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She feels perfect in my arms, her weight resting against me. Her head rolls toward me, and her face presses against my shoulder. Through the fabric of my shirt, I can feel her breath on my skin. It sends a shudder down my spine.
I’m about to lay her on the couch, but then stop. I enjoy holding her in my arms, and I decide to do so for a few more minutes.
Why? I don’t fucking know.
She looks so peaceful. No scowl, no fear, no terror. Women look a lot of different ways when I have my hands on them, but peaceful has never been on that list.
My chest tightens and part of me, deep down, likes this—it likes it a lot.
Her eyelids flutter open, and two big brown orbs stare up at me. There is a split second before she recognizes who’s holding her. A moment where that peacefulness and trust she had for me in her sleep is still apparent.
It passes, though, and fear returns to her beautiful chocolate-colored eyes. I wish the time between us wouldn’t end, but when her body instinctively pulls away from mine instead of leaning into me for comfort, I place her ass back down on the couch beside me, noticing the slight tremble of her body.
“Are you going to fucking live or do I need to tell my guys to dig a grave outback?” I consider the fact that maybe scaring her more is not such a good idea…but hell, that’s what I do best. Scare people…and kill them. You get one or the other.
“I want to go home, but most of all, I want to know what happened to my brother.”
I think those are the most words she’s said to me all day. Maybe that fall rattled some courage loose inside her head, but I can’t have her going around asking questions.
“You will listen to me, Kiera, or you will die. This world isn’t the same as yours. You’re walking into a fucking nightmare. One wrong move will get you killed. Do you understand me?”
Tears roll down her creamy white cheeks. First one…then two…and for some reason, they gut me.
They rip me apart from the inside out.
“Tell me what happened to him?”
“First rule, don’t ask questions. That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. Questions like that will get you killed. Keep your mouth shut and do what I say, otherwise I’ll find another job for your lips, and you don’t really look like the sucking cock type.”
Three knocks sound against the door, and I know who it is. When I see Hero enter the room, I sigh.
“Change your mind about the girl I offered?”
“No, I came to ask you for a ride home,” he announces, clearly drunk off his ass from the way he falls into the chair at the front of my desk. I consider what he told me earlier, about Elyse, and how he loved her. The thought seems foreign to me.
Love doesn’t exist in my world. It can’t. It’s a weakness that cannot be afforded. Because when you love someone, they become your Achillies heal. And your enemies…they’ll use them against you any day.
“You think going home to your girl like this is a good idea?”
“No, but any other idea is shit too. Doesn’t matter when I go home, my ass is still going to be chewed.” I almost laugh. Trouble in paradise already.
“How about you crash at my place tonight? I’ve got something at home that will calm you down a bit without making you puke your guts out in the morning.” I’ve been looking forward to smoking some weed all day, and Hero looks like he might need some as bad as I do.
“Sure, let’s go then. I don’t know how much longer my legs will work.” They better work until he makes it to my couch ‘cause I’m not going to carry his ass.
“Let’s go, Kiera. Grab your shit, you’re coming with me.”
She hesitates for a moment, weighing her options. Her eyes flicker to the door like she’s going to make another run for it. Instead, she grabs her backpack and gets up, her legs still unsteady. She better not faint again. Although, if she did, I would carry her.
I walk out the door ahead, both of them following me like lost sheep.
“How drunk am I?” Hero asks as we get in my car.
I wish he would shut up enjoy the damn ride.
“Pretty fucking drunk,” I grit through my teeth. Looking into the rearview mirror, I see Kiera sitting in the back. She looks as if I’m driving her to her execution. What the fuck am I going to do with this girl at my house?
“Okay, good. Because I could’ve sworn there was a chick in the backseat of your car.”
I almost smile at Hero’s comment. Almost.
