Sunshine came awake screaming.
Talon grabbed her as she thrashed about on the futon.
"Shh," he breathed against her hair. "It's me, Talon. You're safe."
She was trembling against him. "I thought I was still..." She tightened her arms around him. "Oh God, Talon, I was so scared."
Anger pierced his heart. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Did they hurt you?"
She shook her head. "They just scared me. Especially the one they called Styxx."
"Styxx? Like the Greek river?"
She nodded. "He had this crazy look to him. Spooky. His eyes were so full of hatred and he had a constant snarl. Camulus had to keep calming him down."
Talon ground his teeth. He fully intended to find both assholes and put a major hurt on them. "I'm sorry, baby. I promise you, they'll never get their hands on you again."
Sunshine tightened her arms around him. "I'm so glad you found me, but how did you know where I was?"
"Camulus called me."
The news stunned her. "Why?"
"I don't know. I think he just wants to play with my head. He's twisted that way."
She sat there, feeling sick to her stomach. "What did they give me?"
"Some kind of drug. An aphrodisiac. Did they use it with you?"
"No," she said. "They forced me to drink it, then left me alone. It was really nasty stuff. I still feel so lightheaded and strange." She looked at him and smiled. "But I remember what I did with you."
"Yeah, so do I."
She laughed and her body protested the movement. "Are you as sore as I am?"
"Let's just say I'm in no hurry to get out of bed."
Sunshine traced his tattoo as she took comfort in being safe with him. It was so good to just feel him by her side again. To hear the sound of his voice. She remembered the gunshots they had fired into him and how terrified she had been that he would somehow die from the wounds.
Now there was no sign at all that he had ever been shot.
"I'm so glad they didn't kill you," she breathed.
"Believe me, I feel the same way about you."
She ran her hand over his nipple and then froze as she felt suddenly sick.
"Sunshine?"
She left the bed and rushed for the bathroom.
Talon followed after her and then held her while she unloaded the rest of the drug from her system.
Sunshine didn't know how long she was in there. It seemed like she would never stop heaving.
Talon stayed with her the entire time, holding her hair, washing her face with a cold, damp cloth.
"Are you okay?" he asked when she finally stopped.