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When he leaves, I want to wash him off my body, but to go to the bathroom means walking past them all. The last thing I want to do is provoke the others. So I lay in bed, listening to the sound of their laughter, and hearing the steady hum of Derek’s tattoo gun, knowing that he’s marking himself with another victory.
“Ssshh.” I wake up with a start, worried that I’m starting the same dream over again, but instead of the nasty brute on top of me, I feel a hand that trembles against my cheek.
Grimm.
“You were dreamin’ again,” he tells me in a whisper that instantly soothes me. “You're safe.” His thumb moves across my cheek to wipe away my tears. I must have been crying in my sleep, and I feel a little less tainted now he’s touched me there.
“You’re okay now,” he reassures me again.
But I know that I’m not, how can I ever be if I keep going back there?
“He tattooed himself each time.” The words tumble out of my mouth without my permission and Grimm scrunches his forehead at me, confused by my rambling.
“Twelve reminders, twelve tears, all tattooed on his hand.” Grimm's eyes grow fierce.
“Who… who did this to you, Rogue?” His voice is soft, but his body is tense and I hate that I so desperately need him to hold me.
I can’t need anyone. I don’t function that way
“It doesn’t matter now,” I tell him honestly, because having Grimm close, the way he’s touching me so gently seems like the only thing that does. The horrors of my past don’t seem nearly as bad when he’s comforting me.
“No one will ever hurt you again,” he promises. And although I made that promise to myself a long time ago, Grimm saying it makes me believe it could be true.
His head moves a little closer to mine, and his teeth dig into his bottom lip like he’s holding himself back. They’re so close to mine I can almost feel them.
“Sleep,” he whispers, pulling away from me again. But instead of leaving completely, his arms wrap around me and his hips nudge me to make space for him beside me.
“I was jealous, earlier at the club, seeing you with that girl. I hated it,” I admit. Jesus Christ, my mouth has a mind of its fucking own tonight.
“I know.” His sharp answer doesn’t even make me mad, how can it when drifting off in his arms makes me feel invincible again?
I manage to slide out of bed without waking Rogue, and after a cold shower, I head straight down to the club.
“Mornin,” Troj nods his head at me as I pass him in the foyer. He’s got some bitch following him down the stairs and he’s looking pleased with himself.
“You know where Prez is?” I ask.
“He was in one of the rooms.” Troj peers upwards to the landing. “You sort that shit out with Rogue last night?” he checks, with a smug grin on his face.
“I took care of it.”
“Adrian was telling me that she used to be a regular,” he informs me, and I try my best to keep my reaction off my face. Thoughts of Rogue letting other men look at her like that makes me fucking crazy mad.
“Like I said, I took care of it, she won’t be giving us the slip again,” I assure him, though I ain’t convinced of that myself. Rogue is an untamable creature. One I fear I’ll never understand.
I find Prez upstairs in the dining hall, eating a breakfast that Marilyn must have cooked up.
“You hungry, darlin'?” she calls out to me from the hatch of the huge industrial kitchen, and I shake my head back at her.
“Grimm.” Prez wipes his mouth with a paper napkin and waits for me to speak.
“You got anything for me?” I ask before he has the chance to bring up last night too.
“Nah, we’re on top of everything for now.” He takes a sip of his coffee.
“It doesn’t have to be a clean up, I’ll take anything. I just need to be outta here for a day or two.” Prez was the one to tell me himself that I should take a break. Well this is me askin’.
“The girl’s gettin' to ya, huh?” He makes a gravelly laugh before taking a sip from his tiny espresso cup.
