Whatever Queen had given him for the pain had evidently worn off, and he groaned as he flipped onto his back to talk himself into getting out of bed. It was light outside, but soft and dreary. It was raining, and he had no idea how long he’d been asleep.
His ribs complained as he sat up, keeping an ear out for Cold.
The weight of the last twenty-four hours fell upon him like a sledgehammer and made his heart jerk. The fire, the shootings—all of it was rushing over him like a tornado, and his ears were left ringing, an echo of the hail of bullets he’d seen take so many lives.
But not his.
Not Cold’s.
There was no doubt in his mind that Gary or Cristian or any of those other men would have killed him without a moment’s hesitation. Cold had saved Jimmy’s life at the expense of so many, and while he was haunted by the violence, he was also grateful.
Roderick Legrand would do truly anything for him.
Anything.
Jimmy heard new movement in the bathroom and immediately ran right at the door. He didn’t care how much pain he was in or how stiff his legs were. His heart was pounding anxiously, and he needed to see Cold.
He had to kiss him, touch him, and know that he was really all right. After everything that had happened, he had to hold his lover in his arms and give him a proper answer, the one he’d been waiting on for what seemed like an eternity now.
Jimmy gasped as the door opened before his hand ever touched the knob, Cold staring down at him from the other side.
“How did you—”
“I heard you get up,” Cold said, looking at Jimmy through a thin pair of black reading glasses. He picked Jimmy up immediately, holding him close and pressing kisses into his hair. “Oh, Jimmy.”
“Rod,” Jimmy murmured, wrapping his legs around Cold’s waist and hugging his neck. Feeling Cold’s broad shoulders shaking, he murmured assurances, “I’m here, I’m safe... I’m yours.”
Cold placed a firm kiss against his lips, trying to be mindful of his broken nose, but he was clearly struggling to hold back. “I tore this entire city apart for you,” he whispered fiercely. “I would have burned it to the fucking ground to find you.”
“I love you,” Jimmy said, his eyes filling with tears. He groaned when Cold’s mouth latched onto his throat, stroking his hair frantically. “I love you so much, fuck... Rod! I thought I’d lost you... I don’t... I don’t wanna wait.”
“Mmmph?” Cold looked up, his breathing rough and heavy. “What are you talking about?”
“Propose,” Jimmy cried anxiously, petting Cold’s face as tears streamed down his cheeks. “Please. I don’t care how you ask me, but I’ll say yes. I swear I’ll say yes, I just need—”
“Marry me, Jimmy,” Cold whispered urgently. “Marry me because I need you to. Because I need you every day of my life. I need to wake up next to you every morning, I need to hear your laughter and see your smile. I need you to marry me because I cannot live without you. I am yours, Jimmy Poe. Every part of me, broken and scarred, every part that you’re willing to take, is yours. I cannot promise that I’m going to be a good man, but I swear I will never wrong you, and I will always love you. Please... James David Poe, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Jimmy whimpered, blinking away hot tears. “Yes, Rod! Yes! I’ll marry you.” He was sobbing as Cold pulled him into a crushing embrace. His ribs burned when he inhaled, but he didn’t care.
Cold held him close, wiping away his tears and kissing his cheeks sweetly. Jimmy’s chest was starting to feel tight, overwhelmed by a violent tidal wave of emotions. He couldn’t be sure, but he swore he saw Cold adjust his glasses to brush a few tears of his own aside.
“Breathe, Jimmy,” Cold commanded firmly. “Breathe for me.”
Jimmy inhaled sharply, taking a big breath. He hadn’t realized how close he was to hyperventilating. The fear he had felt for his own life and for Cold’s was washing back over him, and it was overwhelming.
The next sensation was revulsion when he remembered how Gary had pawed at him, and he nearly gagged on his own tears.
“What do you need, Jimmy?” Cold asked firmly. “Tell me what you need.”
“A bath,” Jimmy replied, weak and broken. “Please... I feel so dirty... I just...” He didn’t know how to explain it, hoping Cold would understand. “I don’t feel clean.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of you.” Cold gently set Jimmy down on the edge of the tub, running a hot bath for them both. He helped Jimmy get undressed and slide into the water, taking off his clothes and glasses before slipping in behind him.
Jimmy melted in Cold’s arms, enjoying the soft scrub of soap all over his body. He took a few more breaths, deeper and deeper, until he was able to calm down. He was imagining all the filth falling right off his skin with every stroke, sniffing quietly when Cold stopped.
“Could you... keep going?”
“Of course,” Cold said, kissing his shoulder and beginning again.
