“Your wrists aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they were.Some deep scratches but not as bad as the blood first suggested.I’m giving you a tetanus shot just to make sure.”He lay a tube of ointment on the table.“Once you shower, put this on your cuts and put a dressing on it tonight.”Then, he set a bottle of pills on the table.“No more than one every six hours for the pain.”
“Thanks,” Ada said in a small voice.“For everything.”
Pain smiled down at my girl.“You’re welcome.Is there anything the two of you need that we can get for you?That way you can hole up here and recuperate.”
“Can you bring a few pizzas?”I have no idea why I asked Pain that particular question.But once I voiced the request, I was suddenly ravenous.“Like four or five pizzas.”
Ada snorted.Then giggled.“I mean, yeah.With meat.”
“Lots of meat.”I held Pain’s gaze, just to see what he’d do.To my shock, his face split into a wide smile.
“I’ll get you six.With as much meat as they’ll put on them.”
“Pizza is a cure for everything.”Hannah gave me a big smile.
“You’re good.”Knuckles clapped me on the shoulder.“Knew you would be.”
Knight handed Ada her phone.“Cain’s men found it when they cleaned up the place.Smart move what you did.Calling and leaving the line open.We knew we were out of time and had to go in.”Knight squeezed Ada’s shoulder before he looked at me.“Take care of my baby sister.”
“With my life, Knight.”
He turned his attention back to Ada.“Call me if you need me.”
“Thank you, Knight.I think we’ll be fine.”She looked up at me and smiled.“We can help each other.”
Knight grunted.“We got your back, brother.”For the first time in my life, I actually believed someone did.
After everyone left, Ada and I sat quietly for a long time.We both needed a shower, but I thought we needed this too.Just to sit quietly with each other.Taking comfort in one another.Once we both settled, we could clean up.
Finally, Ada spoke.“Jag,” she whispered, covering my hands with hers.“Look at me.”
I lowered my eyes to hers.The bruises looked even worse up close, reddish purple and angry against her fair skin.But her eyes were clear and steady, pools of calm in the storm raging inside me.
“I’m here,” she said.“I’m okay.”
Something broke loose in my chest then, a flood of emotion I couldn’t name or control.I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers, breathing her in.Alive.Here.Mine.
Her hands came up to frame my face, fingers threading through my hair.I felt her breath against my lips, warm and real.When she kissed me, I tasted salt and copper, but I also tasted Ada’s own sweetness.I kissed her back, careful of her split lip, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the press of my mouth against hers.
I gathered her closer, needing to feel her body against mine.She came willingly, climbing into my lap, her legs wrapping around my waist.Her fingers slid under my shirt as she found my skin with her hands.Seconds later, she whipped my shirt over my head and tossed it to the floor.
“Need you,” she murmured against my mouth.“Need to feel you touching me.Inside me.”
I understood.Needed the same confirmation that we were both here, both alive, both whole despite everything.I pulled her shirt over her head before fumbling with the back clasp on her bra.Her skin was pale in the dim light, marked here and there with bruises that made my blood boil all over again.The last thing I needed was to slip back into the near madness from before.
I stood, urging her to wrap her legs around my waist while I walked us to the bedroom.She kissed and licked my lips the whole way.I started to take her to bed, then thought better of it.Instead, I headed to the bathroom.
“Shower first.”I managed, though my cock was at full attention and demanding to be inside her.“I need to take care of you.”
She smiled up at me.“Like I said.We’ll take care of each other.”
We both finished undressing and I adjusted the water before we both stepped into the big shower.The second we stepped under the water, I pulled her back into my arms, needing that physical connection.
The hot spray cascaded over us, steam rising around our bodies like a protective cocoon.I reached for the soap, needing to wash away all traces of this day from her skin.My hands trembled slightly as I worked up a lather, the reality of how close I’d come to losing her still raw in my veins.
I turned her gently so her back faced me.Starting with her shoulders, my hands moved in slow circles across her skin.I watched the suds slide down the elegant curve of her spine, revealing her to me inch by glorious inch.She sighed, leaning back against my touch.I massaged her muscles as I ran my hands over her body.She arched into my touch and moaned several times as she gradually relaxed.
She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a gentle kiss.“My turn,” Ada whispered, taking the bottle of shower gel and squirting a healthy amount in her palm.
