21. Margaux
MARGAUX
A gentle touch on my head had me blinking myself awake. When had I even fallen asleep? I instantly looked at Talon, but he was still pale and still sleeping. I turned to see Knox, but he wasn’t touching me or even smiling. I did notice his hand gripping a blanket as he laid it over me.
“Since I can’t get you to leave his side, might as well make sure you don’t freeze to death.”
There was a part of me that wanted to crack the code that was Knox, and the other part wanted to roll my eyes and hope for his death.
“Don’t look at me like that either. I’m not lovesick like these other fools.”
I snorted.
“I wasn’t looking at you like I loved you, you moron. I was looking at you like I couldn’t decide if I should stab you like I did that guy in the bathtub.”
A muscle along his jaw twitched, but I wasn’t sure if it was anger or amusement.
His eyes weren’t dead like he probably wanted them to be, but it was still hard to figure him out.
Just because he didn’t show much emotion didn’t mean I couldn’t see a strange almost longing there.
I glanced at Talon and realized it might be for the guy still unconscious.
“Well, whatever. I’m going to sleep over on the couch. If he wakes up, hit me.”
It was the first time I’d actually looked at the room we were in. Not really a hospital, more like a fancy hotel with medical equipment.
There’d been no time to think about any of it. The second we’d pulled up, Knox had Talon in his arms and ran into the building with me following on his heels.
Jett had come in a few minutes after a doctor had taken Talon in on a rolling bed.
“We need to go store Mark. But we’ll be right back,” Jett said as he squeezed my hand.
Mark better be on ice, that was the only thing I’d accept right now, but they hadn’t told me where he was.
It had been what seemed like hours of Knox following around the doctors and nurses, not that there were that many, but in all that time I hadn’t paid attention to where we were. My mind continued to rehash the last few hours. I remembered the odd interaction I’d had with Knox.
“He’ll be fine, angel,” Knox had said, and then he’d kissed my forehead. At the time I couldn’t think too much on that, but now that Talon was alive and recovering, I couldn’t help thinking about it.
It all felt so normal, like this was how you would comfort someone. I could almost remember my mom kissing my forehead. The feeling faded away as my heart continued its panicked rhythm.
Now that I was awake and alone with my thoughts, I realized with the way my heart felt right now, I was in trouble.
This was Stockholm syndrome or some kind of mental illness.
It had to be. No one just got attached to people like this.
I thought that, but honestly I’d been so focused on revenge and how to hurt my uncle, I’d forgotten how to feel.
I could act like I was happy. Pretend like everything was fine.
But until Ronan and Jett literally fucked me, my numb existence seemed to disappear.
I hated the burning in my eyes. I wanted to just blink it all away, but it didn’t go away. And now seeing Talon just laying here with an IV and so very pale, I let a single tear slip.
“Where are we, Knox?”
He yawned from the corner.
“Private clinic. Doc does house calls, but moments like this need something more. Well, Talon needed a lot more than a few stitches. The serrated blade punctured his appendix. Good thing he didn’t need it. He’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
Knox kicked up his legs and leaned back like he was able to relax, but I saw how he watched Talon.
“Sleep, kid. You’ve got a wedding to plan.”
I swallowed. I couldn’t think about that right now. What was marriage anyway? Just another transaction.
Right now I was far more concerned about Talon than I was about that.
I laid my head down on the bed. I was glad this wasn’t a hospital. Or not the kind I had been to. I didn’t like them. I could still remember waking up to beeping and an empty room. No one had been there when I woke up because they weren’t alive anymore.
I reached for Talon’s hand and held it even though he couldn’t hold mine back.
I never got to say goodbye to my parents. My uncle had them cremated before I was discharged from the hospital. Now all I had was a monument, and the stone didn’t talk back.
There were no more tears, just anger.
I wanted my uncle to hurt.
I’d watched Talon breathing, finding comfort in him even as he lay there. I must have fallen back asleep because the next thing I knew, Talon’s gentle squeeze of my hand caught me by surprise.
“Princess, I knew you cared.”
I smiled up at him from where my head still lay on my arm. I shifted and winced at the pain of my stiff body.
“What can I say, you’re growing on me like a tumor.”
He laughed and that turned to a wince and a cough.
“Do you want some water?”
I turned to grab a glass and pitcher, but Knox was already pouring it.
“How are you feeling?” Knox asked, handing him the glass. I stood to help Talon hold his head up.
“Margaux, I can sit up just fine. And I feel like I got stabbed in the abdomen. Please tell me someone avenged me. I can’t look cool in front of my girl like this.”
I tried to hide just how much that hit me in the heart.
“You’re so stupid. You and Jett are going to be the downfall of us. Avenge you? Fucking hell. They’re sitting in barrels liquefying as we speak. Marky-boy is waiting for us to come back.”
I yawned without meaning to.
“Did you at least get the information you needed last night? Mark’s an asshole. You’re the last person I would steal from,” I said.
Talon pulled me into a tight hug.
I melted into the warmth and safety of him.
“That’s the best hug I’ve ever had.” Talon held me tighter, and I didn’t fight it.
“Let her go, Talon. You never hug any of us like that.”
I caught a glimpse of Knox behind me and noticed a change to how he stood. Gone was the rigid, angry prick.
Talon whispered in my ear. “Go hug the grinch, his feelings are hurt.”
He released me, but his hands still trailed down my arms as I stood up. I looked back, unsure, but I nodded and took another step forward.
One deep breath later, and without a second thought I reached out and wrapped my arms around Knox’s trunk of a torso.
My head came up to almost his chin, giving me the perfect feel of all that muscle.
He was the tallest of the four of them, and that said a lot since they were all at least six feet tall.
“What the hell is she doing, Talon?”
I tried to wiggle against him to get him to wrap his arms around me.
“It’s called a Margaux hug, big guy. Pretty good, am I right? You gotta embrace her, otherwise shits going to be awkward in the house.”
He still hadn’t hugged me, and I almost gave up, but then his arms wrapped around me like a big protective cocoon.
His scent was just as calming as the others. He was different, just as they all were, but there was something about him that just hit right.
A nurse walked into the still dimly lit room.
“Oh good, Mr. Salvo, you’re awake.”
Knox wasn’t letting me go, and the nurse wasn’t saying anything. I couldn’t see everything, but it was clear she was checking his vitals.
“Alright, he has a strong pulse. If you feel any pain, hit the call button or send your family out to get me. Try to get some more sleep tonight.”
The nurse left with the click of the door. Alone again, just the three of us.
“Margaux, I was really out of it yesterday. I dreamed you kissed me, but I can’t remember what it felt like. What if my lips were affected by the injury?” Talon said.
I tried to pull away from Knox, but his arms just held me tighter.
“Knox, let me go. Talon needs me.”
I pushed against his chest, and he grabbed my wrists with his hands and held them behind my back.
“He’s playing with you, Margaux. He’ll be fine,” Knox said, his face getting closer to mine.
“I’m not stupid, Knox. But he’s the one that’s hurt.”
Knox looked back at the bed and then, with a deep breath, he let me go.
“Fine. Go to my fragile little flower of a brother.”
Knox let me go and stepped away, letting me turn back to Talon. I hesitated. Something about Knox’s reluctance was strange, like maybe he did have feelings.
Talon’s arms were outstretched, ready for me to jump into them.
“You two aren’t actually brothers, right? None of you, and I mean the four of you, look like siblings.”
I walked into the hug while I waited for an answer. I don’t think it would change my mind, but it would be good to understand what this was. What I was doing.
“No. We’re all part of the family tree though. Some of us are products of aunts, others cousins, and Ronan was a Barone affair.”
Talon yawned while I laid on his chest, careful to keep some of my weight off of him. It was calming to listen to him breathe in and out. I liked the way his heart beat in a steady rhythm. It was nice to think that I was helping keep him calm. It was nice to be needed and wanted.
I remained in Talon’s arms while he ran his fingers through my hair until he stopped and his arms loosened.
Knox was already lifting Talon’s heavy arms from my body and pulling me up to him.
“You’re not sleeping in that chair now that you know he isn’t going to die.”
Knox carried me over to the couch. He kept me in his arms even as he sat, leaving me on his lap.
“Angel, what were you thinking today when you went all serial killer on that guy?”
I couldn’t read Knox well. It was apparent he cared for the three men he called brothers enough to keep me safe for them.
“I was thinking it pissed me off that anyone would hurt any of you. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like thinking Talon could die. Or that any of you could die.”