Page 79 of Merciless King

“Self-defense,” Hunter said.

Zeke walked out looking perfectly fine to me, not a scratch on his tall, leanly muscled body that I could see. Is that what really happened, or had Van…

I slammed the door on those thoughts because, honestly, I didn’t care. I was glad Terrence was dead. Glad it was over.

I clung tighter to Van, resting my head on his shoulder. “Please, just take me home.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Hospital first then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

* * *

I woke on the couch, my head in Van’s lap. He was sitting up, staring straight ahead, and hadn’t yet noticed that I’d woken up.

We’d come home after going to the hospital, where I’d gotten seven stitches, and Van had brought me straight back to his apartment, much to Connor’s frustration.

Van had insisted that if he wanted my statement, he could come to the apartment, but I wasn’t staying at the hospital any longer than I had to.

Connor came to the apartment, I gave my statement, and Zeke and Hunter did as well. After Van and I had talked to him, I’d curled up beside Van, resting my head on his lap, and that’s obviously where we’d stayed.

It was dark apart from a lamp by the couch that washed a small area around us in a golden glow, and everyone had gone. I eased myself up, wincing when my stitches pulled a little.

His dark eyes slid to me and his arms automatically came around me.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

He looked troubled, haunted.

“Let’s go to bed.”

He stood, taking me with him before I could even attempt to get to my feet.

“I’m okay to walk.”

“Don’t care.”

I grinned at that. I couldn’t believe I was grinning mere hours after what had happened. He carried me into his room and stood me on my feet with the utmost care, then started stripping off my clothes with the same gentle reverence. He got my shirt and bra off and was undoing my pants when I noticed his hands were shaking.

I covered them with my own. “Van?”

He shook his head, didn’t speak, and I got the feeling he needed a moment. He got my jeans off and then pulled one of his button-down shirts from the drawer and helped me into it, buttoning it up.

I climbed into bed and he tucked the blankets around me before he disappeared into the bathroom. He was gone a little while, and when he came back he was in a towel and his hair was damp. He tugged it off his hips, rubbed it over his hair one more time, and slid into bed beside me.

I turned into his arms immediately and he started rubbing my back. He was still shaking.

“I’m okay,” I said.

I knew I’d read him right when he held me a little tighter. “I nearly lost you.”

“You didn’t. You found me. You saved me again.”

He kissed the top of my head, and I carefully lifted to my elbow and stared down at him. I cupped his stubbled jaw and slid my thumb back and forth, letting the warmth of his skin and the roughness of his whiskers ground me.

“Are you…are you going to be okay, I mean, after what happened in that room?” I whispered.

He shook his head. “I will never be okay with what happened in that room, London. Someone tried to take you from me.” His jaw went tight. “Baby, you’re gonna have to bear with me here, yeah? I’m a possessive guy at the best of times, protective of what’s mine. I’m gonna be extreme with that shit, with your safety, for my own peace of mind, for a while, maybe a lot longer than that.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “You have to let me have my way in this, sweetheart, or I won’t be able to function.”