Well, no forgetting about it now, is there?
Eventually, I get to my feet and check myself in the mirror. Two rust brown streaks of dried blood trail down my neck and into the collar of my shirt. The pricks Janey gave me are still raw, and I tingle in the spots where she didn't break the skin. With a sudden urgency, I peel off some toilet paper, wet it and wipe away the red. It reopens one of the cuts, which wells fresh blood, but at least I've cleaned it up.
After checking the stepladder once more, I take my shower. My clothes are piled as close as I can keep them without them getting wet and my eyes are fixed on the door while I wait for the hot water to wash away my fear and feeling of being violated.
Instead of calming, my mind's spinning faster and faster. Being here could get me killed. How did I not understand that until now? I haven't felt this panicked since the van ride here. I try to slow my breathing, to use mindfulness like Melody showed me, but I'm spiraling. As I start to hyperventilate, I know this isn't going away on its own, but my hands shake too much to even open the shower stall, and my legs won't hold me anymore. I fall back against the tiled wall and slide down as everything goes black.
8
HERO
“Where's Emily?” King bumps my arm, distracting me from my talk with Viking.
It's a good point. She's been gone a long time. Viking's still going on, but he'll chat until tomorrow if I let him. I hold up a hand. “That sounds awesome, but I have to check on the girl.”
“Sure, man.” Viking grins. He knows he's chatty, and usually it's him and Bear shooting the shit, but Bear's out on a ride.
I lead the way to the bathroom, with King close behind.
The door rattles as I knock on it. “Emily? You in there? Everything alright?” Water's running, but that would be a perfect way to distract us if she did find a way out. “Emily!”
Nothing.
“Is she gone?” asks King, a dangerous note in his voice.
I try the door, but there's something blocking it. Fuck. Quickly, I try to imagine a way out of there, but if she's found one, I have no fucking idea what it would be. No windows, only this door, no air vents, at least not big enough to fit a person.
I knock one more time. “Emily!”
Guess I'm coming in. I back up, square my shoulder and throw myself forward. The door bursts open with a crash. A step ladder skitters across the floor before crashing against the back wall. No Emily.
“Fuck.”
The shower's been running hot for so long that the whole room is steamed up, hazy like a thick fog. First thing's first, turn off the water and figure out where she's gone.
And that's where I find her. Naked and collapsed against the shower wall. Fucking gorgeous and rounded in all the right fucking places. I knew we'd be stealing away a pretty girl, but I hadn't realized how fucking pretty until we got her here.
Fuck, she's unconscious and here I'm eyeing her up. So much for standards.
“Hang back.” I hold a hand up to keep King from coming too close. She'll be embarrassed enough knowing I saw her, even though she sure doesn't have anything to be embarrassed about. “I got her.”
I pull her towel off the rack so I can wrap her in it, doing my best to maintain her modesty, and pretending not to like how well she fits into my arms as I pick her up.
“Is she okay?”
“I don't know yet. She's breathing, but passed out. Grab the clothes and get some water, and I'll bring her back.”
In short order we've got her on the bed, well wrapped up in her towel and the sheets thrown over her. The bed will get wet, but we'll fix it later. I put a couple of pillows under her head to elevate it, then try to get contact.
“Emily. Hey. Are you okay?”
I can't help but smile when her eyes flutter open, just barely.
Then she smiles, and it's the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen. “You're back,” she mumbles and reaches her hands out. Before I realize it, she's wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close enough to kiss me. She moans softly.
Fuck, no way she's fully with us yet, but those lips are so fucking soft. I end up bracing on the bed, trapped between pushing away and pulling her closer.
It's with a lot of effort that I eventually do the right thing. “Emily. Wake up.”
She reaches for a moment longer before her eyes go wide. “Oh my God. Did I just—”
“You were flat out in the shower. All I did was carry you here.” I put a hand on her shoulder to… I don't know exactly. I'm not a person she would take comfort from. I'm one of the bad guys, after all.