33. Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Wolf
I thought seeing my sister bruised beyond recognition would be the worst thing I could possibly imagine but watching Joker emerge from the truck holding Lilli, covered in fucking blood nearly stopped my heart.
When he refused to let me take her, I almost lost my head, too. Only his insistence that it would hurt her more kept me from doing something stupid.
Still, as I followed him up the stairs, relieved when he chose my room, I couldn’t begin to imagine where all that blood came from. It soaked her night shirt and ran down her legs.
Meanwhile, she faded in and out while Toni hovered over her. With Doc gone, Toni was our only option but she’s smart, tough, and knows enough about first aid to at least tell us what’s wrong.
Except I never expected in a million years for her to demand I get the fuck out and then slam the door in my face. The next hour was excruciating while I paced the hall and only when she finally let me in, and I found Lilli asleep and no longer writhing in pain did I calm.
Although still pale, with her slim fingers clenched into balls on her chest, the blood was gone and Toni said, “She needs to rest, big guy.”
“What…what was wrong?” I rasped.
Her mouth curled into a frown, and she looked over her shoulder toward Lilli in the bed. My pulse thumped and I followed her gaze as she said, “Bruised ribs for the most part. She was savagely beaten.”
“And the blood,” I asked. Her brows furrowed and she glanced at me sideways. Sensing her hesitation, I went to grab her arm, but she slipped past me.
Now, after Lilli’s broken confession, I can’t stand to be in my own skin. What the fuck happened?
Why? Surely this can’t be about their daughter running away. Right? Who would be that fucking cruel?
“Wolf,” Joker says and when he passes, I follow him down the hall, back down the stairs, and into his office. I’m not in the mood for this shit, but you don’t say no to your prez which is why I’m here. Although I can’t contain my scowl to save my life.
Joker motions to the chair before his desk but I shake my head as he sighs and collapses into his own. Leaning against the door, I decide the fucker gets five minutes of my time, that’s it.
“I’m sending Romeo and Cash to check on Mercy,” Joker says, and I nod, closing my eyes. Thank fuck someone has thought about Mercy because my mind has been spinning since Lilli came through that door.
“I’ll get Draven to scope it out, make sure she shows at school tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” I rasp and Joker’s eyes narrow.
“Don’t want your thanks, Wolf. I want you to agree…”
“Agree with what,” I growl, standing from the wall.
“Stay away from the reverend and his bitch wife until I say when.”
The minutes tick by while I stare him down incredulously before finally, I nod and leave, the door bouncing off the wall as I go.
It’s a curious thing. All the rage and pain I’ve denied feeling since Lilli took off is now the balm I need. I don’t care what anyone says. The Abernathy’s deserve what’s coming to them.
I’ll bide my time because it has to be right and I can’t risk Mercy getting hurt but in this, I’m resolved. Those fuckers will never hurt one of their daughters again.
Although I tried to see Lilli last night, they barred the door and only refusing to sleep anywhere but in my own bed allowed me to see her. For the most part, she slept right through it while I cataloged every bruise and cut, committing them to memory.
It’s only right that Mrs. Abernathy feels the same. Even God would agree…an eye for an eye.
During the day, I give Lilli her space because I don’t know how she feels about being around me, and after everything, the least I can do is spare her any additional pain.
I know this is the right thing to do but it doesn’t mean I’m not struggling.
I’m out by my bike, working over the chrome with a rag when Duke approaches. I’m not in the mood for small talk but I can’t ignore my brother when he says, “I saw Rose.”
“Oh?” I grunt. With Lilli’s injuries and Rose’s experience in that fucking basement, the slow, heavy burn of guilt has taken up residence in my chest.
I failed to protect my sister just like I failed to protect Lilli. No fucking wonder she walked away. Who could blame her?
Still, as the days pass and I can only content myself with sleeping beside Lilli in the darkness, my need grows. It’s not all sexual although it's hard to be so close to her and not get hard. I miss the girl who looked at me like rainbows shined out of my ass.
Will that young woman ever come back? Or is she gone for good?
“Yep, she’s doing better. Still won’t talk about it,” Duke says.
I hope to my bones that my sister wasn’t raped but I can’t rule it out because she’s a locked fucking vault. Our mother has taken to calling me daily, harassing me to see Rose but that’s not my fucking job and if my sister wants to speak to her, she knows her number far better than I do.
“Stubborn,” he mutters. When I don’t respond, silence descends between us, and I glance at him sideways.
He’s tapping his thumb against his thigh while he stares off into the distance. Why is he fucking nervous?
Dropping the cloth, I turn to him and growl, “Tell me.”
“Uh,” he chuckles uncomfortably. “Lilli wants a shower. Miriam, can’t you know, pick her up…I can’t…it wouldn’t be…I thought, maybe…”
“Jesus, Duke,” I mutter, stepping around him. “I’ll take care of it.”
I’ll be damned if anyone else sees her naked and vulnerable. That’s my fucking job.
Lilli
Miriam doesn’t leave my side for two days. I sleep through much of it and on the third day, I beg her to let me take a shower. Although Toni has assisted me with sponge baths, I’m past staring at the wall while she wipes me down and changes the pad between my legs.
“Please,” I rasp, and she relents.
The bleeding has stopped, and I want to wash away the evidence on my skin. I know it won’t change a damn thing but maybe it will help me to avoid thinking about it every damn second.
“Fine,” she says before heading for the door.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“I can’t help you by myself,” she grumbles.
Once she’s gone, I consider my options before moving to the edge of the bed. Bad move because I’m doubled over and gasping when the door opens and a pair of boots, men’s boots appear in my vision.
Surely not?
“What are you doing?” he barks, and I raise my eyes.
Wolf’s hard stare burns my skin, and I wave my hand. “What are you doing here?”
He grunts and says, “You want a shower, right?”
“You? They sent you?” I’m not trying to be a bitch but come on. The last thing I want to endure is Wolf undressing me and helping me dispose of the bloody pad between my goddamn legs.
“No one else is here,” he grits between his teeth. When I don’t say anything because I’m still working out the problem in my head, he says, “You want a shower or not?”
I cross my arms which is a mistake because a shard of pain ricochets through my chest and as Wolf turns away to walk toward the door, I blurt, “Yes. Yes, I want a shower.”
My desperation to cleanse my body of the loss clearly overpowers my embarrassment because the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Wolf spins on his heels and approaches. When he bends down to pick me up, I grit my teeth. Thankfully, I just took my pain meds because what could have been excruciating has dialed down to horrible as he carries me into the bathroom and sets me on the toilet.
After turning on the shower, he grabs two towels from below the sink. With my head bowed, I can’t see his expression and if I had an ounce of energy in my trembling frame, I’d send him away and do it myself.
Instead, I lift my arms when he says, “Up.”
He pulls the shirt gently over my head. After he helps to remove the binding from my ribs.
Next, he helps me to stand and pulls my pants to my ankles. I bite my lip when he pauses, staring at the bloody pad.
A weird sound emits from his throat and with my humiliation complete, I stare at the wall while he disposes of it.
“Ready?” he rasps, and I nod, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
He walks from the bathroom, and I smile humorlessly. Maybe he came to his senses finally and I can get this over with, with someone else’s help.
But no, he returns with a folding chair which he places in the shower before lifting me gently once more and setting me on the cool metal.
I don’t care though and lean my head into the spray, welcoming the water as it washes over my body.
To my shock, he steps into the shower, and I come face to face with his penis. He’s here with me. Naked.
Holy shit.
He proceeds to soap up his hands before running them over my skin. The soft caress feels good against my muscles, and I tip my head back as he gently washes me.
Over my torso, under my armpits, down my legs, he goes, even washing between my toes. He hesitates between my legs, and I hold back tears as he pushes them gently open and cleans me down there.
When I peek through my lids, I see he’s flaccid and with a sad smile, I close them once more. Would I be shocked or angry if he were enjoying this? I don’t know but I suspect any arousal he felt for me in the past is now dead, buried, and decomposing.
The only sounds are our breaths as he washes my hair and helps me to rinse. Despite knowing that he hates my guts, this cleansing was the nicest thing he’s ever done for me, and the tears hidden by the water are not just for the loss of my baby but what could have been in a different time and place.
“Hold on,” he says and disappears from the shower. I sit under the warm water, slowly cooling, and exhale quietly.
When he pulls back the curtain, he’s mostly dry and wearing a pair of boxers. My eyes roam over his chest, stopping on the rose tattoo as he turns the water off and grabs a towel.
“Can you bend your neck?” he rasps, and I lean forward as best I can while he wraps the towel around my hair.
Next, he dries me off with the second towel before lifting me into his arms and setting me back down on the bed. I notice someone changed the sheets and with a sigh, I collapse against the pillow, shaking and exhausted.
“Lift. One more time,” he says, and I open my eyes, meeting his stare.
For once the pretty orbs don’t glitter with hate as he helps me into one of his t-shirts.
When he pulls the fabric down my waist, he pauses on the bruising around my ribs.
With a feather-light touch, he traces the wound and I suck in a breath, not because it hurts but still, he moves away quickly.
Crouched beside me, he stares at his feet and says, “Lilli?”
“Yeah?” I whisper.
He works his jaw and opens his mouth but before he can speak, the door opens, and Toni appears holding up her hand. “Okay, let’s get your ribs situated.”
Wolf rises and backs away. Silently I beg him to look at me, but he doesn’t, merely grabbing a pair of jeans off the floor and walking away.