He nodded. “Burn it. All of it.”
King and Tomcat started dragging bodies. Ink and Fallon gathered weapons and gear. Then Blaze dumped accelerantstrategically while Kevlar made sure the place was rigged to blow after we walked out.
As I carried Elena through the warehouse, she clutched my cut like it anchored her to something real.
I reminded myself that she was safe. Back where she belonged.
But this wasn’t over. There was more to do before we could put this fully behind us.
And Marks was gonna find out what it really meant to fuck with the Hounds of Hellfire.
17
ELENA
Iwas exactly where I belonged, cradled against Reeve’s chest. He carried me out of that nightmare, but my body hadn’t caught up yet. Everything inside me trembled, and I felt like my nerves had been stripped raw.
His arms were locked around me, one locked under my knees and the other banded across my back, anchoring me against him. My cheek rested over his heart, and the steady thumping made me feel safe enough that the terror finally started to crack.
I curled my fingers into his shirt, needing the reassurance of his solid weight. He shifted me higher against his chest, holding me closer, and only then did I realize that he was trembling too.
But not with fear. Reeve was furious.
My breath hitched when I finally saw the dark streak across his forearm. A smear of drying blood.
Panic rushed through me. “Reeve, are you hurt?”
His grip tightened, almost painful in its desperation. His voice was rough when he rasped, “Not my blood, baby.”
A shuddering exhale rushed out of me, and I pressed my forehead harder into his chest as my whole body shook. I’d barely managed to keep myself together, but the thought of himgetting hurt because of me was too much. That was what finally broke me
Reeve didn’t hush me. Or tell me to breathe. He just held on, his arms locked around me like he thought someone might try to rip me away again.
My pulse slowly synced to his, the tremors in my muscles easing even as tears continued to stream down my cheeks. I was returning to myself, safe in his arms.
Reeve had found me. He’d gotten to me in time. And killed for me. To make sure I was safe. The truth of that burrowed deep. Instead of freaking me out, it was more grounding than his embrace.
Rage still simmered in every line of his body as he carried me to an SUV. It didn’t scare me, though. I knew he’d never hurt me. He’d do whatever was needed to protect me.
I clung to him because he was the only thing that felt real. Something settled inside me with absolute clarity. I would never walk away from him. Not after this.
Reeve had proven he was a man who would burn the world down before he let me be hurt.
Because he was mine. And I was his. Not just in the heat of sex. But with every breath I took.
I knew Reeve’s emotions were as high as mine because he didn’t let anyone touch me. He carried me the whole way to the SUV, his muscles rigid with leftover fury. Rebel opened the back door for us, and Reeve gently settled me onto the bench seat. Then he quickly circled around to climb in beside me, positioning my body against his like he couldn’t stand the idea of even an inch of distance.
Rebel got behind the wheel without a word. Reeve tugged me closer the second the engine started, sliding his arm around my waist to keep me against his side. His other hand foundmy thigh, his fingers tightening just enough to let me know he needed the contact as badly as I did.
I let my head rest against his shoulder, letting his nearness and the vibration soothe me. We didn’t speak. Every stroke of his thumb against my leg said more than words ever could.
I knew I was safe. That he had me. And he wasn’t letting go.
The world outside blurred past the tinted windows. Reeve’s breathing slowly evened out, but mine stayed unsteady, catching every time the memory of that cold room tried to claw its way back into my mind.
He seemed to sense when I struggled, pressing his lips to my head and stroking his thumb against my leg.
As we neared the Hounds compound, I twisted my fingers into the fabric of his shirt. Shame clawed at the edges of the calm he was giving me. “I’m sorry.”
