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Her bags had been taken away with Jasper's truck—Atticus assured her he would get her belongings back to her. There wasn't much of value in them aside from her laptop, and Archie's creative drive was currently flatlining and unresponsive to the paddles. She hoped it would revive itself one day, but for the moment, there were more monumental crisesto get through first.
Carefully, she set her hand on top of Jasper's, not quite sure what to expect. A giddy rush of relief buzzed through her when she found his skin warm to the touch. His beautiful hand was swollen along the knuckles, reddened and bruised. There were scrapes, scratches from the asphalt, she guessed. She trailed her fingers along the fancy pathway of his ink, all the way from his wrist to his shoulder.
His other arm was beneath the covers, hiding the needle feeding fluids into his veins while he slept. His fingers were loosely holding a small white box with a dull button—she recognized it from when Bodie had been drugged up to the eyeballs. "I thought morphine was for really bad pain? He shouldn't be in pain if the doctors are doing their jobs."
For a second, she thought Liam had left. She suffered through a pregnant silence before he answered, "I'm not a doctor, sweetie. Sometimes they can't fix the source of the pain straight away, so they just have to do the best they can until the patient heals."
God, she was being a bitch. It was no more the doctors' fault than it was Jasper's. Blaming them, accusing them, gained her nothing but an added shot of guilt to her steaming hot cup of turmoil. They were doing the best they could, and she was in no position to judge them.
She ran her fingers through Jasper's hair, feeling bits of road grit, dirt, and dried blood beneath her fingertips. Some of his brilliantly white hair was stained dark with it—was it his or his brother's? Shuddering, Archie decided she didn't need to know. "Can we give him a bath or a shower or something?" Her hand lowered to caress his stubbled cheek. "I bet he'd feel better if he was clean."
"Leave that to me, Archie. I'm sure between Connie and me, we can strongarm the nurses into dragging Jasper into the shower once he wakes up. If not, Atticus can pick him up with one hand and carry him there." Someone spoke from the doorway, a hum of sound. "Sit down and take the weight off your feet. I'll be right outside if you need me."
Archie glanced over and saw that the room was empty. Just her and Jasper, and she didn't have a clue what to say. Tears welled in her eyes, she couldn't stop them. Fast and hot, they spilled down her cheeks as she draped herself over Jasper's chest and cried. An emotional outpouring she hadn't tapped when she'd cried on Atticus, because this pool of grief went so much deeper.
This was something she couldn't let go of until she was with Jasper.
This was the man she loved beyond reason. The man who'd captured her heart, broken it into glittery pieces, then glued it back together with fragments of his own included. Because of him, she'd grown as a submissive, as a human being, as a woman who had learned the importance of her self-worth...and given everything of value to him to keep safe.
They had a life at their fingertips now, one to be shared between them. Once Dominic was out of the equation permanently, they could live it. Between the pair of them, a relationship was going to be an interesting journey of exploration. Neither had any experience of relying on another person, of cohabitating with someone, let alone building a complicated infrastructure to develop a lasting symbol of their love.
Exhausted by the time the tears waned, Anarchy remained prone on Jasper's chest. With her ear pressed to his chest, she counted every slow buh-dumof his heart and found comfort in the steady rise and fall of his breathing. One, up, down. Two, up, down. Three, up, down.Listening to the rhythm, calmed by his scent, she drifted.
"Is she asleep?"
"In that position? I hope not."
"How much longer should we leave her like that? If she needs to sleep, maybe they have a spare bed."
"I'll take her into the waiting room until Jasper's awake. I'm not likely to hit her head on the jamb like you two idiots."
"Hey! I take offense at that."
"When was the last time you carried something that wasn't your dick in your hand, Loki?"
Anarchy's lips curved dreamily. It was like listening to a comedy act far away, with Loki as the butt of the jokes, Atticus as the spanker, and Liam chipping in where he was needed. They made a good team, bickering aside. The heartbeat beneath her ear seemed to pick up speed, but she felt no movement from Jasper's body.
"Don't hate my dick just because it's physically superior to yours, Att. Jealousy does not suit you."
"For God's sake, you two, we're in a hospital. Can you at least try to find a sense of decency?" Liam butted in, and in Archie's mind's eye, she saw his eyes roll in exasperation. "Why don't you two go battle each other outside and I'll get her somewhere quiet. Connie can sit with Jasper."
"The Battle of the Eight-Inch Dicks. We could sell tickets."
Atticus snorted. "Eight? What are you, a shrimp?"
"All right, enough with the imaginary cocks." Connie interjected, her voice low and unimpressed. "No one cares if you're packing a cocktail sausage or a foot-long, you morons. But I guarantee I will make both of you eunuchs in the most painful way possible if one more man utters the word dickor any variation of the same. I have a brand-new humbler in my toy bag," she added in a deathly cold tone. "Masters or not, I can make you kneel."
"And that, folks, is me zipping my mouth shut," Liam replied wisely.
"C'mon, Connie, you wouldn't really use—"
"Try me, Loki. Please try me. I have a hankering to test it out, and you would be perfect."
"I think I'll head down to the cafeteria and get some coffee." Footsteps moved away briskly.
"Don't be giving the pup nightmares, Con. His balls are his pride and joy." Atticus laughed quietly. "Bet he wears a cup the next time he's at Avalon."
"He'll be fine unless he sasses me with that mouth again. I have better uses for that tongue if he wants to let it wag." Connie sighed softly. "Maybe we should take her home. Visiting hours are almost over and they could both use some proper rest."
