One corner of my mouth tugs up. “Hmm, I don’t think I do. Care to elaborate?”
A tiny fist flies into my chest, and I let out a huff of laugh as I catch her hand and bring it to my mouth, kissing it. “For fucking you like an animal?”
“Yeah, that one. Remember, you demanded I thank you afterward?”
“Aurora.” I peel her off me until she can see my eyes. “That was in the heat of the moment. You know you don’t have to do anything you don’t want. I’m sorry if I was an asshole or if I hurt you. I didn’t think—”
Her mouth crushes against mine, cutting me off. “Shut up, Severin.”
“Was it too much?” I draw her into my arms. “After everything out there…”
She briefly turns her head, looking out the fogged-up glass where the two fuckers are still littering the road across from us. “I’m sorry if I was too rough—”
“You weren’t. I promise. I’ve never felt anything like that. So, thank you. For tonight. I’ll keep it with me forever.”
The last words brought a chill into the car.
“Aurora…”
“Should we call the police?” she asks.
I grit my teeth. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything.”
Denis should be here soon with the cleanup crew, and as much as I want to get to the bottom of her word, I don’t want Aurora to see that.
“Let’s get out of here.”
She nods, trusting me. “I need to go back to Blade’s and close it.”
“I’ll take you.”
She reaches for her shirt and winces seeing the state it’s in. I pull it out of her hands and hand her my own. “Here, use mine.” I swear she blushes as she puts it on.
After all we just shared, she blushes at wearing my clothes.
“Oh my God,” Aurora groans as she gets off my lap to put on her pants.
“What?”
“I just had the hottest sex of my life next to a car seat. Should I feel ashamed?”
“Do you?” I arch an eyebrow.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Good.” I tip her chin up and take her lips in another slow kiss.
“Did you know them?” I ask.
She shakes her head but looks away, and that gives me all the answers I needed.
“We should get going,” Aurora says.
Eventually, we finally make it back to Blade’s. Aurora turns off all the lights and locks up for the night. I don’t miss when she takes a deep, steadying breath before coming inside or how she carefully watches her surroundings until her gaze sets on me and her shoulders drop, relaxing. And I don’t miss the track of muddy footprints on the floor.
Someone tried to destroy her—my girl, my Aurora. To take what didn’t belong to them and I’m pretty sure I know thename of that fucker and he better start counting his lucky starts because when I get my hands on him, it will be the last sight he sees in his life.
Aurora unleashed every part of me I’ve been hiding and suppressing for years, decades even. I hated the darkness that lived inside me. Hated how much it reminded me of my father, but for her, for my lychik I’ll face every demon. I’ll become one if I must, to protect her.
