Unbroken (The Protectors 12)

I rubbed my temple because my head began to hurt. I didn’t want Vaughn in that world anymore. It was dangerous and the things he had to witness…

But I didn’t want him to stop looking for Gio either. The boy would be a teenager by now… not much younger than me when Vaughn had saved me. God, what if Luca was right? What if Dante showing up to save me had ruined any possibility of Gio being found? What horrible things had the boy suffered through in the days, weeks, months, and years after that one chance had been stolen away?

Every day I’d been trying to live a normal life, Gio had been waiting for his own rescue.

“Hey,” Vaughn said as he put his hand on my back and began rubbing circles into it. “Nothing about that night was guaranteed except that you, your brother, and Magnus would have died if I hadn’t done something. It wasn’t even a choice for me.”

I wanted to believe him… that he hadn’t had a choice in choosing to save me versus finding his nephew. But I didn’t. Luca had said it himself… Vaughn would lay down and die to protect me. What if that were true? What did it mean? Why was I different? He would have met so many victims in the years he’d spent in that world… would he have done for them what he was currently doing for me? Would he have chosen them over his own flesh and blood?

“I… I need to lie down,” I whispered. “I don’t feel good.”

That was the absolute truth. Of course, if I could have found a way to just lie down there on the floor in front of the toilet, I would have. But not surprisingly, Vaughn’s arm went around me to help me stand. I still had his wet shirt in my hands but when he went to take it from me, I held onto it. He let me keep it and unlocked the door. We ran into Con in the hallway. He had a serving tray with food on it and the smell instantly had me turning back into the bathroom. I threw up into the toilet until there was nothing left in my system, but my body wouldn’t stop trying to expel something that wasn’t there.

It could have been minutes or hours before a cold washcloth was pressed against my face. I could hear Vaughn and Con talking, but I couldn’t make out the words. Then my body was moving, but my legs weren’t. It wasn’t until I was laid in a bed that I realized Vaughn had had to carry me there.

I wanted the darkness to claim me because it was easier there and that made me ashamed. I wondered if Gio had found something that brought him peace when he needed it.

“Alstroemeria… friendship,” I whispered.

God, I was such a coward.

Cool fingers drifted over my temple. “It’s okay, Aleks, just rest.”

Vaughn.

I felt tears building in my eyes because I knew he was giving me permission to let go. And that he’d take care of me no matter where I went this time or how long I was gone for.

“Amaryllis… splendid beauty,” I croaked, my voice sounding thick even to my own ears.

“That’s it, baby,” Vaughn whispered in my ear.

“James,” I breathed.

“It’s okay,” Vaughn responded when I couldn’t continue. “What’s the next one?”

“Anemone,” I managed to get out as the darkness began to beckon to me. My lids blessedly began to drop and Vaughn’s worried expression disappeared. Along with the vision of the two men standing just behind him, one looking concerned. But it was Luca’s expression that stayed with me as I whispered the flower’s meaning. Poor Luca just looked completely confused and lost.

And I couldn’t help but think how the anemone would be the perfect flower for him and probably his son, because both were likely dealing with the same exact emotion.

“Fading hope,” I managed to get out.

I tried to tell Luca and Gio I was sorry, but I had no clue if I managed it or not and, thankfully, the blackness made it so I didn’t have to care either way.

I was warm when I woke up… hot, actually. And it was once again dark out. But I didn’t know what day it was. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand on my side of the bed. It was just after two.

Which meant I’d been out for more than eighteen hours… unless more than a day had passed. I’d never lost that much time before but I also hadn’t attacked someone with a knife before either, so I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

Unlike the last time I’d woken up, I wasn’t alone. I could feel Vaughn at my back and his arm was wrapped around my waist. I could also feel his even breath on the back of my neck so I figured he was likely asleep. A small, lit lamp on the dresser afforded me enough light to see several plates of food next to it.