CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
STORM
My mom was in a total panic when she arrived at the hospital. Thankfully, the doctor had good news. Other than a few bruised ribs, a nasty gash on my elbow, and some gnarly road rash on my cheek, I’d escaped serious injury. No head trauma or broken bones.
The doctor said it was a miracle. He was probably right. The SUV hadn’t been going at highway speed yet, which had worked in my favor. When everyone grilled me about what happened, I told them that someone had tried to abduct me.
I probably should’ve told them the truth about River and his friends. Instead, I kept that part to myself and said that I didn’t know who had tried to grab me. A police report was made where I repeated the same thing to them.
Would they even be able to do anything about River if I told them? It would be my word against his. I had no proof that he was trying to frame Rebel. This felt like something the Kings had to handle.
Several hours later, I was released and able to go home. I wanted nothing more than to rest in my own bed. Mom helped me up the stairs to my bedroom, plying me with a flurry of questions, asking if I needed anything at all.
“Just some sleep. Maybe a warm bath. Don’t worry about me, Mom.” We reached the top of the stairs and turned toward my room. I thought I heard a noise from inside, so I raised my voice to speak louder. “You should get some sleep as well. Pop some melatonin and have a cup of tea.”
I accepted her careful hug, hoping that Rebel wouldn’t be lounging on my bed when we opened the door. To my relief, there was no sign of him. Although the scent of his cologne lingered on the air.
Mom didn’t seem to notice. She was too preoccupied with making sure I felt comfortable. After reassuring her several times, she finally left the room.
Rebel emerged from the bathroom. He took one look at me and flew into a fury.
“What happened to you? Who did this, pet? Was it River? I’ll fucking kill him. I’ll fucking kill him right now.” Falling to his knees on the carpet in front of where I sat on the edge of the bed, he gingerly took my chin in his hand.
Studying the red, raw scrapes down my face, his gaze fell to the bruises around my throat. Emotion choked me at the pain in his eyes. I would never again doubt that he cared about me.
I nodded, wincing at the pain in my ribs. Each breath ached. “Yeah, it was River. He grabbed me off the street when I went for a walk. He must’ve been stalking my house, waiting for me to leave.”
“Tell me. Tell me everything.” Rebel’s touch was gentle as he outlined the bruises on my throat. “Jesus Christ, I am going to skin that motherfucker alive.”
My voice shook as I recounted the incident to him. I told him everything, including River’s plan to frame him further, as well as what I’d told the police about my abduction.
“I didn’t know if I should tell them the truth. Should I have told them? Did I screw up?” I leaned into him when he sat on the bed next to me, savoring the way he felt.
“You did good, Storm. Telling them that River is framing me probably would have been useless. It’s better if they don’t know anything. Especially because I’m going to kill him.” He pressed a kiss to my temple, trying not to hug me too tightly. “I should go. I need to find him. This ends tonight.”
Rebel started to stand up. Grabbing his hand, I pulled him back down on the bed next to me. “Don’t go. Please. I need you here with me right now.”
“I can’t let him get away with this. He needs to be stopped before he can make another move against me. If I end up behind bars, I won’t be able to protect you from him.” Worry laced Rebel’s tone with every word. I’d never seen him so shaken.
“I know. I get that. I do. I really need you right now.” Maybe my expression was just that pitiful, but Rebel immediately relented.
“Fine. Let me hit up the group chat and tell the guys to keep an eye on River. I want to make sure he doesn’t do anything else until we can stop him.” After typing out a message on his phone, Rebel gave me his full attention. “What can I do to help you feel better?”
I nodded toward the bathroom. “Take a bubble bath with me? I think it would really help me relax after the day I’ve had.”
“Anything you wish. Wait here, and I’ll go get the bath started.”
While he retreated into the bathroom to turn on the water, I slowly and painfully removed my clothing. Even though I knew River needed to be stopped as soon as possible, I needed this one night with Rebel. To be with him.
He returned to find me struggling to get my pants off. The rib pain that slashed through me stole my breath, making it hard to bend over.
“Stop hurting yourself,” he admonished, gently pushing my hands away. “Let me help.”
Having him undress me while I struggled to take deep breaths through the pain wasn’t sexy at all. That’s what made it so damn meaningful. Rebel carefully took off my pants before standing me up and helping me into the bathroom. Then he removed my bra and panties, supporting my weight while I stepped into the tub.
The temperature of the water was perfect. He’d used more bubble mix than I usually did, making the bubbles foam up over the edge of the tub when I sat down. As I sank into the water, I watched him undress. The collage of images tattooed all over his body was a never-ending work of art. I could stare at it for hours and still pick out new things I hadn’t yet found.
Rebel stepped into the water, carefully positioning himself behind me in the tub. He pulled me in between his legs, leaning me back against his chest. With a grateful sigh, I sank against him. This was bliss.
For a long time, we merely sat there, enjoying the warmth and the comfort of each other. I didn’t want to ruin the vibe with words. Something about being in the moment felt right. Because I knew that it wouldn’t be long until everything turned upside down again.
Soon he would go after River. Soon Rebel would make him pay for everything he’d done. As much as I wanted River to pay for hurting me and killing my brother, I worried that Rebel would get in over his head. I didn’t want this to come back on him somehow.
“What’s going on in there?” Rebel lightly tapped my temple. “I can practically feel your thoughts running wild.”
“I’m worried about what might happen to you if you go after River and someone finds out. I can’t lose you too.” I scooped up a handful of bubbles, blowing them off my palm so they floated down all around us.
Catching a cluster of bubbles on a fingertip, Rebel placed it on the tip of my nose. “You can’t worry about stuff like that. I’m not going to pretend I’m invincible or infallible, but I’ve been doing this kind of shit for years already. I know how to watch my back and cover my tracks. Trust me, Storm. I’ll take care of everything.”
I blew the bubbles off my nose, laughing softly. What choice did I have other than to put my faith in him? River needed to be held accountable. People like him and Rebel had their own way of handling justice. I had to trust that it would get done. That everything would be fine.
My body ached in too many places to count. All I wanted to do was pop some painkillers and sleep. When we finished up in the bath, I took one of the pills the doctor had given me and crawled in between the sheets.
“Promise that you’ll stay with me tonight.” I peered at Rebel through lowered lashes as my eyes struggled to stay open.
He settled in beside me, holding me carefully so he didn’t bother my sore ribs. They made it hard to find a comfortable position.
“I’m not going anywhere. Get some rest. You need to heal up.” Gently kissing the shell of my ear, he whispered, “I have big plans for you, pet. Things I can’t do while you’re in this kind of shape without being a total piece of shit.”
My eyes fluttered closed. Playfully slapping his arm, I murmured, “Maybe I have plans of my own. Have you ever thought of that? Maybe it’s time for you to scream my name.”
Rebel’s devious laugh made my pulse pound a little faster, even as I drifted off. “Now that sounds like a hell of a good time. Count me in.”
Perhaps it was the pain pill, but I slept better than I had in a long time. Having Rebel there beside me made a world of difference. Every time I moved around and the pain roused me, he was there to murmur comforting words, soothing me with his touch.
Eventually, I would have to tell my mom about Rebel. About everything with River. I didn’t know how she would take it. She deserved to know who really hurt Chase. The cops may never solve that case. I couldn’t let her live the rest of her life wondering.
When I woke up in the morning and Rebel was still there beside me, I felt like we’d reached a turning point in our strange relationship. We enjoyed a morning cuddle before the day forced us to leave the comfort of my bed.
“You should stay in bed,” he said as he got dressed. “Don’t force yourself to do more than you can handle right now. You need to heal.”
“And what about you?” I clutched the blanket tight in my fingers. My stomach tensed as I anticipated his departure.
“I’m going to find a way to lure River to the graveyard. Maybe another party. He’s too cocky not to show.” After tugging his t-shirt over his head, Rebel leaned down to kiss me goodbye. There was a softness in his kiss that had never been there before. It left me reeling.
“Do you think that’s a good idea? What if he figures you out and doesn’t come?” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held on a little longer, kissing him again.
Rebel pondered my question a moment before saying, “Then I find him and I end this. He’s not escaping me.”