Page 28 of Burning Bridges Duet

“He’s fine, Liv. He just gets grumpy when he cares,” Chase answers for me, his voice calm and reassuring. “We have ice at home, and we’ll make sure he’s taken care of as soon as we get you settled in.”

“Even grumpier than usual?” she stage-whispers, and I let out a gruff laugh, unable to hold it back.

“If the only version of Jaxon you know is grumpy, that should tell you something, baby,” Ryder chimes in, a sly grin on his face.

He called her baby. Again. I shoot him an irritated look, but he just laughs, as if he knows exactly what he’s doing. Liv isn’t the type of girl who needs to be called baby. She’s so stunning, it seems like the world lights up whenever she’s around. It’s like she’s sunshine incarnate, even when she has shadows in her eyes.

I pull up in front of our house and get out of the car, but Ryder already has the backdoor open for Chase. He scoops Liv up in his arms, and River joins me as we make our way to the front door. I unlock it and disarm the alarm, ready to settle Liv in and tend to my sore knuckles.

The house is a grand display of modern technology. We control all the lights and electronics with a panel and an app which each one of us has installed on our smartphones. It’s every guy’s dream house, and I owe Jax a debt of gratitude for making it possible. I don’t know where I would be without him. Probably living under a bridge somewhere.

After setting up the alarm again, Jaxon quickly disappears. Liv looks at the panel with a confused expression.

"Don't worry, we're not trying to trap you. The code is 182026," Chase reassures her, and she nods in response.

We kick off our shoes, then I move to help River in removing Liv’s as Chase still holds her. I take her right foot while Riv takes her left, and as we unzip her high heel boots, it feels oddly intimate.

“So the cliché is right? You guys always do everything together?” Liv asks, grinning mischievously. I glance at River, and it’s clear that my mind is not the only one in the gutter.

“Let’s get you into bed, Liv,” Chase says with a chuckle, rescuing us. “You need to rest your head a bit.” I take her other shoe from River and place them next to ours as Chase carries her into his room.

The bastard.

I enter the room just as Chase is settling Liv onto the edge of his bed, then he searches through his closet, pulling out a T-shirt and some sweats.

“Would you like some water or something to eat?” I offer, concerned about her well-being.

“No, thank you,” she replies quietly.

I take a closer look at her and notice the fatigue etched on her face. Her eyes are still red, and I can see small, ruptured veins in the whites of her eyes from the pressure on her throat. If Jax hadn’t already taken care of him, I would have been tempted to punch the guy myself for what he did to her. It’s crazy how she affects us, even though we hardly know her. Liv is tough, but the lines around her eyes betray her pain.

“Nah, Liv, I’ll get Ryder to make us some grilled cheese sandwiches. He makes the best ones. Then I’ll be back with a bottle of water and some Tylenol so you can get some rest after you’ve eaten,” I tell her. Who doesn’t love comfort food after a night out? Especially if you’ve been dancing all night. Liv gives me a small smile as I exit the room to fetch my twin and everything else I promised.

I can’t tear my eyes away from her throat. It’s bruising badly already and there seems to be a lump forming on her forehead, hidden under her hair. Shit. We should have gotten to her sooner. Liv hooks her pinky finger with mine and gives it a squeeze.

“Thank you for tonight, Chase, all of you. I don’t think it would have gone so smoothly if I was there alone.”

“Smoothly?” I blurt out, disbelief coloring my voice, and she chuckles. Chuckles!

“Okay, maybe not smoothly,” she replies, and I roll my eyes playfully.

“Would you like to change in here or in the bathroom down the hall?” I ask, and she glances around my room. “I can step out until you’re done.”

She nods, so I make my way out and close the door. In the hallway, Jax is leaning against the wall on the other side.

“How is she?” he asks.

“As good as she can be. Riv and Ry are making her something to eat and getting her some pain meds.”

“Good,” Jax says on a sigh.

“She’s changing right now, but you can come in as soon as she’s done,” I tell him, but he averts his eyes.

“I’m good, thanks. Night.” He pushes away from the wall, then walks down the hallway to his room.

“Yeah, sure you’re good.” I mutter, but he doesn’t even glance back as he flips me off.

“Yo, Jax!” Ryder yells as he comes around the corner with a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches. Jax stops just outside his door and looks our way. “We promised Liv we’d take care of your hand as soon as we looked after her. Don’t leave until we get those pretty little knuckles wrapped up.”