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I gently lifted her from the bed and carried her into the bathroom. I didn’t know how the fuck this was supposed to work. If I showered in my briefs, then I wouldn’t have any boxers to wear with my slacks, and that wasn’t an option considering my slacks were made to be fitted.
I gently set her on the side of the tub before I stripped my t-shirt over my head and toed my shoes off. “Are you going to be okay if I strip?” I asked her. “If not, I’ll shower in my briefs or my slacks. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
She swallowed thickly. “I trust you,” she whispered. And for her to say those three words to me after what she’d just gone through…fuck.
I nodded and continued stripping out of my clothes. I adjusted the water temperature before I stepped into the shower and gently lifted her in with me, helping her stand on her shaky legs. I kept one hand on her hip, holding her to me so she could use my body for support. Blood washed off of her body and out of her hair, turning the floor of the shower crimson.
She wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my chest. Silently, I wrapped my own arms around her, holding her. I don’t know how long we stood like that, but I held her as long as she needed me to. Her body felt amazing against mine, but I pushed aside everything I was feeling.
All that mattered at that moment was taking care of her and giving her whatever she needed to just keep breathing.
19
PHONE CALLS
Christian
When I walked into the hospital room, Caiden was passed out on the hospital bed with Ally draped over his chest. His arms were wrapped around her with one knee bent, his foot flat on the bed, her leg draped over his that was still lying flat.
Julian slipped in behind me. Once he had gotten here, Axel had gone home to help Meghan get the kids ready for daycare so she could come here to see Ally.
“Holy shit,” Julian whispered as he ran his eyes over Ally. Her skin was different colors, and her face was swollen. He clenched his jaw, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
Caiden cracked open one eye, looking at us. “Shut the hell up,” he whispered. “I just got her to go to sleep about thirty minutes ago.”
At that moment, I was more thankful than ever before for my brother and his presence in Ally’s life. She wouldn’t let me help her. I understood it. It didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less. But at least she was being taken care of by someone who deeply cared about her.
I sat down in the chair beside the bed, running my eyes over her face. All the blood was gone, leaving behind my battered woman. I wanted to kill whoever did this to her. And when my eyes met Caiden’s, I knew he felt the same way.
Ally moved in her sleep, a whine of pain leaving her lips. Her eyes slid open, her hand fisting on Caiden’s bare stomach. Her bottom lip trembled. “It hurts,” she whispered.
I covered her hand with mine, squeezing gently. “I know, my moon,” I said softly. I’d give anything in the world to make her pain mine so she didn’t have to deal with it.
I hated that I hadn’t been home to protect her from this shit. I would never forgive myself for this happening to her.
“The baby?” she asked me, looking fearful of the answer.
“You’re still pregnant,” I assured her. Her body relaxed slightly. It was the first real question she had asked me about something surrounding her rape.
She slowly turned her head, her eyes locking on Julian, who was standing silently at the end of the bed. Tears burned in her eyes. He swallowed thickly as he moved to kneel in front of her. “I’m so proud of you for fighting,” he rasped. “You didn’t just lay down and take what he did to you, and I’m so, so fucking proud of you.”
She closed her eyes again. “Do you want Christian up here?” Caiden asked her.
She nodded. He moved to get up, but she wrapped her arm around him, holding him to the bed. I just shook my head at him and moved around the bed, sliding onto the tiny, hospital bed behind her, and wrapping my arm around her waist. Julian squeezed her hand. “Keep fighting, darlin’,” he told her. “Don’t you ever dare fucking give up.”
“I won’t,” she croaked.
“Promise me.” A pleading note entered his voice. He was doing his damnest to hide how he felt from her, but we were all afraid this would send her over the edge.
But if there was one thing I knew about Ally, it was that she took her promises seriously. She did her damnest not to break them. So, I knew why Julian was making her promise. One of us would have the opportunity to save her before we lost her if it ever got dark enough for her.
