stroking her hair, never expecting her to talk or even asking how she was feeling.
He was simply a steadfast presence by her side, and she appreciated him more than she could have imagined.
Now she was exhausted and drained, wanting only to slip into her own bed and let her mind decompress for a while.
Seeming to understand what she needed, he walked her upstairs and sat her on the edge of the bed, taking off her shoes and peeling away her socks.
It was such an intimate gesture, and she wanted to shy away from it even as she desperately wanted the help.
After pulling back the covers, he settled her inside, then tucked her in tightly. “Do you want me to stay? Just for company?” he asked, and climbed in beside her when she nodded her head.
She was asleep within moments, the rise and fall of his chest and the familiar scent of his body all the lulling she needed to let go of her difficult day. She was safe here in his arms, safer than she’d ever felt in her life, and she wasn’t capable of any thought beyond that.
She dreamed of bombs and lightning strikes, and when she awoke in the night, he comforted her, cuddling her tight. When his nearness conjured her need for him, he obliged her body until the first light of morning, showering her with wave upon wave of pleasure until she again resorted to sleep.
When she finally opened her eyes again, it was nearly lunchtime and Zach was gone, a note on her bedside table telling her he’d gone to meet with HERO Force. Piece by piece, she unpacked the events of the day before, allowing herself to process everything that had happened.
That was how Wyatt found her, still in bed halfway through the day. “Where’s Zach?” he asked.
“He went to work.”
“I need to show him what I found on the computer.”
She sat up, finding her cell phone plugged in on her dresser (though she had no memory of putting it there) and called him. Her cheeks heated as the phone rang and she remembered the things he’d done to her in the night.
“Hey, how are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m okay. Listen, Wyatt’s here, and he has something he wants to show you on the computer.”
“I should be back at the house in time for dinner.”
She moved the receiver to her neck. “He says he’ll be back in time for dinner.”
“Tell him I can prove those messages on Uncle Ben’s machine are fake.”
Her eyes went wide. “He says he can prove the messages on Ben’s machine are fake.”
“Seriously? Can you bring him to the hotel?”
“Sure. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hung up. “How did you figure it out?”
Wyatt shrugged but beamed with pride. “It was easy, really. Once I understood how it worked and how the different dates could be manipulated, I could see the answer right away.”
“You get that from your father, you know.”
“You think so?”
“I do.” She smiled, her heart full. “Now skedaddle, and let me get dressed so we can get out of here.”