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“Hold on to me, love,” I say against her ear. She nods and tightens her hold around me again.
This is probably the most dangerous way to ride, but I don’t know what else to do. I can’t leave her here while I get a car, and I’m not waiting around for one of the guys.
“Ready?” I ask. She lets out a soft moan of confirmation, and I kiss her cheek again.
My chest hurts. I just want to take her pain away because I can endure it.
I can endure anything, I’ve proven that to myself, but seeing Kennedy like this, it makes me realize maybe I can’t.
I can’t handle her hurting.
So I kiss her again, and slowly take off down the road.
Kennedy
My body aches as Ezra carries me up the steps to my apartment. I don’t know what time it is, but I’m hoping it’s still early enough that Ian and Enzo are asleep. I cling to Ezra, never wanting to leave his arms.
He somehow manages to open the door with one hand, kicking it closed with his foot.
“Shh,” I hiss, and his arm tightens around me. “The boys are asleep.”
“Sorry, love,” he whispers as he moves through the small apartment, his footsteps impossibly silent. We get to the bathroom and he sets me on the counter, but I keep my arms wrapped around him. “I need to fill the bath.” He tries to pull away again, but I tighten my hold, whimpering.
I don’t know why, but I feel like if I stop touching him, I’ll be back there. I won’t be safe anymore.
He pulls back enough to look at me. Smoothing his hand over my head, I wince as he grazes the lump on my temple. His eyes darken, but he tries to stay calm.
“I need to fill the bath, Kens,” he says again, softly. “I’ll be right here.” His eyes bore into mine. “I’m here. You’re safe.”
Safe.
I’m safe.
But why do I feel like I’ll never truly be safe again?
I force my arms to drop away as I lean against the mirror. He stares at me, not moving away. His kiss startles me. It’s soft—softer than anything I’ve ever felt from him before. Not demanding or intense. Just…soft.
He steps back, dipping his head to hide his burning face as he hurries to the tub. After turning the water on and checking the temperature, he turns back to me.
“I called Blade to come check you out,” he says quietly, but not unapologetically. My insides tighten at the thought. I don’t want to be checked out. I just want to sleep.
“I’m okay,” I croak. He ignores my words as he moves back to me.
“Arms up,” he says. I stare at him. “Arms up, love. You can’t take a bath in your clothes.” I sigh and lift my arms.
I expect his hands to roam, to linger, his eyes to burn me up withthatlook. But they don’t. His face stays soft as he undresses me, like he’s done it a million times before. I move to cover myself with my arm, but he catches my wrist.
“Don’t hide from me, Kens. You’ve never done it before, don’t start now.”
My arm falls back to my side, my lips parting with a breath. He barely gives me a chance to let the words sink in before he’s gently lifting me and setting me in the tub. The water is warm, and I sigh at the feeling. All other thoughts leave me as I lean back, my eyes closing.
His calloused hands glide over my bare skin, washing away the blood. I keep my eyes closed, whether because I don’t want to see the blood, or because I’m too tired to keep them open, I don’t know. But he lets me. He doesn’t ask what happened. He doesn’t expect me to talk.
He just washes me; washes away the feel of that man touching me. Washes away the blood caking my skin and hair. He washes away the night.
I must’ve dozed off at some point, because warm water being poured over my head wakes me. My eyes snap open, but he continues pouring the water over me. I try not to look, I try to keep my gaze on his, but it slowly slides to the water.
There’s so much blood.
