Pulling away, I roll over, letting out a huff of annoyance. He pulls my back into his front, snuggling into me, and I immediately soften against him. His body is so warm, and I hate how much I’ve grown accustomed to him.
He kisses my hair. “I don’t want to scare you, Eve.”
I understand where he’s coming from. This is my fault. My mental breakdowns have led him to believe that I’m unstable. I don’t have an argument to change his mind. And I can’t deny that he’s right.
KASHTON
“Open the fucking door,” I bark at Bill while my hand jiggles the doorknob to the room.
I hear the lock click, and I shove it open, barging inside. “Eve?” I rush over to her. “Eve, look at me,” I urge her, running my hands over her face.
She finally stopped screaming a few minutes ago and her body just went slack. Bill said it was over, and I couldn’t get to her fast enough. “Why isn’t she awake?” I snap at him.
“She needs time, Kash,” Bill answers, unbuckling her restraints. “Take her home. Let her rest. The drugs take a lot out of you. Make her drink. A lot. The more fluids she has, the better.”
I pick her up off the table, and she lies limp in my arms. She feels feverishly warm and sweaty, but her breathing has finally evened out. I thought she was going to give herself a heart attack by how worked up she was.
Sin picks up my bag and her clothes, following me out of the room to our cars parked outside. He opens the passenger door for me, and I place her in the seat. Her head rolls to one side, and I reach up, removing my hoodie and shoving it next to her head to lie on and then recline her seat. Closing the door, I remove my cell from my pocket and call up a friend.
“Hey, man. What’s?—”
“I need to crash at your apartment,” I rush out, interrupting him. “And you can’t tell anyone I’m there.”
“Of course,” Tyson answers.
“On my way.” I immediately go to my contacts and call up the next.
“Kash?” he answers on the first ring.
“I need you to meet me at Blackout. Eve needs an IV.” When Bill says she needed fluids, I knew what to do. Gavin can give it to her. She’ll be opening those beautiful eyes and looking at me in no time.
“I’ll be there in twenty.”
I open my eyes to the sound of the club below us. It’s dark in the room other than the glow from the TV. Lifting my head, I blink a few times until my vision clears and see that Eve is still in my arms, and she’s sound asleep, softly snoring.
Pulling my arm out from underneath her, I roll onto my back. Fuck, I’m sweating. Her body puts off so much heat when she sleeps. I get out of bed, dressed in nothing but my boxer briefs, and make my way to the bathroom to take a piss.
After I’m done, I wash my hands and walk back through the bedroom, out the door, and to the hallway. I need a cigarette. Making my way to the kitchen, I grab my bag and unzip the front pocket and then step out on the balcony to light one up with my cell in hand.
I’ve had it turned off since I got the text about Dollhouse. Sin keeps me updated on Carnage and tells me that my brothers are going mad wondering where I am. Especially since Haidyn knows I’m with Eve.
He thinks I’m hiding her from him. I am, but that’s beside the point. Once she’s my Lady, he can’t do shit to her. I’ll have control. Physically, mentally, medically. Until the day I die. Then it’s up to whoever I choose to leave as her guardian. I would have chosen Haidyn before. Now I’m not so sure.
I bring the cigarette to my lips, thinking about what she said to me before she fell asleep. She wanted me to fuck her. The sad part is I wanted to, but I’m afraid it’s too soon and I’ll scare her. I never want to see her shaking whileshe cowers on the floor because she thinks I’m going to hurt her. Not like that.
“Kash?”
I turn to see her standing in the living room, eyes heavy and the bedsheet wrapped around herself. I put out my cigarette and step inside. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
“You didn’t.” She yawns and opens the sheet to let me in, and my eyes fall over her naked body. She has some bruising where the restraints held her down while she fought, but it’s not bad. Nothing that won’t be gone in a few more days. Gavin checked her thigh and changed her dressing when he stopped by to give her the IV. He said it was healing nicely. “The music downstairs is loud.”
“Come on. I’ll tuck you back in.”
She pulls away, taking a step back, and I pause, watching the way her gaze drops to the floor.
This is why I didn’t fuck her. She’s not ready. I want her to be feisty and throwing punches at my face, not cowering at the sight of me.
Swallowing, she glances up at me through her lashes, and I search her face to try and read her thoughts, but there’s nothing there. Just pretty green nothing—blankness.
