“Shower first. I feel so dirty.”
It was the dirt, sweat, and dried blood, yes, but also the stain that violence left in me. I hated that Aiden had seen me that way. I hadn’t been sure when I came out of that cage if he’d ever look at me the same. I shouldn’t have let him come. When I thought of the things that could have gone wrong, it made me a little sick.
He’d never have stayed home and played it safe, though. That wasn’t Aiden. He was strong-willed. Independent. I’d come to understand that he let me take care of him sometimes, but he didn’tneedme to.
I followed Aiden into the bathroom and sat down on the closed toilet, slumping against the tank behind me.
Waffles jumped against my legs, whining for attention, and I lowered a heavy hand to his head, stroking his fur. He settled, and in a way, so did I. I was far from the ugliness of illegal fighting rings, just me and my angel and our cute foster dog.
If it weren’t for my aches and pains, it might have never happened.
Aiden knelt before me and untied my boots. “Get undressed and in the shower. I’ll be back as soon as Waffles does his business.”
“Okay.”
Aiden removed each of my boots, setting them aside, then stood and called for Waffles to follow him.
I listened to him open and close the front door before moving. I pushed up from the toilet and unfastened my jeans.My right hand was swollen, so I used my left to tug at one side of my waistband then the other, slowly working the fabric down my thighs.
I must have been moving even slower than I thought, because Aiden returned while I was still half-tangled in my jeans. He closed the bathroom door behind him and came over. “Let me.”
I stood, helpless as a baby as he peeled my jeans the rest of the way down and helped me step out of each pant leg. He drew my underwear down next.
When I was naked, I stepped into the shower. Jets of water hit my abrasions, making me hiss with discomfort, but then the heat sank in, loosening my sore muscles.
Aiden stripped and joined me. He slipped his arms around me from behind. “How’s the water feel?”
“Like fucking bliss.”
He laughed softly and pressed his lips between my shoulder blades.
“I’m still dirty. Don’t touch me.”
“You’re not that dirty.”
“I am,” I rasped.
I flinched as the fight flickered through my brain like a series of movie scenes I couldn’t forget.
My fist slamming into Theo’s throat. The give of his flesh. The choking sound as I’d cut off his air. The crunch of my knuckles against his temple. The thud of his body hitting the mat.
He’d barely been standing when he took the hit. I could have killed him. Flynn had killed his father with one hard punch, and that was without a long, drawn-out fight beforehand.
“How can you be with someone like me?” I blurted indisgust.
“Oh, Will.” Aiden gripped my shoulders and turned me to face him. “You know what I see when I look at you?”
“No.”
“Someone strong. A protector.” I shook my head, but he didn’t stop. He reached for the sponge and poured bodywash over it. He massaged it into my skin as he spoke. “You look out for your friends. For me. All those dinners you made me. You took such good care of me, Will.”
I wet my lips. “That doesn’t erase what I’ve done.”
“I know, but it tells me you’re a good man. You can do great violence, but you’d rather love people. Help them. Protect them.”
“And who was I protecting tonight?” I asked, voice caustic.
“Me.”
