“Can I ask how old you are?”
“What month is it?”
“Shit. It’s September 15th, 2018.”
“I turned twenty on Augusts 31st. I was taken Saturday, April 7th.”
"These people had you for six months?" he asks with surprise in his features.
“Yeah, monsters, not people.”
“I’m so sorry. If you will give me any information, I’ll make sure they never, ever do this to anyone else and never touch you again.”
"I'm afraid the big players are untouchable. Not sure you can make that promise. They could find me in any hospital in the state, maybe even the surrounding ones too.”
“I don’t like that answer at all.”
He grabs my hand, and I flinch. But he only pauses for a second and then ignores it, grabbing hold and taking my hand in both of his, and they’re large and warm.
“I don’t want to drill you with questions, but you need to trust me. My chain of command and my security clearance is high. No one around here can get by me and my connections, no matter who they are. You need to trust me, and I get that right now you don’t know me enough to do so. But you will, and you will learn that when I give my word, it’s solid.”
“Okay, I get that feeling from you, but I’m not ready just yet… to talk about it or them.”
“That’s okay. I won't pressure you. You are safe here. That much is a fact. As long as you stay here, you are welcome to take the time you need to regroup and heal. I'm here when you're ready to talk."
I let his words soak in. Maybe I can believe what he says is true, not that he doubts what he says but about staying here and being safe. At least, I don’t think Butcher would know to look for me here. I could do that. Regroup, get stronger, and then if I had to, I could run far away across the country where no one would know to look for me.
“Thank you.”
“If you give me your sizes, I’ll have pretty boy Checkmate run out and get you some clothes and things tomorrow.”
“I don’t have any money to buy anything.”
"Money is of no concern. Let's just say Checkmate has a way of making money out of thin air," he replies with a smirk.
I hate handouts, but I kinda can't live in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.
“Do you mind if I check your head wound? I put 3 stitches in it and want to make sure it’s closing up and not infected. I bet you’d like a shower and to wash your hair, huh?”
“Yes, I'd kill to be able to wash my hair," I say. I honestly would. It's nasty. He leans in and carefully separates my hair and I can feel his breath on my cheek as he inspects my wound. I close my good eye and take in his clean, yet masculine scent. So different from all the others. I find I like it and take another whiff. He leans back and his touch is gone from my hair. I open my eye and look over at him as he’s studying me.
"It's closing up good. If you’re really gentle, go for it after dinner. I know we don't have fancy girl shampoos and conditioners, but hey, better than nothing, right?”
"Don't care. I would use dog shampoo at this point," I say with a small laugh.
His smile becomes huge.
“Did I just hear a laugh?”
“Maybe.”
“I like your laugh a lot. I’d love to hear it more," he says. “If you think you feel strong enough to walk into the living room, steak and baked potatoes will be done here shortly if you’re hungry.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“Good, I’m glad.” He bends forward and says, “Here, take my arm for support. If you don’t need it, that’s fine, but it’s there just in case.”
As we make our way toward the living room, Blade greets me with a smile and holds out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt for me.
“I got us set up to eat outside on the patio and thought you might get cold. So I grabbed these for you. If you pick up your foot, I’ll help you put them on.”
He helps me get both my feet in, and once he pulls them up past my knees, I take over and pull them on. I have to roll down the waist a few times so they stay up. Then I slip the sweatshirt on, and it feels good and warm.
We walk out onto the deck, and Blade rushes over to pull out a chair for me. I thank him and gingerly sit down. I feel pain shoot up my thighs and back as I sit, and I wince, trying to lean over a little on my hip. Those fucking bastards did a number on me when I made a run for it, on top of the torture Butcher likes to keep up with. It’s amazing I can walk at all.
"I hope you like steak. These are huge ribeyes," Checkmates says, wearing a huge grin. Ah, I can see why Hunter called him the pretty boy. Yes, he's pretty all right. I'm also sure he knows it and uses that to his advantage whenever possible.
“I love steak. I couldn't tell you the last time I had one though," I reply.
“Excellent. Eat up, and enjoy!” Checkmate says.
Neil walks out, pulls out a seat next to me, and gives me a nod. He looks like he’s fresh out of the shower. His hair is still wet. He’s one big guy, tall – has to be six foot-five or six. He’s also wide with really broad shoulders, built like a brick shit house. His biceps are thicker than my thighs. He has Dark brown hair that’s shorter on the sides and a little longer on top. He’s got dark brown eyes. His face is handsome. But he also looks like he could do some serious damage if he wanted to.
Hunter is sitting on my left. He’s wearing a black t-shirt and some faded jeans and socks, no shoes. He has short black hair. It’s short on the sides a little longer on top. His light blue eyes are the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, conveying a kindness that’s unique to him. His body looks like it's a weapon, very strong, lots of muscles. He's also tall – about six foot-three – and has broad shoulders, a lean waist, thick thighs. But he’s not as wide and bulky as Neil.
Blade is sitting next to Neil. He has sandy blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a deep southern drawl that makes me think of Texas or Oklahoma, maybe. He’s wearing a hoodie and some old jeans with the knees blown out, and he’s barefoot. I find that odd, to be dressed warm and not wearing socks or shoes. He's built similar to Hunter and Checkmate, all three about the same height, with lots of muscles, bodies that look like weapons. They all have this stealthiness like prowling felines with a grace that carries their large frames easily. Blade is extremely handsome and has this country-boy-next-door look to him.
Checkmate is blonde with stunning green eyes and so insanely handsome I can't explain it. His features are beautifully chiseled, and he looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ Magazine. Too handsome and so pretty that It would almost be intimidating to be near him. But his strong, deep southern drawl and charm gives off a playful, warm, and approachable, almost endearing quality to him. It sucks you in, makes you want to be near him when it seems like he'd be too beautiful to be in his presence.
After Checkmate drops a steak on everyone’s plate, he sits down and tells everyone to, “Dig in, and don’t you dare ask for the fucking A-1 sauce. My steaks don’t need that shit.”
He looks at me. “Sorry, hun. Would you like A-1?”
This gets a round of laughter from the guys.