Until the barest hints of gold started to spread across the sky.
Only then did I force myself to slowly lower her down to the ground, pushing a pillow under her neck, then spreading a blanket over her body.
I wouldn’t let myself look back as I made my way to the trapdoor then disappeared down the ladder.
As expected, a couple of the girls were out cold in the bunks in the basement, so I was careful to creep up the steps so I didn’t wake anyone, so they wouldn’t put things together if they saw Gracie come down in the morning.
I was about to make my way to my bedroom when voices in the common area made me pause.
Then there was Layna at the table.
Spike and Cain were also sitting there.
Mostly naked.
Catching my brow raise, Cain shook his head. Spike let out a huff of a laugh. “When we ran out of cash, she accepted clothes,” Spike admitted.
I barely noticed them.
With how closely Layna was looking at me.
All I could do was cross my fingers that she crashed in the prospect room so she didn’t go down and see Gracie missing from the bunk.
Because I’d managed to hold myself back from getting any kind of relief with Gracie.
It would be fucking criminal if I got caught and kicked out just for letting her take what she needed from me.
Layna’s shrug felt loaded.
But I chose not to harp on it as I turned and made my way into my room and right into a cold shower.
It didn’t help.
All I could do after was lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Gracie, and trying to ignore the feeling in my chest that I knew was something more than desire.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Gracie
The sun on my face was what finally pulled me out of a deep sleep.
There was a dull pounding in my temples from the margaritas the day before, but cutting myself off early in the night meant it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been in the past.
It wasn’t my head that was the issue.
Oh, no.
That was my back.
“Ow,” I grumbled as I tried to roll over onto my side. “Ow ow ow.”
When did the barracks bed get so hard?
Then it came flooding back.
Stealing one of Croft’s tees before heading down into the basement to change and get some sleep.
Luna and Violet were out cold in moments.
