Drayton #2
Smoke poured out past my lips at my heavy breath, and I forced myself the rest of the way, lowering to her side.
Dark circles rested under her eyes again, and her lips were nearly blue as her body shook from the chill.
The blood I’d witnessed on her shoulder on the small camera was so much more pronounced in person.
I laid down the bottle, turning her to get a better view of the cut.
Just holding to the cardigan to roll her had my hand soaked in the wet substance.
When I eased open the ripped material, I cursed.
The cut was deep. Deep enough to need stitches.
When I rolled her even more towards me, the damp ground was only more confirmation.
I couldn’t just leave her out here without stopping the bleeding.
Especially not with Quinn breathing down my back.
He could be pissed all he wanted, but if he invoked my entire family because of my instability, my revenge was over.
It would give them more ammunition to contest my title, and they’d take Marian from me so fast it’d make my head spin.
They wouldn’t have to give her back until a decision was made.
“Fuck.”
I left the bottled water, scooping Marian into my arms and heading back for the door. I didn’t have to reach for it, Quinn was already pushing it open as I approached. We didn’t say a word through the dark hall. It wasn’t until I entered the large opened living area that he moved in next to me.
“I saw the blood on the ground. She’s lost a lot.”
“She’s still bleeding. It’s not too bad, but I need to stop it and seal the wound.”
Quinn was already heading to grab the kit we kept in my office.
I unbuttoned the cardigan, not able to stop the way my heart fluttered and cramped at the sight of her.
She looked bad. Really bad. And she was mine now.
This is what I’d done to her. I made her look like this.
I’d kept her drugged when I’d been warned several times from the medic in the team that I’d given her too much.
But he didn’t understand. No one understood.
To see Marian awake, alive, was hard. It was gutting and brutality to the max.
I lived on hate. I had to. I didn’t have a choice.
The moment I lost this suffocating need for revenge was the moment I could lose everything that made me…
me. She’d get off free. It would be like she’d never done anything at all.
I couldn’t have that. My brain refused to accept it.
“Got it.” Quinn went to pull her more towards him so I’d have better access, but he instantly froze. I knew why. “Fuck.” His hands squeezed into her arm. Then, to her leg. “She’s so cold.”
“Storm must have rolled in. I didn’t think to check the weather aboveground. This isn’t Florida.”
“I’ll get blankets.”
“Do that. I’m going to take her to the shower. It’ll warm her up faster, and then I can clean up her wound.” My eyebrows lifted. “Unless you’d just prefer I fix her up and toss her back out like I really want to.”
“Dray—”
“Don’t. Just get the damn blankets. And stay out or I’ll kick you out and make you go back to Hollywood.”
He didn’t say anything as I lifted Marian and carried her into the bathroom. She stirred in my arms, but she didn’t wake up. I opened the shower door, turning the knob. At the sound of the water, Marian jolted in my arms.
“Shh.” I whispered, moving to sit her on the counter as I held her up. I pulled the thin straps off her shoulder, watching as the dress pooled in her lap.
“Dray.”
Marian’s eyes were still closed, but I felt her sway as she tried to get control.
“You’re hurt. I’m going to clean up the wound. Rest. You’re going to need it before you return.”
There was no response as I lifted her, letting the dress fall to the ground.
Marian stood and held her weight long enough for me to pull her panties and my sweatpants down, but she quickly melted back into me as I lifted to carry her.
Where I expected her to stir the moment the water splashed over us, she didn’t.
She obeyed me. Maybe she didn’t have a choice and was truly that affected by the drugs, or maybe she was just that tired.
I didn’t care so long as she was like this.
Awake, I’d have to face her. Asleep, she was a dream. Here but gone. Real but not.
I grabbed a clean washcloth for the bleeding.
Lowering, I sat on the bench, angling her arm into the stream.
Marian jumped, letting out a soft cry. A small tinge of red swirled down the drain, and I ran my thumb over the two-inch gash, feeling to make sure nothing was in the wound.
Again, she let out a sound as I moved her arm out of the water and applied pressure.
A good minute passed, and I felt myself pulling her closer.
Cradling her to me as I surrendered to the love that nearly killed me.
But it didn’t last as Marian’s soft voice cut through the silence.
“We did this once.” Heaviness sucked me down at the memory.
When I didn’t respond, she continued in her weak tone.
“I dared you. You didn’t want to shower with me at first. The temptation was so hard for us, but I didn’t stop asking.
I was scared for you to see me like this, but I wanted you.
I wanted you against me with nothing else so much that I couldn’t stand the thought of even clothes keeping us apart.
” Her lip quivered despite her eyes were still closed, and I made myself look ahead instead of at her.
I couldn’t bear it. “I never betrayed you. I never told anyone you raped me.”
“Stop.”
“I didn’t. I know you say I said those things, but it wasn’t my words. Not like you think. I loved you.” The sob had me swallowing hard. “I never stopped loving you.”
Through each of my unsteady breaths, I felt her grow heavier.
Her breathing deepened, and I knew she was out again.
I needed her out and to stay this way. Did I really think I could do this?
Sure, I longed for revenge, but I never thought I’d get it.
This was Elec’s idea. This had been his gift to me for striking a deal concerning blackmail for dirty celebrities.
And he seemed to want our marriage. He spoke of bloodlines.
Of making our circle more powerful. It was the reason he had made me heir again.
He knew I was unstoppable, especially back with Marian.
But having her again came with rules. It came with unbreakable obligations. Did it matter?
I had her. But he didn’t trust me. He shouldn’t.
It was the reason for the constant updates.
But putting up with them beat the alternative options he’d given.
Not that I could even process them when he’d told me.
I only heard one. The one where I could marry her.
Love her. Still get my revenge—within reason.
So long as she gave me heirs. And maybe we had already gotten lucky.
But why did that make me sick to my stomach?
An heir out of dubious consent? My heir conceived of the one thing I was accused of?
No, I hadn’t raped Marian, but it was close.
Closer than I could fucking think about.
I pushed everything about Elec away.
Who the fuck was I?
The question was enough to make my monster grow even bigger.
I knew what I was. I knew I wasn’t a good man.
And yet the woman in my arms said she never stopped loving me.
I believed her. I shouldn’t. The thing was…
Marian wouldn’t remember this. She’d have no idea what she’d rambled off in her delirium.
But I knew. And I couldn’t let it hold weight.
Not if I wanted to continue. And I had to make her.
She had to finish paying for what she did. … Didn’t she?
“Dammit.”
I used my wet hand to wipe the blood and dirt from her face.
Marian didn’t wake as I washed off her body.
She didn’t even wake up when I dried her off, when I got dressed, or laid her down on the table I’d had her on before.
Quinton quickly brought over the blankets, and I covered her up as I began treating her arm.
“She’ll wake for that.”
I hovered over the wound with the alcohol wipe. Just as Quinton had said, Marian’s eyes flew open, and a yell tore from her as she began to twist under our hold.
“You’re cut. Lay still while I clean you up.”
Anxiety and fear had rounded eyes going back and forth between me and Quinn. Labored breaths left her, and Marian’s body relaxed as I went back to work.
“Marian.” Quinton paused, glancing at me as I took out the liquid medicine that would bond her wound together. “You’re stronger than I thought you were. I don’t know what I expected, but—”
“Quinton.”
He threw me a look. “It may not be good enough for Dray, but you’re not weak. That’s what I wanted to say.”
“I…” Marian cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I met light eyes, but Marian would barely look at me.
“The bleeding has stopped. Be still while I seal your wound.”
She nodded, turning back to Quinn. “Is he dead? Bastian. He’s not dead, right? I haven’t cut above the knee yet. If he dies, it’s for nothing. I have to cut.” She went to sit, but I quickly pushed her back down, turning her face so that she had to look at me.
“I said be still while I seal your wound. You’re worrying over the wrong thing.
This is about me. Not Bastian. Alive or dead makes no difference.
These are my pieces you’re collecting, and you’ll get back to it the moment I’m finished.
You don’t worry about that. If it wasn’t for this cut, you wouldn’t be in here at all. Nor will you return here if you fail.”
Quinton stayed quiet, turning to grab a bottle of water. He waited until I was done, handing her the bottle when she sat up. Marian held the blanket to her chest, taking a drink with shaky hands. When she swayed, Quinn was quick to try to right her.
“You can do this. You’re going to be a Pennington, Marian. There’s nothing you can’t do as one of us.”
“The Penningtons are strong,” she whispered. “The strongest. Quinn?”
“Yeah?”
“I know you probably won’t talk to Penny again, but if you do, please tell her I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For failing her. I promised to keep her safe. I didn’t.”
Quinn’s brow creased. “She’s safe. You didn’t fail.”
“But I did. She depended on me, and now she’ll be moved to a new home she doesn’t know.
It took me months to get her to open up.
To even talk more than a few sentences at a time.
She was finally beginning to trust again, and I ruined that.
” Marian broke, turning into a crying mess as I glared at Quinton.
“She’s been through so much. She didn’t deserve this.
Please just tell her I’m sorry, and that someday if I’m able, I’ll make it up to her.
Will you do that? Will you tell her for me? ”
“Of course.”
“Quinn, go grab Marian one of my hoodies and a pair of sweatpants. I think Paul has some here. He’s a lot smaller than us. Check his dresser.”
The moment Quinton was gone, I grabbed a paper towel, handing it to Marian.
“I don’t have tissues. We don’t cry here. This will have to work.”
“Thank you.” Marian took it, blowing her nose and looking up at me with that damn expression that made me melt. It was the one that begged for help. That said things she wouldn’t say out loud. It was love. “Thank you for my arm. I think I lost a lot of blood.”
“You did. You passed out. Whether it was that or not, I don’t know.”
Her eyes shut, and her body trembled through her thoughts.
“I’m not weak, Drayton. I’m not. I can still feel it, but I’m not going to stop. The vibrations against the bone. The feel… Have you ever… done that to someone?”
I searched her eyes feeling my lids grow heavy through the headache that I kept trying to ignore.
“Marian, Hollywood isn’t a safe place. If you knew the types of people I had to deal with, you’d understand why I’m capable of the things I do. That Gigli saw is mine. It’s what I use. If you knew the evil that lives here, you’d see that it’s justified.”
Our stare held for what felt like forever. Marian nodded, sitting straighter.
“I believe you. Dray?”
“No. This isn’t social hour. You’re not even supposed to be in here. The questions can come later, if I decide that. Me helping you right now, this is a gift. One you’ll pay for. Do you understand that?”
“Yes. I do. Thank you. That’s all I was going to say. Thank you.”