“Fine, fine. I’m going. I really think you’re being dramatic, though.” After slipping inside I stopped by the kitchen before returning to the living room and settling back into my spot on the couch between the kids with Killer at our feet.
CHAPTER 48
Sutton
They didn’t come back that night. Or the next day. The kids could definitely tell there was something going on and the youngest two were more than a little cranky about it. Charlie bounced back and forth between anxiety over Theo being gone and excitement over Killer. When Naomi came that night, she seemed more tense than normal.
For the second night in a row, we all slept in the living room. Even Naomi took a recliner and settled in with us. Killer stayed at our feet, chewing on a giant bone one of the guards had picked up for him. The streaming service kept asking if we were still watching until finally the TV shut itself off.
Around four in the morning I finally gave up on the idea of getting any decent sleep and went to my room to take a shower. My stomach ached from worry over what the guys were doing and terrible images plagued my mind as I scrubbed my scalp nearly raw under scalding hot water. I wanted to cry but it felt like a betrayal. They were out fighting to protect their family. I owed them my strength and faith that they were okay.
After finishing in the shower and brushing my teeth I sat on the edge of my bed and slowly brushed out my hair. I didn’t feel like sleeping or doing anything productive. I didn’t know what to do with myself. The feeling of ants crawling over my skin grew stronger as the minutes ticked by with no word from the guys. Were they okay? If something happened to them, would I ever know? Would they just…never come back?
The sound of my doorknob turning jerked my attention back to the present and the relief I felt when I saw Theo’s silhouette standing there was overwhelming. I jumped to my feet and rushed at him, not caring that I was just in a towel.
“Theo! Oh, my go—” I froze when I got closer and saw that he was covered in blood and barely standing upright. “Theo! What happened? Are you okay? Is this your blood? Oh, my god, Theo.”
He stumbled in and shut the door behind him. “Not…mine.”
“Leon and Dominic?”
“Not theirs either.”
That was all I needed to hear. I wrapped my arms around his waist and let him lean on me as I led him to the bathroom.
“Let’s get you cleaned up and then in bed. Can you shower yourself or…?”
He sagged against the counter and his arms hung loosely at his sides. “I…”
“I’ll help. I’ve got you, Theo.” I unbuttoned his shirt with shaky and fumbling fingers. The material of his shirt was stiff with dried blood and it covered his skin beneath. I had to peel it off him and then do the same thing with his pants. I hesitated when he was only in his boxer briefs but he was covered in blood everywhere. Doing my best to be respectful I pulled off his underwear and then dropped my own towel so we could step into the shower together. “Alright, here we go. Just lean into me if you need to.”
The water was hot and he hissed when it hit his back. With his face twisted in pain he looked every bit like a soldier returning from a bloody and horrific battle. I turned the water cooler and then lathered a washcloth with my favorite shower gel. Cleaning him and knowing he’d smell like me was soothing the anxiety I’d felt since they’d disappeared.
I started at his neck and cleaned him as gently as I could while still needing to scrub to get him clean. Theo leaned against me with his arms wrapped around my waist, head tipped back against the wall behind him. My heart hammered away as I cleaned his chest and then his arms. The water running downthe drain was stained red and I pushed aside the urge to ask questions about who had lost so much blood.
Working the cloth down arms to his hands, I made sure to clean each finger and fingernail to remove any and all evidence. His knuckles were swollen and covered in cuts but when I wiped them, he didn’t even wince.
“Turn around so I can get your back, Theo.”
He turned with a quiet groan and pressed his forehead to the tile wall.
“Don’t stop touching me, Angel.”
I hugged his waist with one arm and continued rubbing him clean with the other.
“It’s okay, Theo. Everything’s okay. You’re home and everyone’s safe. That’s all that matters.”
I tried to be detached when I washed below his waist but when I wrapped the cloth around his penis and it hardened, I was lost. I pressed my cheek into his back and let out a shuddering breath.
“Is this okay?”
“Don’t stop.”
Stroking him the way I’d seen him stroke himself, I turned my face so I could press kisses all over his back. I just wanted to comfort him and make him feel better. It didn’t take him long to come and as soon as he did, his big body sagged even more. I rushed through washing his hair and then dried him as quickly as I could before leading him to my bed.
“Go on. Get in. I need to check on the kids and then I’ll be back.” I turned down the blanket for him and motioned for him to climb in.
“Dom and Leon are with them.” He caught my hand and looked up at me. “Don’t go.”
