Embrace the Darkness (The Maura Quinn Series Book 1) - Ashley N. Rostek Page 0,46
sound of his Oxfords hitting the marble floor as he rushed through the foyer. Jamie moved when Stefan approached. I reached out, frantically grabbing his hand, stopping him from going far. Stefan knelt in front of me, just like Jamie had. He looked me over, reaching up, hovering his hand over my hurt face.
His eyes traveled to Jamie. “What the hell happened?” He was angry. The fury in his tone was obvious, but the way his hands shook told me he was struggling with his control. I’d never seen him so close to losing it before. He was the boss. He couldn’t afford to lose it in front of others.
“He wouldn’t let me go, so I shot him. Here’s his gun.” My voice was drone-like and so matter of fact, even to my own ears. I held out the goon’s gun and waited for him to take it.
Stefan tilted his head slightly, studying me as he took the gun. He glanced back to Jamie with a questioning expression.
“Josh has the camera footage ready for you to watch. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and ran into Greg. He hit her to teach her a lesson. She disarmed him and shot him in the head.”
“Who found her?”
“I did.”
“Has she been like this since then?”
“She’s getting better. She was rambling before you got here, saying she’s in shock and…” Jamie trailed off.
“What?” Stefan snapped, his patience dwindling.
“She said, ‘Zack and Tyson.’”
Stefan bristled but quickly recovered and stood. “Alright. I’ll take it from here. Help her get to her room.”
Jamie took his place kneeling in front of me again. “Can you walk? If not, I can carry you.”
If he carries you, you won’t be able to look anyone in the eye tomorrow.
Jamie nodded and I realized I'd unintentionally said that out loud. He pulled lightly with the hand that still held mine. I got to my feet and let him lead me back to my room.
CHAPTER 15
“I smell chlorine,” I mumbled as we walked into my bedroom.
“You went swimming,” Jamie reminded me. “Do you want to take a bath? Your muscles might be sore soon, if they aren’t already.”
I shook my head. He was still holding my hand and I was worried if he let go, my mind would spiral again. He tugged on my hand. “Come on, you’ll feel better after.” He tried to release my hand, but I tightened my grip and grabbed his wrist with my other hand to strengthen my hold.
“Please! Don’t leave me.” I hated the sound of panic in my voice. It was the sound of a helpless female. My need of him, however, outweighed my humiliation. If he stayed with me until I had a better grasp on myself, everything would be okay.
His free hand cupped the back of my neck. “I would never leave you,” he said softly, pulling me closer. I rested the uninjured side of my face over his heart. The satin fabric of his black dress shirt felt soft against my cheek as I listened to the steady beat in his chest. “Let’s get you into the bath. It will help, I promise.” Trusting him, I let him lead me into the bathroom and stopped us as we came upon the porcelain clawfoot tub.
“I’m going to let go. I’m not going to leave. I won’t go anywhere you can’t see me,” he said.
I took a deep breath and released his hand. My eyes never left him as he made quick work of unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt before rolling up his sleeves to his elbows, exposing his tattooed skin. Bending over the tub, he turned the knobs, adjusting the temperature of the water pouring out of the faucet. Steam wafted above the water pooling at the bottom. He grabbed a bottle from the shelf on the wall and poured some of the liquid into the tub. Bubbles instantly began to form and the smell of lavender filled my nose.
Without saying a word of warning, Jamie slipped Louie’s shirt off my shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. He pulled at the strings of my bikini, peeling the pieces that covered my skin away. I was as naked as the day I was born. My mind was too numb to care.
He grabbed my hand again and put his other at the small of my back, carefully helping me into the bath. The water was hot but not scalding. Just enough burn to feel good as I sank into it.