Devil's Pass (The Harlequin Crew #.5) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,16
taking her chin and forcing her to look at me, to see the truth of those words in my gaze. I meant them right down to the depths of my soul. Nothing was going to happen to her because of this. Not on my watch.
She nodded, evidently believing me, though her hands were still shaking and I brought them to my lips to kiss her knuckles. She stilled under my touch and I lifted my eyes to hers, finding her looking at me in a way that I’d always hoped she’d look at me. Like she finally understood the way I felt about her and like maybe she felt it back.
“Rogue…” I murmured, my voice rough as my gaze slipped to her full lips for the briefest moment, tension coiling between us that I felt so powerfully, I had to believe she was feeling it too.
She moved a fraction closer to me, her head tilting the tiniest amount just before a loud bang and a curse came from Maverick as he slammed the back door behind him on his way back inside.
I glanced away and as I looked back to Rogue, the expression vanished from her features and I wondered if I was just deluding myself. I sure as hell couldn’t stand around mulling that over either way.
I kept hold of her hand and headed back into the hall and through to the lounge where Maverick was laying out the tarp like the sight of the body wasn’t the least bit disconcerting to him.
“Do we pull it out or leave it in?” I wondered aloud, pointing at the poker in the guy’s head.
Maverick strode over to him, gripped the end and yanked it out with a firm tug.
“Out,” he announced as Rogue let out a little gasp, but she didn’t take her eyes off of the dead guy.
“You don’t have to stay and watch,” I murmured to her and she pulled her hand free of mine.
“I’m staying,” she said resolutely. “I did this. I can face it.”
“It’s all of our doing now, beautiful,” Maverick said seriously and I nodded my agreement, our fates thoroughly decided. I had absolutely no hesitance about that either. Where Rogue was concerned, I’d battle through the nine circles of hell and face the devil himself without a single doubt in my mind.
Two sets of footsteps up the back steps announced JJ and Chase's arrival and they appeared with worried faces as they sought out Rogue beside me before sighs of relief left them. JJ's shirt was on backwards and Chase looked like he'd run a marathon, his curly brown hair blown back and his breaths coming heavily.
“Are you alright?” JJ asked Rogue, embracing her and she nodded, squeezing him tight as his dark gaze met mine over her shoulder. He was usually so happy and easy going, the first of our group to crack a joke or start the laughter, that seeing that fear and horror in his eyes made my gut lurch.
“What can we do?” Chase asked, his blue eyes cold as he took in the body while Maverick threw the poker onto the tarp.
"We need towels and bleach to clean up the blood," I directed them and they immediately fell into line, the two of them splitting up to search the house.
I moved to help Maverick as he gripped Axel’s shoulders and I grabbed his legs, nodding to my brother before we lifted him up and placed his body on the tarp. It was gross and all, but still my stomach didn’t churn. I guessed my dad’s blood really did run hot in my veins.
Chase appeared with some towels, immediately kneeling down to mop up the blood without a moment's hesitation, his features fixed in stern concentration. When JJ returned with some bleach, he gazed at the dead body with apprehension, his knuckles turning white around the bottle. He was the smallest of all of us still, though by no means did that apply to his balls. His growth spurt was waiting to happen whereas we’d all shot up this year. I could see the man in him ready to come out, but I still felt protective of him all the same and I wasn’t going to watch him get fucked up over this.
"Here." I took the bleach from him and he nodded to me in thanks then we all started cleaning. Rogue determinedly joined in even though I told her she didn’t have to, but there was a strength in her eyes