My head hurt, my throat ached, and my body felt like it had been hit by a car.
“Fuck,” I groaned, rolling to my belly.
“Uh, I think you’ve done enough fuckin,” a familiar voice drawled.
Arlen?
I momentarily forgot all about my pain and whipped my head around. My blue eyes met with a pair of cognac ones at the foot of the bed.
I immediately sensed something was different about her, knowing the bruises spread across her once flawless bronze skin came with a story.
Biting back my questions, I chose to concentrate on the fact that she was right in front of me. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed her presence or had even liked her until that exact moment. I felt a little more weight lift off my shoulders knowing she was alive.
“I was so worried about you,” she exhaled, rushing forward and engulfing me in her arms.
I fought the urge to shove her away. I didn’t do touchy-feely unless it was Romero, but I awkwardly patted her back so I didn’t come off as a total bitch. She smelled freshly showered. Her chocolate hair was piled on her head in a messy bun.
“How long have you been here?” I asked, gently pushing her backward.
“Grimm brought me a few hours ago. I can’t go anywhere without that damn man followin me. He stood outside the bathroom the entire time I showered and then locked me in the room,” she growled.
So they were locking her away too? Huh.
I studied her various tattoos, unsure what to say next. We hadn’t known each other long, but she was one of the only women I’d allowed myself to get close to. I guess I considered her a friend.
“You look thoroughly fucked. Y'all certainly didn’t waste time goin back to your kinky ways.” She made a hand motion around her throat.
“I think I need to see what you do.” Pushing the comforter away from my legs, I slowly stood and walked into the bathroom.
“Holy shit,” I muttered when I saw my reflection.
My bottom lip was slightly swollen, my hair a mess, and there was an obvious hand shaped bruise on my neck that matched the ones on my wrists.
Lifting my tank top, I saw there was another from the stairs digging into my back. I was in fact wearing a pair of plaid boxer shorts rolled up at the top. Seeing as Romero was usually commando, I sincerely hoped these were his retro just-in-case drawers and not some random man’s dick huggers.
I picked up the comb I used earlier and smiled at myself, combing out my blonde locks.
“Where is Romero?” I called out and asked.
“Not sure, he said he’d be back and not to upset you.” She snorted as if the possibility of that happening was absurd.
I had just sat the comb down when I heard another familiar voice.
“Room service!” Cobra yelled enthusiastically.
I practically levitated out of the bathroom, taking note of his blue sling and his freshly trimmed carrot head.
I beamed at him and gave a little wave.
“Girl, the fuck was that? Get over here and hug me,” he demanded good-naturedly.
I slipped past the food cart he’d wheeled in and reluctantly let him give me a one-armed hug.
“Thank fuck you jumped off that bridge. If anything happened to you, I’d be dead,” he admonished.
I didn’t think Romero would take out a man he considered his brother because of me, and I hadn’t actually jumped, but I wasn’t going to point that out.
“Cali.” A timid voice spoke from the open doorway. I looked past Cobra to see Jinx standing with her hands nervously clasped at her waist.
