He brings his hand up, gently cupping the side of my neck. “I can feel your pulse quicken at my touch,” he rasps.
He lightly brushes his lips over mine, and my heart skyrockets as nerves and arousal battle it out inside me.
He grins. “A touch so light with my lips, causing such a reaction. I can only wonder what kind of reaction my tongue would cause.”
“I…this isn’t right,” I say weakly, my protest feeble.
He drags his lips teasingly over mine again. My mind and body are at war.
“Then tell me to stop,” he breathes.
I swallow.
Stop. Just tell him to stop. This is insane. He kidnapped you, held you prisoner, and drugged you. This is just Stockholm syndrome. Nothing more,I tell myself.
His tongue slowly traces along my bottom lip.
I shudder.
Why can’t I tell him to stop? Why don’t I want him to stop?
“Lucian…” I breathe, my body leaning into his, a desire creeping over me as I’ve never felt before. My breath is caught between us, everything quiet, everything narrowing to this.
The door explodes inward, ripped free from its hinges. Air rushes in, and the intimacy evaporates in the thunder of splintering wood.
Lucian moves in a blur, turning to face the threat, his body blocking me.
“Prez! It’s Hex!” Silas roars, panic etched in his voice as clouds of dust billow around him.
The rest of the brothers follow as Silas carries Hex in his arms. I shift aside as he lays him down on the bed beside us. Hex is clutching what is left of his arm to his chest. Blood coats his entire body.
“Talon!” Lucian barks.
I look to Talon, whose eyes are wide, fear skirting through them.
I don’t think. I move.
“Get me bandages, cloths… Anything clean I can use for the bleeding. A belt and something for the pain that will help calm him,” I yell.
Clutch bolts.
I move to take Hex’s arm, but he roars at me with such ferocity I stumble back, terrified. My breath catches in my throat, my palm pressing to my chest as my heart nearly jumps out of it.
I blink and swallow back my shock. Now is not the time.
“I need you all to hold him down and keep his arm elevated,” I shout, trying my best to shake off the fear.
Cain, Clutch, and Echo hold him down. Silas hands me a belt. I snatch it from him and kneel beside Hex on the bed as he thrashes around in agony.
“He’s in shock. I need you to get him calm. Give him something. Anything!” I bark.
It’s no use. I’m trying and failing to tighten the belt around his arm to stem the bleeding. Blood is spraying everywhere, coating my skin.
“Why is there blood? How is he losing so much fucking blood?!” Silas demands, fear for his friend etched across his face.
“He’s severed his brachial and ulnar arteries,” I say sharply, as if I expect them to know what that means.
“Here, drink this.” Viktor pours a dark red liquid into Hex’s mouth. Hex swallows without protest, as if he knows whatever this is, is exactly what he needs.
