Chapter Eight
Blair
The first thing I notice when I wake up is the silence.
Not real silence exactly.
Apartment silence.
The low murmur of a TV somewhere in the distance.
Pipes creaking faintly behind the walls.
Wind drifting in through a partially open balcony door, carrying the smell of ocean air and rain-soaked concrete with it.
Somewhere far below, traffic hums through the city while sunlight bleeds warm and gold through gaps in blackout curtains.
No bass or screaming crowd.
No foam cannons launching strangers into spiritual awakenings.
My eyes crack open slowly against the dim light, and regret immediately punches me directly in the skull.
Fucking hell.
My head pounds hard enough to qualify as attempted murder. My mouth tastes like alcohol, chemicals, and terrible coping mechanisms while every inch of my body feels overheated and heavy beneath unfamiliar black sheets.
For a second, I just lay there blinking at the ceiling trying to figure out where the fuck I am.
Concrete ceilings.
Dark walls.
Industrial beams cutting across overhead like something out of a luxury villain lair.
The apartment looks exactly like Dagger feels somehow.
Dark leather couches. Black steel. Weathered wood. Expensive but still rough around the edges. A massive record shelf lines one wall beside giant speakers and scattered books that honestly surprise me a little because what do you mean Dagger, actually reads?.
Sunlight spills across polished concrete floors and tangled blankets while cold ocean wind moves slowly through sheer curtains near the balcony.
There’s a motorcycle helmet abandoned beside the couch.
Chains on the counter.
A half-empty glass beside the sink.
The entire place smells like smoke, cedar, laundry detergent, and him.
Then I notice the tattooed arm wrapped heavily around my waist.
Right.
Dagger.
Memory comes back in ugly flashes after that.
His mouth against mine in the kitchen.
The counter digging into my hips.
Noir in the foam.
His fingers inside me.
Blacking out.…Actually maybe let’s not unpack that one yet.
I shift slightly beneath the blankets and instantly regret it when Dagger’s arm tightens automatically around me in his sleep, dragging me back harder against his chest.
Possessive, even when unconscious.
Insane behavior honestly.
Wait.
I jolt upright so fast the room tilts violently sideways around me and I immediately fall back into the pillows.
Okay.
Blair, you absolute fucking idiot, why would you think aggressive movement was gonna be a good idea right now?
My entire body immediately retaliates like I personally offended it. Muscles ache everywhere, my head pounds harder, and my legs feel suspiciously like they might just give up and detach from the rest of me out of protest.
I squeeze my eyes shut against the wave of dizziness crashing through me.
For one horrifying second, my brain genuinely tries convincing me maybe I hallucinated all of it again. Then Dagger shifts behind me in his sleep, nose brushing absently against my neck while his grip tightens instinctively around my waist.
I twist slightly beneath the blankets just enough to glance back at him.
Still asleep.
Dark hair messy against the pillow. Tattoos disappearing beneath black sheets.
His face looks different asleep.
Softer maybe. Still dangerous obviously.
That doesn’t exactly disappear just because somebody’s unconscious.
Unfortunately, seeing him like this still does deeply offensive things to my nervous system anyway.
I stare at him for another second before deciding I desperately need water before my organs dry out completely.
Very carefully, I start lifting his arm off me inch by inch.
Dagger makes a low sound in his sleep but doesn’t wake up.
Good.
I slide out from beneath the blankets slowly, pausing when dizziness sways the room sideways for a second before finally managing to stand.
Okay.
Still alive.
Debatable quality of life currently, but alive.
Cold concrete presses beneath my bare feet as I make my way toward the kitchen, one hand dragging through my tangled hair while sunlight spills gold across the apartment around me.
The place feels different in daylight.
Less intimidating.
Still aggressively Dagger though.
I find a glass beside the sink and fill it from the tap before immediately chugging half of it like a dehydrated raccoon.
Sweet Jesus.
Actual resurrection.
I’m halfway through pouring another glass when a rough voice behind me nearly sends the cup flying out of my hand.
“The fuck are you doing?”
I whip around too fast and instantly regret it when my skull throbs violently.
Dagger stands a few feet awat, shirtless, dark hair messy from sleep while tattoos disappear beneath low black boxer briefs hanging off his hips.
Unfortunately?
Still hot enough to qualify as a public safety issue.
“Calm down, I was getting water,” I mutter.
His eyes narrow immediately anyway, gaze flicking toward the apartment door before coming back to me.
Suspicious asshole.
“Do you not remember blacking out last night?” he asks flatly. “You should still be in bed.”
“And you should stop stripping unconscious women,” I shoot back instantly. “Very rude behavior honestly.”
One of his brows lifts slightly.
“Not like I haven’t seen you naked before.”
“Mm.” I glance down at the oversized black shirt hanging off me. “That’s not really the point here, pretty boy.”
“Then what exactly is your point?” Dagger asks, already sounding exhausted with me. “Your clothes were soaked in foam and freezing cold, and you were passed out. Sorry I took the time to put your unconscious ass in something dry after dragging you out of that disaster.”
I take another sip of water slowly.
“How incredibly noble of you.”
“Yeah, actually.” He folds his arms across his chest. “You’re welcome.”
I snort softly.
“You tucked me into bed too?”
His jaw tightens immediately because unfortunately for him, that absolutely gives him away.
Oh my god.
“You did,” I realize, grinning now despite the migraine currently trying to split my skull open. “That is deeply domestic behavior, Dagger.”
“I was making sure you didn’t choke on your own vomit.”
“Romantic.”
“You’re annoying.”
“You’re emotionally confusing.” I point my glass at him accusingly. “Different issue.”
Dagger drags a hand down his face slowly like he’s reconsidering every life choice that led him here.
“We literally saved your life.”
“At a foam rave, not in war.”
“You stopped responding, Blair. Again.”
The teasing slips slightly at that.
Just enough for something heavier to settle underneath it.
Fear. Real fucking fear.
And suddenly the way he’s watching me makes a little more sense.
The silence stretches weirdly between us after that.
Heavy, but not exactly uncomfortable.
Just… loaded.
His eyes drag over me again slowly like he’s checking I’m still standing.
It does something strange to my chest that I immediately choose to ignore.
“Well,” I sigh eventually, setting the glass down. “I need a shower, and some clean clothes.”
“You’re not leaving.”
I blink once.
Then laugh softly because surely he hears himself right now.
“Interesting thing to say to another adult human being, Dagger.”
“For fuck’s sake, Blair.” He looks genuinely exhausted now, one hand braced against the counter while he stares at me. “Dante knows you’re back. One of his guys saw you right before you blacked out.”
“Okay?” I shrug lightly. “That was at a rave. Last night. It’s not like the man has security cameras hidden in palm trees monitoring my every move.”
His jaw tightens instantly.
“You don’t get it.”
“Then explain it better.”
“If Dante wants to find you, he will.” His voice drops flatter now. Colder. “And if one of his guys spotted you at that rave, there’s a good chance they already know where you’re staying. They’ll sit outside your motel for days if they have to.”
The teasing slips out of the room completely after that.
I hate that part.
The serious part always feels heavier with him somehow.
“Why do you have to make everything so fucking difficult for us?” he mutters, dragging a hand through his hair. “We’re just trying to keep you alive, Blair.”
Us again.
That word lands strangely every single time.
Like something pulling too tight beneath my ribs.
Before I can think too hard about it, I hook my fingers into the hem of his shirt and pull it over my head, tossing it directly at his chest.
“Well,” I say lightly, stepping around him toward the bathroom completely naked, “for two men allegedly dedicated to keeping me alive, you’d think one of you would eventually stop trying to fuck me long enough to focus on the assignment.”
His eyes darken immediately.
God.
Men really are simple creatures.
I turn and head toward the bathroom completely naked because honestly at this point modesty feels irrelevant.
The apartment goes suspiciously quiet behind me.
I make it three steps before smirking slightly to myself.
Yep.
He’s still watching.
Of course he is.
I glance back over my shoulder just long enough to catch his eyes dragging slowly down my spine before he looks away.
Caught.
“Try not to lose your mind while I’m naked and unsupervised in there,” I tell him casually, backing toward the bathroom. “And bring me my clothes before your control issues start acting up again.”
Dagger snorts softly under his breath, finally catching the shirt I threw at him.
“No promises.”
I grin faintly to myself before disappearing into the bathroom, fully aware his eyes stay locked on me right up until the door closes.