Was he out of it? Stopping right in front of the chair, I picked up the glass of water I’d refilled for him earlier and crouched.
“Are you okay?” I asked again. “You good? You… got here a few days ago,” I reminded him, watching his face carefully, trying to see his eyes. Maybe he had a concussion?
Was that possible? He couldn’t have brain damage, could he? I’d been too worried about his back to think about his head.
I didn’t think I imagined the fact that, at the sound of my voice, he blinked once and something in those crazy-colored eyes seemed to focus, to snap into place, and suddenly, I knew he was finally seeingme.
And just as quickly as I processed that, the most ferocious fucking scowl formed over that gorgeous face while I crouched there. I almost wanted to look over my shoulder to make sure there wasn’t some kind of demon behind me, but there wasn’t.
What the hell was with that expression?
There wasn’t anything on my face; I’d just seen it during my video call. Did he really not remember what happened? Had he been in so much pain?
“You asked to stay here. You said not to call anyone.” My voice came out high and shaky because I was fucking nervous.
His eyelids dropped to a sliver, and the scowl on his mouth got even deeper. His nostrils flared. My skin… why was my skin buzzing? Why did he look about ready to fucking kill someone? Was he breathing harder too?
“I didn’t kidnap you or anything, swear.” I was starting to ramble. His lip curled back just enough for me to see his canine exposed.I’m Gracie,formed on the tip of my tongue, but I changed my mind and swallowed it down.The less information, the better.Right. That was another rule I’d followed my whole life.
He growled.
I suddenly wished I had a knife on me. Not that that would stop him, or much less slow him down, but it wouldn’t make me feel so helpless when he was sitting there staring at me like I’d smashed his headlights. I swallowed hard as that pink mouth went flat and my skin tingled even more.
He was definitely breathing harder.
And he was mad at whatever he had to be mad at. It couldn’t be me. I hadn’t done shit.
The Defender’s nostrils flared again, and that gaze flicked back to a spot behind my head before he closed his eyes, so, so tight that lines formed at the corners of them. He swallowed hard. That broad chest rose and fell once, and the muscles at his cheeks flexed like he was gritting his teeth.
“You good?” I asked slowly, concerned.
He couldn’t really think I’d kidnapped him, could he? I wasn’t that dumb. I didn’t think anybody would be dumb enough to try and kidnap someone who could bat a 50 caliber round away like it was a gnat.
On the other hand, people ate laundry detergent, so….
Another shaky breath later, he spread his fingers wide again just as he opened his eyes too, that pissed-off expression still on his features.
The Defender stared at me. Hard.
I started to open my mouth again to ask if he was okay, but I shut it right back.
Those dark purple eyes moved over my face as his mouth went flat, and after a long, long glare that made my heart start beating fast, he finally flicked one of his fingers toward the glass of water I was holding.
Okay….
My hand shook as I held it out toward him.
He didn’t take it, but those eyes settled back on me heavily with what seemed an awful lot like contempt for some reason. Or maybe he was just mad at the situation and I was the lucky motherfucker to have to be around him while he calmed down? I’d never pictured myself meeting a member of the Trinity, and I sure as hell hadn’t imagined getting glared at by one of them.
It made me gulp.
Cupping my hand under his chin, I raised it and brought the glass to those pink lips. But this time, instead of the small trickle I poured so he wouldn’t choke, his throat bobbed, ready, and he drank greedily. The whole glass was gone in two big chugs.
“Want more?”
The Defender grunted, his gaze lingering on me in a way that made me even more nervous.
Could he read my mind?
