“What about Kole?”I blink, yawning.
“Unloading the van. There’s duffel bags with clothing, food, and weapons.”
“Turnip?”
“Safe, snug, and wrapped in a blanket.”
“And how did you get stuck on babysittin’ duty, huh?” I smirk, looking up at him.
He scoffs, moving into the house. I spy a living room, a few couches, and a fireplace. “Please. They would have had to fight me to take you from my arms. And…” The carefree bravado falls away as his throat bobs. He looks so vulnerable right now, I just want to wrap him up and hold him.
“What is it, Darlin’?” I reach up, cupping his cheek. He closes his eyes, exhaling as he leans into my touch.
“I…I need you, Jo. Youdied. There was a full five minutes where I thought you were gone, and out of everything I’ve endured from my dad, from Thornfield…I’d go through it all a hundred times over if it meant I’d never have to feel that sudden emptiness inside me again.”
Tears sting my eyes as my thumb strokes his cheek. “Hayden…”
He keeps walking, his fingers tightening their grip. “Just…just let me take care of you? Please? You promised I could rub your feet and feed you grapes, if I remember correctly.” His tone has slipped back into teasing, but there’s that vulnerability in his eyes that has my heart breaking for him.
I was devastated when the bond went dark, and Iknewwhat was happening. Hayden, though? I can’t imagine how I would have reacted if our roles were reversed and I thought he was dead. I don’t blame him one bit for trying to blow shit up.
“Okay, Darlin’,” I agree, and some of the tension leaves his shoulders as we continue through the bedroom and enter a large bathroom. A giant claw-foot tub with a shower-head attachment sits off to theside, and there’s a fluffy as hell looking bath mat that I know will feel heavenly on my feet. There’s even a little wooden stool at one side so someone can sit on it while the other person bathes.
“Good.” He sets me on the edge of the bathroom counter. “Declan said he would send crews to all the safe houses to get them ready for us—looks like they pulled out all the stops.”
I realize then, that I never asked how Dec got into contact with the guys. In fact, there are a lot of pieces I’m missing from when I got sent to the Cathedral to being rescued by my guys and Dec. I’ll have to interrogate everyone after I don’t feel like I’m a half-step from dying.
My Fire Demon steps away briefly to turn the shower attachment on the bathtub, and set the temperature to hot. “As good as red looks on you, let's get all the blood rinsed off before you soak.”
Frowning, I turn slightly to look at myself in the bathroom mirror.
Oh, shit. Yeah. I didn’t even feel it when it happened, but there’s blood splattered across my cheeks—almost in line with freckles. My eyes seem nearly haunted, my cheeks less full than they were a week ago. My hair is a straggly mess. The rest of my body feels disgusting too, I don’t even know how many days it's been since I’ve had a proper cleaning. I pull my FAFO necklace off and set it on the bathroom counter, not wanting to get it wet.
I’m still cataloguing all my imperfections when Hayden returns, tingles running up my spine as he fingers the hem of my shirt.
“I missed you, Jo.” His words are a hushed whisper, his lips brushing my ear.
A shiver runs through me as my eyes meet his in the mirror. For the first time since leaving Thornfield, I’m able to look at him properly. His hazel gaze is trained on my face, nothing but love and desire in them, but I’m also noticing the dark shadows under his eyes for the first time. Dirt and soot smear across his cheeks. His hair is a mess, likehe’s spent the last few days constantly running his hands through it, and there’s a scruff along his jaw I’ve never seen before. Twisting my body to face him, I watch his throat bob as his eyes search my face.
“Will you help me?” I ask, wanting my Fire Demon to feel secure in my need for him. He nods jerkily, and I lift my shaky arms. He peels the garment off me, the act feeling more intimate than anything we’ve done so far. He never breaks eye contact as his hands reach behind me and unhook my bra, his chest rising and falling with each quick breath.
His thumb grazes the underside of my breast, over the indentations of his bond mark. The one they tried to take from us. I shiver, a small gasp leaving me at the contact.
“Leggings next.” His voice is rough as his thumbs hook my waistband. I brace myself on the counter as best as I can so he can slide them off me, but the effort leaves me near breathless. I may have had a rush of adrenaline escaping Thornfield, but I’m still dealing with nearly a week of malnourishment and bond sickness—despite the fact I currently have no bond to speak of.
My bare ass on the cold counter has me shivering. “I got you, Fireball,” he murmurs gently, scooping me up against his warm body before turning and gently placing me in the bathtub. On instinct, I wrap my arms around my legs and prop my chin on my knees.
He sits on the stool behind me, and then removes the shower head, spraying down my hair and body. I watch with fascination as the water tinges red and even a little bit of brown before swirling down the drain.
Once the water runs clear, he switches to the faucet so the tub can start filling. “I’ll be right back.” He presses a kiss to my temple before standing and leaving the bathroom.
And then…I’m alone.
For the first time in…gods knows how long, I’m alone. No cameras, no orderlies, no doctors waiting for me to fuck up so they can punish me.
Just…alone. In the bath, of all places.
When was the last time I had a bath? We didn’t have a bathtub in the trailer I grew up in, and even though the room I had at Dec’s place had its own bathroom, I hardly used the tub.
