52. Serenity
Chapter fifty-two
Serenity
D eclan's tense again. I know what just happened was traumatic for both of us. And I know there's a lot we need to talk about, but he's silent on the drive back. We love Joseph, but he doesn't need to be an unwilling participant in what I'm sure is going to be a stressful conversation.
Hank greets us by the door. He really does need a new name. I kneel and press my face into his fur.
"We need to talk," Declan says, toeing off his shoes by the door. I stand and follow suit.
I nod my agreement and follow him to his bedroom.
"Are you working tonight?" I ask. He's at The Envelope most nights.
He shakes his head and sits on the bed, motioning me to sit next to him.
"How did you get the upper hand on him? Did he touch you? Did he hurt you? What the hell happened?"
God, the sheer panic and stress in his expression kills me.
I take his hands in mine and guide him to his bathroom. I need to wash away this day. And I need to touch him, reassure him.
I strip and start the shower before stripping his clothes off of him. I pepper kisses against his shoulder, his chest, his arms. I'm going to explain everything, but sometimes words aren't enough, and I want to reassure him with my body.
Once we're under the spray and I lather his body soap in my hands and tell him everything, from the moment I stepped out of the courtroom to the moment he arrived. After the photo, I was crying so hard, Adrian couldn't even look at me. He showed me what was supposed to be my room and shut the door. But the door locked from the inside, not the outside, so after I spent a few minutes crying over the pain I knew Declan was about to feel, I decided I couldn't wait any longer to escape. I needed to get to him and explain before he thought the worst of me, if he didn't get my message in the photo. I prayed he trusted our love enough to not believe the photo, but I needed to get to him either way. I was prepared to walk the streets of DC in my underwear just to get to him.
Because Adrian assumed I was weak and mourning, I was able to sneak out of the room and get to the kitchen. The way his bodyguard was sitting by the entry, the couch and kitchen island blocked his view of me as I crouched and crawled across the floor. By the time Adrian came out of his home office, I was able to come up behind him, kick him in the back of the knees and bring the knife to his throat.
The relief I felt when Declan burst through the front door was palpable. He'd gotten my message. He hadn't believed the stupid, forced photo. And he'd come for me.
As I tell the story, I can feel the muscles under my hands relax, inch by inch. I run shampoo through his hair, and he closes his eyes with a sigh. I wonder if anyone has ever taken care of him. He's always in control, and taking care of everyone else, but I love that he's letting me lead.
Once I've tilted his head back under the spray and massaged the shampoo out of his hair, he washes me down and tells me his side of what happened.
"I'm nervous about letting Volkov walk around DC freely," he admits.
I shrug. "I don't think he's a bad man. He could have forced me. I think maybe he's a bit off. Without access to me, he'll move on. I just hope whoever is in his sights next, he goes about it differently."
Dec shakes his head. "How you can have empathy for him, I'll never know."
I shrug again. "I'm different. I'm socially awkward and my brain's not normal. That doesn't make me a bad person. Maybe it's the same for him."
Declan pushes me back against the tile wall and kisses me. It's adoring, and worshiping, but not hot.
After we've toweled off and wrapped around each other in bed, the final shoe drops.
"I need you to move back in. I'm not sure I can handle you being away and vulnerable again."
I nod, and the final ounce of tension fades from his tired face. "Thank you," I say, between kisses.
"For what?"
"For waiting. For trusting me. For dating me. I know it couldn't have been easy on you, but I'm ready to come home now."