Not a single thing.
7
I move with a groan.
My thighs are sore, just a dull ache that almost feels tight when I get out of bed. I don’t even know how I got into bed? How the hell did Adan bring me in here?
I remember him giving me a pill, we spoke for a few minutes and then everything after that is a haze. Whatever pain medication he gave me knocked me out cold and gave me the best sleep of my life. Without a doubt. I wasn’t in a single ounce of pain. I climb out of bed and look down at my leg. It’s covered, once again, I don’t remember that. I peel off the cover and see an oozy, red patch of skin that is bubbling up.
Oh yuck.
That milk must have been hotter than I thought. Luckily, I’m living with a burn patient and have everything we need here to prevent any kind of infection. I’ll have a shower and clean it off, but not until I go and check that I didn’t leave Adan unattended and needing help. After all, I am here for him.
I walk out and down the hall but stop when I hear voices.
The guys are here.
There’s no missing that.
I pause, leaning against the wall so I can listen.
“She okay then?”
Riggs.
“Yeah, put her to bed. She’ll be sore but she’s fine. She was drugged out, yabberin’ on about shit to me. Was pretty funny.”
Please, sweet baby Jesus, tell me they’re not talking about me.
“What was she sayin’?” That’s Beckett’s voice.
“She was tellin’ me that she would get me to like her, no matter the cost. And she didn’t understand why I couldn’t get hard over her.”
Oh, god.
No.
No.
“Fuck me, that’s funny. You should give the girl a break and fuck her, man,” Beckett tells him. “God knows the two of you are puttin’ off some energy.”
“I’m not interested,” Adan growls. “So don’t fuckin’ go there.”
“Not sure why you wouldn’t be,” Riggs tells him. “She’s fuckin’ lovely. Stop bein’ a fuckin’ pussy.”
“She’s not my type,” Adan snaps. “Does nothin’ for me except work here. Her little game is pointless, because my dick doesn’t twitch unless I want it to, and with her, it don’t want to.”
Oh, my god.
Ouch.
So fucking ouch.
That hurts my heart far more than I thought it would.
It also pisses me off.
There is nothing wrong with me, not a single damned thing.
For a man who doesn’t have any interest in me, he sure as hell puts the moves on.
He’s full of fucking shit, and I’m going to prove it.
I drop my shorts so I’m in nothing but my sleepshirt and panties. Then, with groggy eyes and messy hair, I waltz out past the guys and into the kitchen, ass on full display. “Morning boys,” I murmur.
I reach up and grab a coffee cup, and I don’t miss Beckett’s low whistle. “Bro, if you don’t tap that, fuck knows I will.”
“Fuck up,” Adan grunts at him.
I grin.
Then I put the coffee on and turn to face them, sliding my bottom onto the counter and crossing my legs, smiling all bright and chipper. “What brings you guys over here?”
“Had to give your boy a hand,” Riggs says, and Adan shoots him a glare that makes my insides cry a little. “He needed to get some shit done and you were sleepin’.”
“It’s not that late, is it?” I ask, glancing down at my phone and then gasping as I realize the time.
I assumed it was early morning, I never sleep past seven. I didn’t check my phone because I didn’t think I had to. It’s eleven am. It’s nearly lunch time.
“Oh my god! Why didn’t you wake me up?” I say, leaping off the counter.
“Because you obviously needed the sleep,” Adan informs me, voice gruff.
“I’m not here to sleep, I’m here to work. I need to change your dressings.”
“Already fuckin’ done.”
I blink. “By who?”
“Me,” Riggs says. “Don’t ever plan on doin’ that again, dealin’ with him was makin’ me wild, but we got there.”
“God,” I say, shaking my head. “I have to check. If you get an infection, it’s on me.”
“You’re not checkin’, I won’t get an infection. Watched you do it a hundred times, we cleaned it and redressed. It’s fine.”
I clench my teeth, everything inside of me wanting to check, but knowing full well Adan won’t let me.
I say nothing and go back to my coffee.
“Put some fuckin’ pants on,” Adan orders.
“Why?” I smile sweetly. “It has zero effect on you, so I’m not sure why it’s troubling you so ...”
I take my coffee and waltz past, putting it down on the table and then “accidentally” dropping my phone and leaning down to grab it.
Beckett whistles again.
Then makes a grunting sound like he just got elbowed.
“Ooops.” I smile over my shoulder, and then take a seat.
“Good luck with that, brother,” Riggs says, slapping Adan on the back. “We got a ride tomorrow, business as discussed. You can go in the truck behind us.”
“Fuck,” Adan growls. “Need to get on that bike more than I need fuckin’ air.”
“Time will come, either way you’re comin’.”
With that, Riggs and Beckett leave.
Adan walks to the table, glaring down at me.
“Good morning to you, too. What ride are we following them for?”
“Business.”
“Right.”
“You drive me, you stay in the car, that’s the end of it for you.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
“Put some fuckin’ clothes on.”
“No thanks.”
We’re interrupted by my phone ringing loudly, the ringtone, the one that makes me cringe from the inside out, filling the large space. It hasn’t rung for a few days, I was hoping that meant they were going to leave me alone, but it would appear they’re not going to give up quite as easily as I’d like.
I feel the color drain from my face as I slam the red button, over and over, long after it’s hung up.
“Who the fuck was that?”
“Nobody,” I say quickly, shoving my phone into my pants. “It was nobody.”
“You just went white as a fuckin’ ghost, it wasn’t nobody.”
“It was,” I snap, standing. “Leave it alone.”
I take my coffee and walk outside, sitting on the chair on the front patio and breathing in the fresh air.
They’re never going to leave me alone.
They know legally they’re not entitled to a damn thing, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to come for what they believe is theirs, legal or not.
My mother is a cold hearted monster. My step-brother is even more so.
He’s the literal demon of my nightmares.
He made my teen years awful. He tormented me and attacked me. He was older, smarter, but that didn’t stop him from destroying me little by little.