Page 3 of Reckless Vengeance

“She seems better.”

“Fine, but if she chokes on her food⁠—”

“Alright, no food,” Hunter grumbled, leading me towards the bathroom and shutting the door.

He turned on the taps and told me to help myself to whatever I needed, walking towards the door to give me privacy.

I stared at the shower, not realizing I’d zoned out until Hunter appeared beside me again as he pulled his jacket off and kicked off his shoes.

“You’re going to drown in there alone, aren’t you?” He helped me out of Skeeter’s jacket before bending down to help with my shoes, sighing as he stood upright again. “Don’t hit me. I’m just helping you in the shower. No funny business.”

I took a step towards the shower and slipped, confirming that I would indeed die in there.

I was already just in my bra and pants, since I’d used my shirt to try and stop the bleeding for Slash.

I let Hunter take my gun from the back of my pants and my knife from my bra, his fingers brushing the cut on my lower back, but he didn’t say anything as he helped strip the rest of my clothes before encouraging me under the hot spray. He climbed in fully clothed with me, silently squirting his body wash into his hands and starting to scrub the blood from my skin.

The trembling slowed the longer I stood under the heat, and I let what was left of my tears out while he washed me. I didn’t have the energy.

He washed my hair, making sure I was clean before helping me out and wrapping me in a towel.

“Stay there for a second. I’ll get you a shirt,” he murmured before peeling his wet socks off and not caring about his dripping clothes as he slipped from the room, returning with a fresh shirt in hand a moment later.

When he went to help dry me, I jerked back, my brain catching up a little now that I wasn’t so damn cold.

I was naked in the enemy’s fucking bathroom.

“Hair dryer’s in the cabinet. Come out when you’re ready,” he said with ease, placing the shirt on the counter and leaving again, knowing I could handle it myself now.

I stood there for a few minutes before loosening the towel and drying myself, sliding his large shirt over my head, then finding the hair dryer.

I emerged clutching Skeeter’s jacket that I’d wiped clean, tightening my hold on it when he tried to take it from me. He thankfully lowered himself onto the couch beside Marco, backing off without argument.

I felt way too exposed now that I was standing in front of both of them in nothing but a shirt, especially when Marco’s eyes slowly ran up my bare legs.

“I’ve put some water and granola bars on the bedside table just in case you want them if you wake up through the night. Your gun and knife are in my safe because no offense, I don’t want you armed in my house when I’m sleeping. My room is just through that door if you want to go to bed. Door locks,” Hunter said around his cigarette as he lit it.

“Can I have one?” I asked, and he motioned for me to help myself.

They shuffled over so I could sit on the edge of the couch to light one with shaky hands. I was probably shaky because I hadn’t eaten since yesterday.

“What do the Soldiers want with you?” Marco asked curiously, smoking his own cigarette as he watched me.

“Why did you come looking for me?” I scoffed, making Hunter sigh.

“This is Max’s fault?”

“It’s always his fucking fault. I don’t know why they want me, but they made it obvious they’re going to do some fucked up shit to piss off Skeet in the process.”

“Razor and his boys are real pieces of shit. Some aren’t so bad, but most are monsters. They’d make you beg for death,” Marco stated, leaning forward to flick ash in the empty beer bottle on the coffee table.

“The good news is they’ll scuttle into hiding for a while now,” Hunter added, making me frown.

“Why?”

“I’d bet money on them being here to cause trouble for the Kings. If anyone was going to take out Slash Russo, it would’ve been Rage. He won’t be happy with them.”

“Rage would kill his own brother?” I asked, wondering if their family connection was a secret from the way Hunter looked at me with surprise.