Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 59738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59738 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“I can’t,” I whimper.
Conor turns to me, and when he recognizes the pain in my eyes, he comes back to me without delay. “It’s okay, love. I’ve got you.”
I fall against his chest, too weak to wrap my arms around him. But it doesn’t matter. His skin against mine is all that I need. I need him to stay with me like this all night, and I hope that he will.
Conor unbuttons his jeans and kicks them off, and then holds me upright with one arm while he strips off his shirt. He doesn’t bother to remove his briefs before gathering me up into his arms and carrying me to the tub.
“That’s it, love.” He lowers us both into the tub and settles us into the warm water. “Just relax. I’ve got you.”
I melt into him, and even though I’m still a fucking mess, a deranged smile curves my lips. I can only imagine what we must look like. This big, burly man crammed into the tiny bathtub with me. It can’t be comfortable for him, but he doesn’t complain. He doesn’t seem to give it any thought at all as he soaps a cloth and scrubs it over my skin, pausing to ask if the pressure is okay. He asks me where I hurt, and then he feels those places with his fingers. When it’s all said and done, his level of care says everything words can’t. He touches me like I’m his salvation. Like he couldn’t live without me, and it took us almost losing each other for him to understand that.
He massages me, strong fingers kneading the tension from my back and shoulders. Then his lips are on my neck, kissing me, breathing me in. We’re melded together, and all the wrong from the night is somewhere else, in another time and place where we don’t exist. And when he finally does choke out some words, it’s all I ever need to know.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry. I love you, Ivy. You can’t ever leave me like that again.”
“Mommy!” Archer cries out.
My beautiful girl can barely move, but she musters every last ounce of strength left in her to wrap her arms around her son. “I’m here,” she tells him. “I’m here, my love.”
They hold each other for as long as Ivy can handle, but when it becomes too much for her, I intervene. “It’s been a long day. Why don’t we all go to bed.”
Ivy nods, and I help them both settle into our bed. But when I stand up, her arm shoots out to catch me. “Please don’t leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere, love,” I assure her. “I’m just taking off my shirt.”
Her eyes never leave me until I’m tucked in behind her, an arm wrapped around her waist while Archer curls against her chest. In this space between darkness and dawn, I have a clarity I’ve never felt before. A purpose in life that is so much more than my brotherhood, or proving myself, or anything else that ever seemed important before.
My whole life is in this room. This is my family, and I’ll never let myself forget how close I came to losing them because of my own ignorance and pride.
I bury my face against Ivy, breathing her in as I kiss her hair. “I love you, baby girl. I love you both.”
“Conor?” Ivy’s panicked voice escalates from inside the bedroom, and I fling open the shower door, barely managing to cover myself with a towel before I make it back to her.
“What’s wrong, love?”
She looks up at me and blinks, disoriented and confused, but worst of all… terrified. The covers are clutched around her, and she is too paralyzed to move, but it’s clear she thought I left her.
I walk over to her, still dripping wet, and kneel down before her. “It’s okay now, love.”
My fingers feather over the only patch of skin left unscathed on her battered face. It looks worse in the daylight, and the only comfort I have is the knowledge that I will drain the life from Slick’s eyes. But if I could, I would murder Animal all over again, and I would make him suffer in ways he’s never known.
“I thought you left,” Ivy blurts. “I woke up and you weren’t here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promise her. “I was just taking a shower.”
She still looks unsettled, and I’m sure we have many more days like this ahead of us.
“Ronan and Dom are just down the hall too. Nobody is getting in here, love.”
She glances at the door to the hall. “They are?”
“Aye. But if you don’t feel safe here, then we’ll move. We’ll buy a new house.”
She bites her lip, and nothing comes out, but in her heart, I know that’s what she needs to move forward. Ivy still has to wrap her head around the notion that it’s my job to look after her. She wouldn’t ever come right out and tell me she wanted a new house because that costs money. But I want her to know these boundaries between us aren’t going to remain. Whatever it takes to make her feel secure in my love and devotion for her, I will do it.