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“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Rey said through a vicious purr that scraped over jangled nerves. He mopped up the spilled drink then wiped the sticky film from her hand. A never-ending well of patience as he gathered Devin close to rock her in his arms, soothing away this latest bout of emotion.
“Nothing is okay,” Devin mumbled against his neck, groaning as the rich, smoky taste of him flowed over her tongue. Another consequence of the failed estrus.
The hormones Morozov used on her had been some of the purest. Expensive and dangerous, just like the man. Rey had been in no state to take advantage of the induced heat. The real reason Beau shot her up with that vile stuff patterned Rey’s flesh beneath the loose shirt he wore. He’d taken more bullets than Devin ever wanted to count. His back and chest were littered with thick ridges where they’d punctured flesh, the cuts the doctors had to make to remove some of them surrounding the deep holes with bloody lips. One nicked his lungs, another tunneling through some big vein.
Rey woke in the middle of being patched up, refusing to let them continue. He’d joined Beau who was already on the hunt for Devin. They’d found her well outside of Alderbrook after following the clues the dead men at their door left behind, some outlying township where the Caivano’s hid their warehouses of guns.
Whining low in her throat, she struggled within his firm embrace. Twisting within the cage of his arms, Devin made to straddle the broad expanse of his thighs. Folds growing slick with every breath she took laden with his scent, she grinded against the bulge wedged against her.
“Devin, sweetheart, stop.”
She ignored him, lapping at the thick cords of straining muscle along his neck. Humming as she circled her hips to feel him all the more. If he would just fuck her, it’d drive away the haunting taste of bitter cold and darkness. Dispel the visions of pale brown eyes and leave nothing but warmth and the decadent essence of espresso on her lips.
“Stop this,” Rey snarled, shoving Devin back into the corner of the couch. Quick, violent movements bundled her back into the blanket, imprisoning her writhing body within the soft folds.
Lower lip trembling, she hunched into the thick layers. He didn’t want her. His body still reacted to her nearness, but the man wanted nothing to do with her. Rey kept his touch restricted to insistent coddling and soothing. Not an ounce of the raging fire she craved. For someone who once seemed so hell bent on doing the same thing as Morozov, his actions now left her raw.
“I’m going back to bed,” Devin mumbled as she unfolded from the tight knot of limbs and fabric. Shuffling steps took her the long way around the new coffee table, well out of Rey’s reach. He stood at once, reaching for her, probably to lead her. As if she couldn’t find her own way. Unable to stop the curl of her lips, she shied away from his outstretched fingers. “Alone.”
Rey’s hand dropped to his side, but Devin was already scurrying from the room. Moving as fast as she dared to get away from the caustic burn of greasy ash coating the back of her throat. His anger followed her all the way to the bedroom, teasing at her senses as Devin crawled between the cold sheets.
Curled around her knees, she made her body a small lump beneath the thick duvet as her silent tears stained the pillow. Within moments the fragmented memories seeped in, the haunting specters of hands and pale brown eyes trickling into the hazy space of her clouded thoughts.
As darkness descended through the room, she was unable to move. The simple act of baring a single arm to flick the switch of the bedside lamp too great, leaving her far too vulnerable. She quaked and hid in the tiny pocket of imagined safety. The monsters couldn’t get her if she just stayed beneath the covers, no matter they were all in her head.
Devin choked back her scream as light flooded her burrow. It blinded her, eyes watering as she clutched the covers closer. Her bleary gaze tried to pick out some familiar detail.
“It’s me,” Beau said softly as he crouched beside the bed. The smell of scorched spices clung to his skin, invading her space and drowning out every other scent as he reached into the blankets to pet at Devin’s hair.
“What’s wrong now?” She hated the quiver in her voice. Despised the way she had to force herself not to flinch from his touch.
“Something has to be wrong for me to be here?”
“He hasn’t let you anywhere near me since…” Devin sighed and gave a terse shake of her head, refusing to call it anything but what it was. Mentioning it had Rey flying into a rage, so it was better not to say anything about it at all. “So, what’s wrong?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re not eating. He says you’re having nightmares all the time. So, what’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.” Beau’s hand clamped over her nape, fishing Devin out from beneath the protection of the blankets and exposing her to the bright light. He added a hard shake for good measure before letting her drop back into the bed. “You handled everything I did to you better than this.”
“If he’s so concerned, why isn’t he the one—”
“Because you won’t talk to him. I’m getting sick of playing intermediary and not even getting anything out of it.”
Devin clung to her righteous indignation, carefully tending the single flickering spark of it into a true blaze. How could she really be so stupid as to think he’d come to care for her? She was a toy to Beau, a thing to be used. An easy path to his true goal of Rey’s attention. All that time he’d spent rubbing her feet and acting like the sane one was a lie.
“Knock it off,” Beau growled, fisting Devin’s hair to force her eyes to his. “There’s a lot more shit going on than your tiny world, little girl. When are you going to grow up and figure that out?”
“What are you talking about?” Devin slapped at his arm, gasping as he wrenched her head back even more. Pain prickled through her scalp, the burning ache seeping down into her neck.
“It means you need to snap the fuck out of it.”
“Gods damn you, Beau,” Rey yelled as he came storming into the room. Fingers curling around Beau’s wrist, he crushed it to release the hold upon Devin’s locks. His other hand came up, shoving Beau away with a bone shuddering thunder.
