“Go get it.”
“Oh no,” Ash says, gesturing between the two of us. “We aren’t just brushing over whatever the fuck this is.”
“We’ll discuss it later,” Alec insists, standing. “Go get the fucking kit.”
Seb gives me one last lingering look, eyes tracing every patch of blood on me, like he’s committing it to memory. Then he takes out his cell phone, putting it to his ear as he steps outside, shutting my broken door behind him. It doesn’t close all the way, and after a second, it swings back open with a soft creak.
Alec grabs a fluffy white blanket from my couch—the one I love to curl up with when I read—and tosses it unceremoniously over the dead man, covering most of him.
“Hey,” I shout, indignant. Too late. Blood is already seeping through the fabric, staining it red. “That was my favorite blanket!”
“We can buy you a new one,” Alec informs me. “Get up, darling. We need to get you cleaned up.” He’s already heading toward the bathroom when he says it. The sound of the shower turning on follows seconds later.
“Here,” Ash murmurs, stepping forward. He grabs another blanket off the couch and offers me a hand. “Let’s get you all covered up, okay? You’re safe now, Babygirl. We’ve got you.”
His voice is soft, worried. I let him help me up, giving him a shaky smile as he wraps the fleece blanket over my shoulders. He places a gentle kiss on the top of my head, tactfully avoiding any blood.
“Doc’s going to look you over, after you get all cleaned up, okay?” Ash says, eyeing the bruise I can already feel forming atmy temple. He looks like he wants to say more, but the door swings open again before he can.
“Cleaners are on their way,” Sebastian says, stepping inside, his bag in one hand. “Should be an hour or so before the full crew shows up.”
Ash frowns at the body. “Are we even sure he’s dead? Did anyone check?”
Seb tilts his head, studying the motionless shape under my once-favorite blanket (RIP reading blankie). Without a word, he steps forward and plants his foot lightly over where my attacker’s neck should be. He presses down in a single swift motion, leaning his whole weight into it.
Snap.
I flinch at the sound of his neck breaking, clutching the blanket tighter around myself.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” Ash takes a step back, jaw gaping. “Doc, what thefuck?”
“Calm down,” Sebastian says, voice flat, expression cold. “It’s a better death than he deserved, if he was still alive.” He looks at me and nods toward the bathroom, his voice softening as he says, “Go ahead. We’ll be waiting.”
“Fucking sociopath,” Ash mutters, guiding me toward the bathroom, hand warm on my waist.
Maybe I should say something. Kick them out, insist on calling the police. But I feel safe with them. Secure.
No one else can hurt me, with the three of them here. No one would ever dare.
Alec is already in the shower when Ash opens the bathroom door for me, his bloodied clothes piled on the floor.
“I’ll give you two a few minutes toclean up,”Ash says pointedly. He takes the blanket from me and leads me into the shower, where Alec is waiting, hand outstretched to help me in. “No more funny business. We’ll be waiting.”
The door shuts behind him, and I’m alone with Alec once again. He’s already clean, I notice as I step into the shower, all the blood he spilled washed away, down the drain. He adjusts the spray from the shower head, moving aside to let me stand under it.
I let the water wash over me, squeezing my eyes shut. Alec grabs my body wash and wordlessly starts to lather me up.
“Are you okay?” he asks. His voice is soft, hesitant, like he’s not sure how I’ll react.
“I… I think so,” I manage to say.
Alec makes an appreciative noise in his throat as he works the soap over my skin, sliding his hands over me. He’s gentle. Thorough. He takes his time, carefully washing the blood away, making sure to get all of it. When I open my eyes, the water swirling around the drain is red, quickly easing to pink.
“It’s okay if you’re not. You were attacked, darling,” Alec says, kneading the lather into my skin. “You saw a man die.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve seen a dead body,” I admit. I can see my parents’ bodies right now, permanently seared into my mind. Those moments, right after the accident? I remember all of it. The blood. The sudden quiet. My mom’s vacant eyes, staring straight ahead.
The water feels too cold, suddenly, and I shiver.
