Chapter Forty Two
Salena
Slowly,Istripoffmy clothes, letting them thud to the floor in a wet heap. They are soaked in blood, Lola’s blood. My chest splinters and I swallow the sob that works its way up my throat.
Numbly, I reach out, drawing the curtain back and turning the water on. I step under the spray, leaving the cold off. I need to wash off her blood. My skin turns pink as I relish the burn of the water.
My shaky fingers grip the bar of soap, and I slowly drag it over my arms, my skin turning pink from the scalding water. Another sob works its way up my throat, and this time I can’t hold it back. It tears free from my chest, making me double over in pain. My eyes find the red water swirling at my feet and I break. My legs give out, and I hit the tiled floor, curling my body into a ball. I draw my knees to my chest and feel the tears streaming down my face.
Faintly, I can hear a wailing sound and realize it’s coming from me, my cries so violent my body convulses with the sheer force of them. Suddenly, the door to the bathroom bangs open, the noise bouncing around the bathroom. I don’t bother looking to see who it is as the curtain is ripped open.
Logan’s loud curse startles me, and I curl in tighter on myself.
“Salena?”
I don’t look up, just continue to heave, my sobs ripping my body apart. The water temperature changes to something cooler, and I vaguely hear Logan’s clothes hit the floor.
Next thing I know, I’m being pulled upright and into a warm, firm chest. Logan is sitting in the shower naked, his back to the wall, and cradling me on his lap.
He tucks my head under his chin, smoothing my hair back, whispering words of comfort to me. I can’t hear them though. Not through the sounds of my cries and the water beating down on us. But his voice, smell, and arms bring me the comfort I need; the sound of his voice, the scent of his skin, and the embrace of his arms like a blanket of security.
My heart feels wrecked, everything raw and aching. Lola is gone. I failed her. I am the Alpha, it’s my responsibility to keep my pack safe. But someone is stalking me, threatening me. My pack has paid the price.
We stay like this under the soft spray of water for a long while, him stroking my hair, whispering words I can’t make out. I am desperately trying to regain my composure, my breathing still unsteady. Logan reaches over to the ledge and grabs something, but I don’t open my eyes. He positions me between his legs, my back to him as his hands work my hair into a lather, gently washing it. I keep my eyes closed, soaking in the feeling of him taking care of me. The feel of his fingers running through the length of my hair.
When he’s done, I turn around to face him, my legs wrapping around his waist. My head rests on his chest, as I breathe him in. His thumb and forefinger grip my chin, tilting my head up to his. When I look into his eyes, the palest shade of blue, the anguish and worry is unmistakable. God, they are beautiful eyes. I have never seen eyes like his before.They remind me of frozen glass, like when the temperature drops and your windows frost over.
“Stupid question, but are you okay?”he whispers.
I swallow hard and shake my head. Reaching up, his hand lands on the side of my face, swiping away water that’s mingling with my tears. I fall forward to rest on his chest again, his arms wrapping tightly around me.
Logan reaches up and turns the shower off and somehow manages to stand with me cradled in his arms. He steps from the shower, grabbing two towels and walking us over to the bed. Sitting on the end of the bed, he gets one towel and gently rubs it over my hair, then dries me off. Standing again, he places me on the bed, pulling the covers over me and placing a soft lingering kiss on my forehead.
“Sleep, baby. I’ll be here,” he whispers.
I close my eyes and feel tears fall down my face, soaking into the pillow. I don’t know how I have any more tears left to cry, but even though I’m not crying, the tears don’t stop falling, one after another.
Not long after, I feel the bed dip behind me and Logan’s warm body slides in behind me, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me tightly against his body. I bask in his warmth and contentment, and soon enough my eyelids droop with overwhelming exhaustion.
Chapter Forty Three
Logan
Iwillnevergetthe sight of Salena covered in blood from my mind. When I pulled up at the crime scene and saw her sitting there, I lost all sense of thought. I raced over to her and checked her over for injuries myself, snarling at the paramedic who tried to tell me she was unharmed.
Salena clung to me as her friend was bagged and wheeled into the other ambulance. Kai and Mercy stood off to the side, talking in hushed whispers, both casting worried glances at Salena. I tenderly stroked her hair, breathing in the scent of coconut before laying a gentle kiss there and walking off to talk to the first on scene officers. They told me she was holding the body when they arrived, refusing to let go. An anonymous tip had come in of suspicious activity down at the old mill. The number, of course, was from a burner phone. Salena was first on scene, saying she was tipped off as well.
I won’t rest until whoever did this has been taken care of. My chest aches with a dull, heavy pain that seems to reverberate through my entire body. Lola is gone. The bubbly seventeen-year-old is just gone.
I hold Salena in my arms all night, and as soon as the sun rises, I slide out of bed, tucking the blanket firmly around her. I grab my phone and step outside.
Sander picks up the first ring. “She okay?”
I blow out a deep breath and rub the back of my neck. “No.”
“What can I do?”
“Come with me to Denver. I need to speak to Reaper.”
