“Lucia? What’s wrong?” Salvatore’s deep morning voice aroused her instantly, yet her body was in pain. As she tried to adjust her limbs, she moaned again.
“I hurt. Everywhere.”
“What?” Lucifer’s voice filled the air, and as she blinked her eyes open and adjusted to the morning light, she saw Lucifer and Gabriele coming closer to the bed only wearing jeans an
d scowls on their faces. God, they’re beautiful.
Salvatore caressed her cheek and chin, tilting it up toward him.
“Did we hurt you?” he asked, and she could see the concern, the anger in his eyes. It made her eyes fill with tears. They would never hurt her. They couldn’t hurt her, unless they left her. Unless they decided they didn’t want all the trouble and baggage after all.
“Lucia, honey, talk to me and tell me what hurts,” Salvatore questioned her. Salvatore. The quietest, most mysterious of the group. She wondered about the scars on his chest and shoulder. About the tattoos along his arm, the dog tags hanging from numerous guns with helmets balancing on the butts of the guns. She wanted to get lost in his dark eyes and never have to face reality again.
“I’ll be okay, Salvatore,” she whispered then leaned forward and kissed his skin.
“Jesus, Lucia,” Gabriele whispered angrily as he knelt onto the bed and placed his hand on her hip. He saw something, and it obviously upset him.
“What is it?” Salvatore asked as he ran his hand down her arm and kept it across his waist.
“She’s all bruised up along her back. Goddamn, honey, is this from when they shoved you down on the ground in the woods?” Gabriele asked her.
“They fucking shoved her down on the ground?” Lucifer asked as he reached out across Salvatore from the other side of the bed, and he caressed the hair from her cheek.
“I’ll be okay. They’re only bruises, Lucifer,” she replied.
Salvatore cupped her chin and made her look at him and those demanding dark eyes of his. “This is not acceptable. That situation could have been worse.”
She slowly went to move her hand up his chest to touch his cheek, but the motion caused pain.
“Fuck. We should bring her in to see Doc,” Lucifer barked out as he ran fingers through his hair and appeared very upset.
“Lucifer, I’ll be okay.”
“We should have gone slower with you last night. Should have thought about any potential injuries from the situation in the woods,” Gabriele added as Salvatore caressed her hair.
“No, I wanted and needed all four of you. I don’t regret it, do you?” she asked.
Salvatore tilted her chin up toward his face as Gabriele and Lucifer got upset.
“Never. Don’t ever say any such thing. Last night was incredible. It was the start of something perfect, Lucia,” Lucifer told her.
“We said we would protect you and take care of you. Last night was the beginning of making that full commitment to you. To us,” Gabriele added.
“We’re going to call Doc and take you to see him. Then we’re going to pack some of your things and bring you to our place where you can soak in a nice hot tub. One of us will remain with you at all times. It’s how life from now on will be. You will never be alone. You’re our woman now. Do you understand me?” Salvatore’s voice was firm and the emotion obvious in his eyes as Lucia swallowed hard. She felt emotional, too. How had she gotten so lucky as to meet these four wonderful men? She looked past Lucifer and Gabriele.
“Where’s Maxwell?”
Lucifer smiled.
“He headed back to the house to take care of Brutas, and then to talk with Wyatt on the current situation of the hikers. He has an investigation going on at work that has some small connections with the hikers’ involvement. So he’ll be gone today but will be home tonight to be with you,” Gabriele told her.
“I’m going to call Doc and see if we can bring you by this morning.” Lucifer took out his cell phone. He gave a small smile.
“Looks like everyone in town has found out about what happened last night, Lucia. I’ve got messages with concern for you from a lot of people. Abigail, Mrs. Higgins, Stacy, Anna, Dale and his crew with Sage. Damn, looks like you’ve made a lot of friends around town, Lucia. I guess you are a keeper,” Lucifer teased, and Lucia felt her chest tighten and then the tears spill from her eyes. Immediately Lucifer scrunched his eyebrows together and was at her side.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Salvatore asked her. She sniffled.
“I’ve never felt so loved and cared for before. I’m not used to it, okay,” she said and knew she sounded a little snappy about her crying like an idiot. The three men chuckled.