Page 45 of Liberating Water

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I went backto the house with Brayden and Parker while the others stayed back to work with the Elementi and their police connections. The whole ride back I couldn’t stop shaking, but I’d managed to stop crying. Brayden wouldn’t set me down yet, so I was carried up the stairs to our wing.

“I’m so sorry, Angel,” Brayden whispered in my ear as he set me down. “This man is a sick bastard, but we are going to do everything we can to get his ass.”

Letting out a shaky breath, I looked up at him. “I should have trusted you when you told Parker not to let me see what was going on. I’m sorry I didn’t listen. That poor woman’s family… she is dead because of me.”

“No, I’m not letting you go down that road, Lailah. What this man chooses to do does not fall on your shoulders. He is fucked up in the head and was already evil enough that the Dark Lord didn’t need to make him a host. That alone should tell you the special kind of crazy he is,” Parker growled, scrunching up in anger. “What we need to be prepared for now is that anything can happen anywhere.”

“There is nothing we can do right now that isn’t already happening. Go get ready for bed and come find one of us. We’ll stay with you,” Brayden reassured.

Still shaking slightly, I decided a shower would be the best thing, needing to wash this night from my body. Once changed into my pajamas, I wandered into Parker’s room where he sat on the bed, shirtless in grey sweatpants. A surge of heat flooded my body at the sight of him, the urge to Bond uncaring that I’d gone through a traumatic event tonight. One look at my face, and Parker swept me up into a tight hug.

“I think it would be best for you not to sleep here tonight, Trouble. The draw to seal the Bond will only grow stronger if we are so close,” Parker said, kissing the top of my head. “I know this is terrible timing to say something, but I was kind of hoping that you might keep what happened between us tonight quiet for now. I didn’t do it for them. I needed to make sure you know how serious I am about you. I feel like the others won’t get it.”

Looking up at him, I searched his eyes. “Okay, I guess I get that, but I don’t think they’ll react the way you think they will.”

“Trouble, I love that you always see the best in people, but at this moment they don’t trust me with you alone farther than they can throw me. I just don’t want to add more fuel to the flames already nipping at my heels. Once things have mellowed out, then I will happily tell them myself, but let’s deal with one problem at a time.” Parker sighed, running his fingers through my hair as I leaned on his chest.

“Fine, but if they ask me, I’m not going to lie to them,” I countered.

“I would never ask you to lie, Trouble. That would make me the biggest asshole known to man, and Micah has held that role for a long time. I wouldn’t want to knock him down from his throne.”

Smiling, I pulled away and gave him a quick kiss. “Alright, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Trouble. Sweet dreams,” Parker said with a soft smile.

I let out a harsh laugh as I shut Parker’s door. “Yeah I’m not sure sweet dreams are going to happen, but there’s always hope, I guess.”

I headed over to Brayden’s room, finding him already in bed reading as he waited for me. Seeing me, he didn’t say a word but lifted the comforter for me as I crawled in, wrapping myself around him. I could feel how worried he was about me, even if he didn’t say it. Hell, I was worried about me too, but there was nothing we could do to fix it at the moment.