rubbing at my arms. I wasn't cold, just stressed right the hell out.
Kody shrugged, pulling his phone out. "Just chill. I'll order pizzas. It'll take the guys a while to clean up downstairs, and Zane will come by at some stage."
I made my way over to the couch and sat down heavily. All these killers and stalkers and headstrong boys were aging me way too fast. I needed a break. Maybe a tropical island getaway where my only concern was applying enough sunscreen and ordering another piña colada.
Steele sat down beside me, flicked the TV on, and pulled me into an embrace. I relaxed into his warmth, breathing deeply and letting his solid strength ground me.
Kody called in a pizza order—enough for all of us, including Cass, Zane, and Archer—then squeezed onto the other end of the couch. He lifted my feet, bringing them into his lap before giving a short laugh.
"What?" I mumbled, already half-asleep.
He slipped back off the couch again, returning a few moments later. "You have blood on your feet, babe," he told me. He proceeded to wash my feet with the warm washcloth he’d grabbed from the bathroom. When he was satisfied they were clean, he sat back down and brought my feet back to his lap.
"Action movie okay with you, Hellcat?" Steele asked, cycling through the options on Netflix.
I nodded because they could have put Dora The Explorer on and I wouldn't have noticed. Not when Kody was rubbing my feet like he was a professional masseuse.
"Nice choice," Kody commented on whatever Steele had selected. "Charlize is a bad-ass bitch in this one."
Yawning, I let my heavy lids fall shut as the boys discussed the movie. They could wake me up when pizza arrived or if Zane turned up. Until then, I was just going to rest my eyes a little.
There were two dead gangsters in the basement, and a killer had just tried to lure me out of my apartment to kill me. Yet somehow, snuggled up on my couch with both Kody and Steele, I could let it all go.
28
I woke with a gasp, my heart pounding and fear coursing through my veins. Sitting up, I looked around in a panic, confused, until I recognized my own bedroom. My own bed.
The last thing I remembered was falling asleep on the couch while waiting for pizza. The guys must have relocated me rather than waking me up.
Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I swiped a hand over my face and climbed out of bed. My phone, connected to its charger on the bedside table, showed it was midmorning already. I must have really been exhausted.
Sounds of conversation filtered through from the living room, and I made my way out there to see who'd stayed over. I was only wearing my panties and long sleeve top from the night before, so someone must have taken my jeans off for me.
"Good morning, gorgeous," Steele greeted me with a smile as I shuffled around the corner. He was in my kitchen, buttering toast. Where the hell had he found toast? Or butter? My fridge only contained takeout leftovers and drinks.
"Hey," I mumbled, then yawned. "What happened last night? I thought we had to do the whole thing with Zane."
Kody swooped in, wrapping me in a warm hug and kissing my hair. "We did. You didn't need to. I tucked you into bed before they arrived because you were way too peaceful to disturb."
Warm fuzzies made me smile, and I leaned my face back to kiss him on the lips. "Thanks babe," I replied with a wink. "But I really can't miss any more of my classes this week. Can one of you give me a ride? I guess I already missed Bree."
"Of course," Kody said, and Steele nodded his agreement.
"She came by, but we wanted to let you sleep." Steele leaned across the counter and handed me a slice of toast covered in raspberry jam. "We also grabbed you some groceries." That was delivered with a wink, and I rolled my eyes.
"I was surviving," I muttered, but took a big bite of the toast anyway. "I'll take a shower and be ready in a few, okay?"
Taking my food with me, I hurried to my bathroom and cranked the shower on. It only took a few minutes for the water to heat, but it was enough time for me to finish my toast and tie my hair up in a bun to keep it dry.