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Her eyes fluttered open. Her chest heaved as she gasped in a huge breath of air. She blinked at us a few times, like she wasn’t sure we were real.
“Motherfucker,” Gage muttered.
Havoc didn’t say a word. He was in shock. Understandably so. His father had tried to murder the woman he’d fallen for.
“Come on, Goddess,” I said softly. “Let’s get you out of there.”
I leaned down to scoop Raina into my arms. She grabbed onto me, holding tight. There was a desperation in her grip, like she knew that she was safe now and never wanted to let go. I carried her to the car and slid into the backseat with her in my arms. She needed to feel safe. Even though the fresh tears streaming down her face were killing me, I couldn’t let her go. Not now.
Havoc walked toward the SUV like a zombie. He seemed too out of it to drive.
“Gage, you drive if you’re sober enough,” I said, thinking it was best to keep him up front with Havoc. To Raina I asked, “Are you okay? Do you need a hospital?”
She opened her mouth to speak. Only a sob came out. She shook her head, burying her face in my chest. I’d never believed Maverick to be a good guy. I knew better than that. This was the first time I’d believed that he was nothing less than a monster.
As Raina huddled in my arms, sobbing and shaking, I did my best to keep my shit together. Tears were my undoing. They brought out a side of me that I wasn’t proud of.
More importantly, they confirmed what I already knew. Maverick Alexander had to die. If Havoc didn’t take care of this mess, I would do it myself.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
RAINA
I’d never have dreamed that this stupid collar would save my life. It was the first, and probably only time, that I felt grateful to have it locked around my neck.
I held so tight to Knight that my fingers hurt. We sat in the backseat of his Jeep with me curled up in his lap. He stroked a hand over my disheveled hair, murmuring softly that I was okay, that he wouldn’t let anything else happen to me. I wanted so badly to believe him.
I had no idea how long I’d been in that box. It didn’t take long for me to feel suffocated, like there wasn’t enough air. After fighting and failing to get out, I’d given up and accepted my fate. The air had grown thinner as every minute passed. Then a noise alerted me to the arrival of the Gods.
At first I thought for sure that I was hallucinating. Once air filled my lungs, my head began to clear. Knight’s strong arms felt so damn real. I’d known then that they’d found me. They’d tracked me after all.
Nobody spoke during the drive back to the city. That was perfectly fine with me. There was nothing they could say to make any of this better.
It was only when we pulled into the driveway at the Gods’ house that Havoc turned around to look at me. His tight expression didn’t change, although his eyes were filled with pain.
“Was it my father?” he asked, sounding like it hurt to say those words.
Still not ready to speak, I nodded. Havoc had to be in complete turmoil. I didn’t know how I would handle if it my father had tried to kill him or the others. Even Gage, who hadn’t been able to bring himself to look at me once. I’d have felt devastated and betrayed.
Knight shoved open the door, tightening both arms around me as he carried me from the vehicle and into the house. We ascended the stairs and went straight into his bedroom. He passed the bed and entered the small attached bathroom.
Gently setting me on the closed toilet, he peeled off my hoodie. Then he lifted my shirt over my head, tossing both items onto the floor. I noticed how he tried not to look directly at my tearstained face. It probably didn’t help that tears continued to stream silently down my cheeks.
Knight had a thing for crying women. I wasn’t sure if I should be concerned. If he was anything like Gage, then I may not get out of this bathroom unscathed. Something about his tender touch assured me that wasn’t the case.
It’s not like I could control the tears. They welled up in my eyes, spilling down my face. Emotion overwhelmed me. There was no stopping it.
“You look like you could use a shower. You’ll feel better after. Physically anyway.” Knight swiped a thumb over my face, brushing my tears away. He winced, like it pained him to watch me cry.
That wasn’t all it did to him. There was no hiding the hard on pressing against the front of his pants. When he started to strip down too, I tensed. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Knight, but I wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, I was curious. I’d always been curious about him.
When we were both naked, he turned on the water in the shower, adjusting the temperature before taking my hand and getting in with me. He was a total gentleman, giving me first dibs on the water and letting me go at my own pace while cleaning up. He helped shampoo my hair, gently massaging it into my scalp.
His gaze drifted over me, lingering on the knife cuts from Daire. I saw him stiffen and clench a fist. It meant a lot to me that he cared so much.
A heavy sigh left me as he glided a soapy bath puff over my skin. Being taken care of like this felt like heaven. His tender care continued when we emerged from the shower. He gently picked through my wet hair with a brush, careful not to pull or yank on the tangles.
I placed a hand over his, my chest heavy with a fresh swell of emotion. “Thank you, Knight.”
