Page 102 of August

The warm spray hit the front of his shoulders. As he held her, trembles took over her body, and she rested her cheek against his sternum. “Ohmigod, this feels so nice.”

“You feel nice.”

He didn’t even try to hide his hard cock. Maybe it was the adrenaline crash, the reassurance of having her in his arms, or just knowing he’d fucking killed her assailants—he wanted her more than he ever had.

But after everything she’d been through, he wouldn’t make a move until he knew she wasn’t hurting anywhere.

He poured a handful of shampoo into his palm and worked it into her hair.

She chuckled and massaged some of her strands. “You don’t have to wash my hair.”

He dragged his soapy fingers over her cheek. “I want to take care of you.”

Her eyes turned misty, and goddammit that made his heart lurch. “What, babe?”

She sniffed. The tip of her nose had turned red. “Nothing. I’m happy. I just—” She shook her head and swallowed. “It’s a lot. Part of me is in disbelief. Do you really think it’s all over now?”

He threaded his hands into her thick mane, rubbing her scalp. He hated that she’d been so scared. So alone. Hated that it’d taken so long to find her. That he almost hadn’t.

“It’s over,” he said, holding her gaze and gripping her hips as if doing so would prevent her from drifting away. “Done.”

Her hazel eyes went from soft to hard. A hateful glint flashed in them. “How did you do it?”

He flinched. The gritty details of Alvarez’s death were too dark. Maybe one day she’d find solace in hearing about the cartel leader’s suffering, but today it might freak her out. “Bullets, hon.”

She wet her lips. “Good. And Marko?”

“The young guy?” He worked his jaw. “I let him go.”

Her expression became thoughtful. “That was the right decision. He wanted Alvarez dead. Alvarez killed his mother and brother. I think he was too scared to defy him and leave the cartel.”

“Yeah, well maybe he’ll turn his life around.” Probably not, but August didn’t say the words aloud. Better to let Gigi feel the kid had a shot at a better life. Either way, August didn’t give a flying fuck about Marko. All he cared about was the woman right in front of him.

“Maybe.” She tilted back her head under the spray. “Oh my god,” she said, popping back up. “Micha. What happened to her?” Worry flashed in her glassy eyes.

“The dog? She’s fine. Actually, Rami took her home. We didn’t want her ending up back with the cartel.”

“Is he going to keep her?”

“We’ll have to see. Depends if she’s trainable. Hopefully not too aggressive. It really depends on her upbringing. But if not, we’ll find her a good home.”

She nodded. “What about Taschen? Will he be okay? I feel so bad he was almost killed.”

August blew out a breath. “Honestly, he would’ve died if it weren’t for Dana. She went by the safe house because she noticed Taschen had left his laptop at the office and might need it. She walked in and found him bleeding out.”

Gigi’s sharp intake of breath was like a knife in his heart. “Ohmigod, that must have been awful for her.”

August lifted a shoulder. “Probably, but Dana’s a skilled FBI agent. She’s used to dealing with shock and trauma. She acted quickly and saved his life. He’s on the road to recovery, don’t worry about it. He wouldn’t want you to feel bad. He probably feels worse that Alvarez’s men got through him.”

Gigi explained that Taschen had made sure it was the grocery order when he opened the door. What she and Taschen hadn’t realized was that Alvarez’s men had hijacked the order.

August didn’t resent his friend for what had happened. Considering how things had gone down and the lack of manpower at the safe house, August knew it was his own fault and no one else’s. And as soon as he got to the hospital tomorrow, he’d tell Taschen that.

Gigi worked conditioner through her long strands. “It’s all so wild.”

His mouth watered as he watched her sleek naked form. He kept his hands on her hips because he couldn’t let go of her. Didn’t want to let her slip through his fingers or to wake up and find out this moment had been a dream.

“Are you okay?”

---