That was a fair point. Considering she was currently torn between two males, adding a third to the mix would be insane. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.” They’d had to reschedule their strategy meeting for the following day. She clicked off, turning the movie back on and watching until her eyes became blurry and her headstarted to nod.
When the outside door opened, she stiffened and pushed pause on the remote. Paxton prowled in, looking as if he’d been tossed through a wood chipper. There were contusions and scrapes all over his face and arms, and his bottom lip had swollen.
“Hope,” he said, walking inside, his gaze not meeting hers.
She had figured it would be bad when he’d said he was going to meet his father, but she’d never imagined it would be this bad. Why hadn’t he healed those injuries? He was so pale, he looked almost ghostlike. “I should have gone with you,” she said, her heart hurting for him. Though she’d known the reunion wouldn’t be pleasant, she hadn’t expected the raw devastationin Pax’s eyes.
He glanced at the movie and then back to her face. His body was hard and cut, and tension rolled off him in waves. If she didn’t know him, she’d fear him. “It’s three in the morning. Why aren’t you in bed? You were in a battle nottoo long ago.”
“It looks like you’ve been in a couple since then,” she said, scooting over on the sofa. Had the male even had a chance to heal his injuries from the first battle? If she remembered right, his father was well muscled and had beefy fists. It wouldn’t have been an easy fight, even for someone as skilled as Pax. And no doubt, since Pax had wanted answers, Paelotin wouldn’t have given them. Not without a good beating. By the look of Pax’s knuckles, he’d punched hard and fast. “Come sitdown, Paxton.”
There was something off about him, an energy she couldn’t read. She had been attuned to him since they were toddlers, and right now, he was as distant as someone across the globe, even though he stood right next to her. “I’m guessing it was bad?”
“Worse than bad,” Paxton admitted, dropping onto the sofa. He scrubbed both hands down his face. His knuckles wereraw and bloody.
“Why didn’t you heal those on the ride home?”
“I couldn’t.” He stretched out his hands andlooked at them.
Shock reverberated through her, and she pressed a fist against her mouth. “Is it my fault?”
He turned, looking at her. His eyes were an electric silvery blue. “Why would thisbe your fault?”
“I don’t know.” She threw up her hands. “We kissed, and we kissed big-time. Maybe I somehow infected you with whatever’s wrong with me.” Her ears rang, and she couldn’t focus to figure out what she was trying to say. Her face heated when she thought about the orgasm. It had been spectacular.
He snorted. “You can’t infect me with being human, Hope. Come on, we know that’s what’s going on with you. No, that’s not my problem. That drug the Kurjans injected into me has just gotten stronger. It’s flowing through my veins, spreading into my muscles. Emma is attempting to identify the unknown compound, but...”
Anger roared through her so fast she had to grasp his thigh for balance. “We’ll figure this out. I’ll gotalk to Drake.”
“No,” Paxton said, turning and yanking her onto his lap. “You will not go talk to Drake. I will fixthis somehow.”
“We’ll do it together,” she said, cupping his jaw. He had raspy whiskers and a definite shadow. There was nothing soft about Paxton Phoenix, and for a moment, just a brief moment, she missed the sweet little boy he’d been. “Did you find out who your father was working with in theKurjan nation?”
“No. He gave me some low-level names. I don’t think anybody higher up met or talked with him.” Pax’s voice was demon hoarse, and he seemed torock in place.
“Tell me about your father,” she said.
His scoff moved his huge chest. “Well, now that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Gingerly, he lifted her off his lap and placed her gently on the other end of the sofa.
She rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled. “What do you mean?”
Pax’s chin dropped to his chest. “I shouldn’t have put you on my lap. I’m sorry. Oh God, this isso screwed up.”
She stilled, knowing the world was about to crash around her. “Didyou kill him?”
“No,” Paxton said, “I didn’t. He is in a holding cell right now. I beat him up pretty good, but Igot himout of there.”
The pain in Paxton’s eyes was palpable. “Pax, whatever he said, ignore him. He never knew you.”
“Oh, he knew me a little bit,” Paxton said, thesound desolate.
This was getting out of hand. There was a desperation in his eyes that she had never seen before. “I think I should call my dad.” Zane would know what to do.
“He’s not here,” Paxton said wearily. “He returned to the battlefield with two squads to see if there was anything left of the Seven’s documents. He wanted to be one of the people to sift through the rubble for some reason.”
“Oh,” she said softly. “How do you know that? Were you looking for him?”
“You could say that,” Paxton said dryly, putting up invisible shieldsaround himself.
