my lips tugging into a grin that she’s so affected by me.
“I’ll grab you some fresh clothes.”
I leave her standing there and walk the short distance to my room. I was offered Sin’s room when I made vice president, but I couldn’t bring myself to step foot inside there, even if it is a bigger suite. I don’t want to touch anything that dirty fucker had his hands on. I’ve never hated a brother before, but what he did to Sasha…? Rav was too easy on him. He should have suffered more before he died.
As I step inside, I glance around my space. It’s not much, but it’s home. There’s a bed, drawers and two bedside tables. I have a big screen TV on the wall opposite to the bed, not that I watch a lot of it. The club keeps me busy.
It needs decorating, but I haven’t had the time, so the walls are cream and dirty.
I move to the drawers and pull out a pair of jogging pants and a hoodie that will probably drown her.
Clutching the clothes, I head back to the room and slip back inside. I move to the bed, intending to leave them on the end and get out of there, but a noise catches my attention. It takes me a second to realise what I’m hearing.
Lucy is crying—no, not just crying, she’s sobbing.
It’s like a thousand knives to my heart, hearing such an outpouring of grief. I should leave, let her have this moment privately, but I can’t bring myself to.
I stride to the bathroom door and try the handle. I expect it to be locked, so it shocks the shit out of me when the door swings open. My heart clenches painfully as I see her sitting against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chin. She’s removed her suit jacket, but that’s as far as she seems to have got.
Crouching down in front of her, I say her name softly. She doesn’t respond or lift her head, so I try again. This time, her eyes raise to me. They’re a pale blue and like a turbulent ocean. I get lost in them for a moment until I see the tears slip down her cheeks. I tug her into my arms, not caring that she’s still spattered with blood and fuck knows what else.
I feel the tension ripple through her before her spine seems to melt and she presses against my chest, gripping my kutte as she sobs. I let her get it all out. Lucy needs this. I knew once the shock wore off, she’d feel what happened. I know because I’ve been in that situation many times before. I’ve learnt over the years to shut my feelings down completely.
“Hank didn’t deserve this,” she blubbers.
If he’s into something dodgy, the likelihood is he got exactly what he deserved. People don’t get murdered at their place of work for no good reason. Good old Hank had to have done something to piss someone off.
I don’t say any of this to Lucy. Instead, I just hold her against me, feeling her softness in my arms, liking how right she feels there. Too right. That shit confuses me. I tell myself I’m just looking after Sasha’s best friend, that all I’m feeling for her is because I’m grateful she helped out Sash, but it’s more than that. I like this woman, even if I shouldn’t.
After a while, I know I have to move, get her moving. “You need to clean up.”
“Yeah,” she agrees.
“Let me help you.”
Her eyes meet mine and I got lost in them again. I watch as her chest heaves as she peers at me, see the indecision weighing on her before she breathes out an, “Okay.”
Relief washes through me. I move to the buttons of her blouse, my eyes shifting to hers as I undo the first one. Lucy doesn’t move to help me, her eyes heavy, full of pain. I pull it off her shoulders and let it pool on the floor, leaving her in a lacy black bra. Already, a smattering of bruises is starting to form over her skin. She must be in pain, but she doesn’t complain. I watch as goosebumps pebble along her skin as the cooler air hits her. Maybe it’s not just the cold affecting her. I feel a little off kilter myself.
When I move to the button on her trousers, I don’t miss the quiver of her belly as my hands graze