I swallowed, my tongue dry, my body crying out in pain. “That’s annoying,” I muttered, hissing when I sat on my ass. I frowned, looking down.
His smile grew more genuine. “I couldn’t take care of you well enough if I was feeling how you are right now. I took the plug out,” he added, pulling my eyes up. “You need rest. We’ll go back to training later.”
My shoulders fell and I turned back to the room as I shuffled back into the bed, leaning against the headboard. That was okay I guess, maybe the more often we did stuff like this, the stronger I would get, the longer he would allow me to do more things like that. Like…training. “It’s unlike you,” I said, looking over the tray. A blue drink, water, assorted fruit, and a candy bar.
My favorites of them all.
“It’s not easy,” he replied, pulling the blankets back, the chill of the room causing goosebumps to explode across my skin.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently pushed my legs apart, stretching my left leg out, exposing the wrap hehad placed around the new tattoo. It was dark and huge. And absolutely beautiful.
I watched him unwrap it for only a second before reaching for the blue drink. “Can I ask why?”
He was quiet for a long time, his eyes transfixed on unwrapping my leg. He didn’t speak again until he set the wrap aside and pulled over a small bowl of warm water and soap that I hadn’t seen before. “They found me just after I came out of the woods,” he finally said, causing my eyes to shoot to his. “I was 10 years old. I wandered off when I was 4, just long enough to learn how to speak before disappearing, never to be seen by the people of Index again.
“I lived there the next six years, deep in the woods, never saw a soul, not good ones, anyway. They told me not to get too close to the city, but eventually I did, found myself on a concrete path where I was picked up by Malachi who brought me to Seattle.”
I had stopped, the cup inches from my lips, my eyes locked on his as he gently cleaned my tattoo, his eyes darker than I had ever seen them before. Haunted, like he was seeing a nightmare he never wanted to show the world.
“Them?” I asked, lowering the cup, my heart thudding.
“Them,” he confirmed quietly. “Don’t ask about my family before then, I don’t care to know who they were. Don’t ask me what they did to me, I won’t ever tell you. There are reasons I do what I do, how I do it, and I don’t care for sharing those reasons with anyone. Ever.” His eyes lifted to mine, and I saw how terribly those secrets still haunted him. How much they still hurt. Like open wounds, long since infected. “Do you understand me?”
I nodded, the pain thudding through me. He was just a kid. Just a boy.
“Empty that glass and drink your water,” he ordered, his voice chilling. “I want that tray empty and then I want you in thatshower. Lucy is patiently waiting in my living room, but she did put a hole in my couch last night, so I don’t know how much longer she’ll allow you to be in here without joining you.”
I swallowed and nodded, obeying the command without thought. I continued to drink and eat while he finished cleaning my tattoo, putting something on it, and wrapping it again. He explained to me the care of it, and then took the bowl and discarded wrap out to the kitchen, leaving me to finish my meal alone.
The next hour was filled with things that set my heart on fire, that I didn’t question or allow myself to doubt. He helped me take a shower, carefully making sure he washed every part of me while Lucy lay on the bathroom floor, watching carefully.
When we got out, he dried my skin, brushed my hair, and applied lotion everywhere before dressing me in a pair of sweats and an old tee.
I cried three more times between the bedroom and the living room, and by the time I was finally sitting on the couch, Lucy’s head on my lap, food on the way, I was contemplating cancelling the signing altogether.
My nipples, asshole, thighs, and shoulders were sore.
I had bruises around my wrists and everywhere he had slapped me with that whip.
My cunt was throbbing in pain, and I wondered if I would be able to have sex again anytime soon.
I was tired, ready for a nap, but my phone started ringing as soon as my eyes started to fall shut, the doorbell going off at the same time. I sighed and answered the phone without looking, Everett going for the door. “Hello?” I mumbled, my voice raspy.
There was a pause. “Did you go out drinking last night?” Katie asked accusingly.
Shit. I cleared my throat and shook my head. “No, just a long night. I’ll be ready,” I assured her as Everett appeared in frontof me, setting down a brown bag, the smell of salt and grease finding my nose, causing my stomach to growl.
I glanced up to Everett and back as I sat up, watching him pull out item after item. God, I was starving.
“This is a big one, Liv. Biggest one yet, you have to be prepared, okay? There’s going to be close to a thousand people ready to have their books signed, questions that need to be answered. I’ll be there too, but the spotlight will obviously be on Abigail Ross, everything has to be perfect.”
No pressure or anything. “I know,” I replied, Lucy lifting her head, sniffing the air.
The door opened again, and Everett looked up, Lucy’s eyes locking on him to gauge his reaction.
When he didn’t react, I knew it was Evelyn, and my muscles relaxed a little. “Okay, you gotta be there, peppy and awake. Do some shots, drink a gallon of coffee, just be ready.”
My mouth was salivating. “I will. I have my signing pen and everything. I’ll see you there, okay?”
