my skin.
After one final inspection he seemed satisfied. The water in the tub had begun to cool and was now a dark pink shade. Wilder pulled my feet into his lap and dried them, patting the bottoms so gently it was actually a relief compared to what I’d just felt. The healing wouldn’t take long. Maybe a couple hours and I’d be good as new.
I tried to argue I could walk on my own, but he wasn’t having any of it. He carried me back into the main room and set me on the still-made bed. I flushed with embarrassment, realizing what a mess I’d made of the sheets and comforter on his.
“Lay down,” he instructed.
“No, we have to go.”
“Look, Princess, I get it. Danger lurking at every turn. The world is against us. I know.”
He had to think I was going to be okay. He was calling me Princess again. “You don’t under—”
Wilder pushed me down when I tried to get up. Not in a way that might have normally made me uneasy, considering I was half naked in his bedroom. It was just him keeping me in place, not menacing me. I didn’t think I could ever feel unsafe with him after tonight.
“I know we’re in trouble. But up until fifteen minutes ago I thought you might be dead. Anything else is a secondary concern to me right now.”
“What about Hank?”
“Cash is still with Hank. He and his lawyer buddy have been there all day. His phone is off, and I haven’t had a chance to tell them what happened yet. Which is good because he’s not going to be all that happy when he sees what I did to his car. Or what happened to you.”
He nudged me, and this time I yielded, putting my head on the pillow. My whole body felt like it weighed a hundred thousand pounds. Now that the pain in my feet was bearable, the splitting headache I’d been ignoring came roaring back.
“Can you turn off the lights?” I asked, burying my face into the dark comfort of the musty hotel pillowcase.
His weight shifted off the bed, and soon the room was flooded with perfect, beautiful darkness. He walked past the bed, and a moment later, his comforter was draped over me. A notification light blinked on the phone in his hand.
“Wilder?”
“Mmm?”
“Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?” I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for getting us into this mess. I wanted to explain that it would be my fault if the Church went after Hank as a sacrifice because they’d lost me, but none of those words came out. I found it impossible to be sorry for saving my own life. I’d survived, and I was damned proud of myself for it.
“Yeah. I can stay with you, Princess.” His weight settled on the other side of the bed, and as if it were habit, I rolled over, nestling myself against his side. I needed his warmth, the smell of forest and home. He froze briefly before he let himself yield to it and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“What happened to you?” I asked. Now that I felt safe, I wondered how he’d gotten away and why he hadn’t come back for me.
He sighed, and I knew he didn’t want to talk about this, but instead of resisting he said, “They were really focused on you. They hauled us back to this cabin area and split us up. I didn’t know where they took you, and with all the smells there, I couldn’t find you again. I managed to get away from the guys who were holding me, but… I couldn’t find you.”
I was quiet, hanging in the precipice between alertness and exhaustion. The worry in his voice was real and I felt grateful he hadn’t tried.
“I’m so sorry,” he added. “I got the hell out of there and went to find a cop. Spotted the sheriff at the diner and tried to tell him what happened. That was about as helpful as you might imagine.”
I mumbled my agreement, too tired to remind him I never trusted Sheriff McGraw in the first place.
“He dicked me around for over an hour, took me to the station to file a report and wouldn’t let me leave until it was finished. I thought I might see Cash, but he must have been with Hank. I’d just gotten back and was on the phone with Amelia