Page 17 of Full Throttle

“I pulled you from the fire. I should’ve been the one to take you home,” he continued, ignoring me.

I opened my mouth but closed it quickly because once again, I had no words. The bruises on my soul ached as I took in his harsh, startling beauty. He’d always stood out in a crowd like a beacon. So many times in the past, before it all went up in flames, he’d been that for me. He’d been my beacon, my light in the dark. We stared at each other, years of lost history between us, nothing but wounds and pain. That stupid voice inside my head was loud and clear.

You didn’t give him the chance to—

Nope.

Nope.

Shut up, stupid girl.

“Cain,” I whispered slowly. A muscle in his cheek twitched at the sound of his name. I couldn’t focus on that right now. I pushed on, still whispering. “I just wanted to come home. I wanted to shower. I wanted to be here.”

The words settled somewhere inside him. His eyes softened and the shadow began to drift away slowly. We needed to learn to be civil with each other. I should be mad at him for wanting me gone, and I wanted to be. However, seeing him now, I though…I thought he only wanted me gone so he would have zero chance of ever repeating last night again.

Maybe somewhere deep down in that cold heart of his, he actually cared.

“I hate hospitals,” I added, hoping that would melt some of his anger.

His eyes were hooded as they scanned my face, lingering on my temple. “I know you do,” he said after a moment, his voice thick. The sound sent a shiver down my spine.

“Nikki?” a female voice said on the other side of the door after a quiet knock. “Mina is still waiting on your food downstairs, but I can help you undress if you want.”

Amara.

Cain’s eyes flashed before he took a step back. He ran a hand through his hair as he went to the door, pulling it open. The detective’s hazel eyes widened at the sight of him. “Hello, Cain.”

He didn’t give her a reaction. “Amara.”

She looked over to me. “Do you want me to…?” She trailed off, looking at Cain again, her silent suggestion louder than tornado sirens in the spring.

“Please,” I said, louder than intended. “I would love your help.”

I looked at Cain. “Thanks for checking on me.”

That he had a reaction to. He seemed taken aback for a moment at my gratitude, but he blinked the shock away swiftly. He said nothing as he left the room walking down the hall into the kitchen. I heard Leon’s voice, but I couldn’t make out the words, followed by Cain’s, and then Dontell’s.

Amara blew out a breath and came into the room, closing the door softly behind her. She was dressed in her usual, tan trousers, a baby pink blouse, and tan overcoat. “You doing okay?” she asked as she took off her coat.

She folded it over her arm and set it on the end of my bed as I answered, “No.”

Chapter Four

Cain

“You don’t have to worry, brother,” Lee said from the other side of the island as I glared at the closed bedroom door. “Amara’s got her.”

It wasn’t that.

I knew Amara would handle Dominique with care.

“Cain,” Dontell called, trying to get my attention.

“What?” I clipped, looking to the living area where he was seated on the couch, his elbows on his knees. There was a black binder on the coffee table in front of him, opened to the center with a ball-point pen lying on top. The accounts for Oasis.

The man sat back, leveling with me. “Are you pissed for the same reason we are, or are you pissed because we took Nikki home and you didn’t?”

All of the fucking above.

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