Chapter 23 #2
The sound coming from Tav was unworldly. Worse than his screaming during the fight. This was a howling, wounded sound that was like a fist around my heart.
Earlier, I should have woken him up. I regretted it now. I wanted him to sleep, knowing tonight was going to be long, but this… this was cruel. I placed hand on his back, right over the angel tattoo. “Tav, listen to me—”
He surged up like the fighter he was, and in seconds, I was pinned on my back on the floor.
His big body straddled mine, lips twisted into a horrible sneer that was more agony than anger.
“Why did you let me believe?” He screamed in my face.
“Why did you let me believe I could have this? That I could be happy? That I—”
I planted my foot on the ground and rolled us, likely only able to do it because Tav wasn’t expecting it.
I reversed our positions, straddling him with a hand at his throat while he thrashed beneath me, a little uncoordinated in his panic.
“She’s. Safe,” I spoke an inch from his face, peering into those terror-filled two-toned eyes.
“Her and Holden are safe. Here in this building in an apartment since three this afternoon, guarded by a dozen of my best men.”
His breath left him on a shudder, and his body went limp, arms and legs thudding on the rubber mats. “What?”
I loosened my grip on his throat and palmed his face. “I let you believe, because I’m capable of keeping you safe, as well as your family.”
Family. His lips mouthed the word, like it was foreign to him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t wake you when Nik called to tell me Devlin was up to something.
I didn’t have time to explain to you, and I wanted you to sleep.
That’s my fault. I didn’t realize Devlin would act so quickly.
” He’d been tipped off by something, Nik had said.
While Tav had been happily eating, Nik had told me Devlin had raided the motel room.
Fortunately our man that we had stationed there fled in time.
For us, the priority was protecting Amara and Holden, and we’d snatched them quickly.
Nik had told me Amara was far from passive and had to be drugged.
Holden had fought until they’d been able to bribe him with candy.
Neither of them had been hurt, but Nik assured me Amara was going to wake up raging.
Tav blinked at me, and one hand lifted to wrap around my forearm. “They’re… here?”
I leaned back on his thighs. “Tenth floor apartment. Stocked kitchen. Games for Holden. Amenities for Amara.”
“Wh-when?”
“Since this afternoon.”
He seemed a little shocky. His pupils were dilated, and his breathing was irregular. “You should have woken me up.”
I hung my head and slowly rose to my feet. He remained on the ground spread out like a starfish, staring at me. “I know. I’m sorry.” His gaze followed me as I grabbed a water from the small fridge and returned to his side. “Sit up for me.”
He did, and I helped him brace against the wall while I uncapped the water and held it to his lips to drink.
I knew he was starting to come back to himself when he made a face, snatched the bottle out of my hand, and chugged half of it down.
He swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Does she know?”
“She knows nothing.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “She, uh, she might still be asleep.”
His eyes narrowed. “Asleep?”
“She was unsurprisingly not willing to be taken into a dark SUV by six men she didn’t know.”
He tensed. “Did they hurt her?”
I winced. “Drugged her. For her own safety. She would have gotten hurt fighting them. But it had to be done. We couldn’t waste time and potentially let Devlin get her first.”
He cursed. “Holden?”
“My latest report was that he was putting together a LEGO set with Ben.”
Tav’s eyes closed, and his head dropped. “This is fucking surreal.”
“You know we have to tell her, right?”
He met my gaze, eyes alert now. Focused. “It’s my decision how much to tell her.”
“Tav—”
“It’ll destroy her.”
“You don’t have to be a martyr anymore, Tav.”
He huffed a dark laugh. “That’s a little rich coming from you.”
Ouch. “We’re not talking about me.” He looked away, jaw clenched.
“I won’t tell you what to do. I told you before that I have no desire to control you or your life, other than to keep you safe and happy.
But I also won’t hesitate to tell you what I think.
” I took a deep breath before I said my parting shot.
“You finally looked in the mirror, and now it’s time to look your sister in the face.
” I rose to my feet, feeling unsteady. I needed to eat something. It’d been hours.
When I reached the door of the gym, Tav’s voice brought me up short. “Con.” I turned to find him on his feet, looking more like himself. “Where’re you going?”
“To visit your sister.” His eyes went wide, and he opened his mouth, likely to protest, but I held up a hand to stop him.
“I’m the one who had her drugged and kidnapped with her four-year-old.
Those are my men watching her. I owe her an explanation so that when you come talk to her, you can focus on you and her only. ”
His eyes shifted between mine. Back and forth. Before he nodded tightly. “Fine.” His fingers twitched, and then he strode toward me and grabbed my hips. He pressed a hard kiss to my lips, nearly bruising, before touching our foreheads together. “I’m mad at you, but I’m also thankful. So thankful.”
I suddenly felt a little stronger. More sure. “You can feel however you like. Just don’t leave me.”
A smile ghosted his lips and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Too late. I’m your parasite now.”
I’d let him bleed me dry.