staying made me feel better. It may’ve been one of the most fucked-up situations I’d been in, but I couldn’t help thinking it was nice having a family.
Tyler marched down the hallway first. Ethan, Josh, and I went a little slower, making our way to the parking garage.
We were driven back to the apartment in an armored vehicle with another following close behind. Both were filled with agents armed to the teeth.
All ten of the agents escorted us up from the underground parking garage, through the lobby—where we got some shocked looks from the doorman—and all the way to the penthouse. They made us stand outside the front door while four of them swept the space. I leaned on Ethan and held Josh’s hand while we waited.
When they were finally satisfied, they allowed us to enter. Josh locked the doors, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. No doubt the agents were positioning themselves around the building to ensure our safety. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they were waking up all the other residents and sweeping the entire building top to bottom.
The guys took their shoes off as I stood there, not quite sure what to do. I needed someone else to make the decisions, maybe even move my limbs for me. Plus, I didn’t have shoes. My feet were barefoot and bloody.
And my dress felt as if it were squeezing the air out of my lungs.
“Get it off,” I whispered to the ground. Tears began to track down my cheeks for the millionth time that night. “Get it off me!” My raised voice sounded more than a little manic as I pulled at the collar of the dress, trying to tear it away from my skin.
Both Ethan and Josh were beside me in an instant. One of them pulled my hands away from the dress while the other undid the zip at the back. They pushed the filthy fabric down over my hips and let it flop to the floor.
My breathing calmed but only slightly as my blurry eyes met Josh’s worried ones. Ethan’s big, comforting hands rested on my shoulders, lightly caressing, but his clean fingers pulled at my tacky skin. I started rubbing my arms, trying to get the crimson off, but it was nearly completely dry, and I couldn’t unzip it like the dress.
“I need to get it all off,” I pleaded.
Josh looked over my shoulder, sharing a worried look with Ethan, and then they moved at the same time.
Ethan hurried down the hallway as Josh picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck as he carried me into the bathroom. Ethan had already started the shower, and steam was billowing from it.
Josh set me down and, once he was sure Ethan had a hand on my shoulder, started undressing. Ethan kneeled before me and gently took my underwear off, letting me use him for balance as I stepped out of it.
I stood before him naked, bare, and bathed in blood. He took my face in his big hands and leaned in, placing a tender kiss on my chapped lips and wiping my tears with his thumbs.
“We got you, baby,” he whispered against my lips. His breath was minty, his clothing and hair clean. Not draped in death like mine.
Josh finished undressing and adjusted the water temperature. The shower had limited space, and there was no way we would all fit in there.
Ethan released me and Josh took my hand, pulling gently forward.
“I’ll make us something to eat and a warm cup of tea while you get cleaned up.” Ethan picked up the discarded clothing and closed the door behind him.
Josh coaxed me into the shower with gentle but sure hands. He pulled me in close, then walked me backward until the almost too hot spray hit my shoulders. I gasped, the water waking me out of my stupor a little. I was pretty sure I was experiencing shock, my reflexes slow, my breathing shallow.
“Is the water too hot?” Josh immediately reached for the tap, but I shook my head.
“No, just . . .” I didn’t know how to finish the sentence.
Josh settled his hands on my hips, holding me down to earth so I wouldn’t float away into a full-blown panic attack. I tried to focus on his slow, even breathing, the way his chest rose and fell, the very fine bit of blond chest hair between his pecs. Droplets of water sprayed off me