Page 24 of Crow

Tarynn presses her cheek to my chest, the top of her head tucked against my chin. She smells so good. When I finally get a shaky inhale to open my lungs back up, I drink in the sunshine, fresh laundry scent of her. It makes me realize just how badly I probably stink. Like sweat and blood and vomit. It’s like she doesn’t even notice. She’s so frighteningly guileless.

She talked to me when no one else would.

She sees me in a way that most people can’t and won’t.

She has to know that I’m not a good man, but she has no idea how dangerous I am.

And yet… maybe it’s her instincts are stronger and more finely honed than anyone I’ve ever met.

We stay holding each other for far too long. It’s the oddest thing that’s happened to me, and with the life I’ve lived, that’s saying something.

She finally pulls back, but keeps her hands on my arms. The heat of her palms scorches straight down into that space where I should have a soul. She looks up at me, her eyes even larger and more luminous than they usually are.

“You’re in no condition to take me anywhere. Let’s just order a ride or something.”

“No one is going to let me into their car,” I scoff. “They’re generally against giving rides to people who look like homicidal maniacs who just came out the wrong side of a chainsaw battle.”

She scowls. “We can just say that you’re a professional fighter.”

“Even worse.”

“That’s mean.” She clearly doesn’t like it. “It’s discrimination or just plain ignorance.”

“I’m fine. We’ll go on my bike.”

She fists her hands on her hips and steps back, blocking the door. It’s hilarious that she thinks that she could stop me from leaving, but she’s… right. I would never move her if she didn’t want to be moved.

“Not until you tell me why you threw up.”

“Just the antibiotic shot I got at the clinic,” I lie. “They wreck your stomach.”

She purses her lips, walks past me, and pours water into the plastic cup I keep on the edge of the sink right by my toothbrush.

Which you should definitely put to good use so that you don’t keep breathing your barf breath onto her. Ugh, I can taste it all the way in here. Do something about it.

“Drink this, please. You look like you’re going to pass out.”

I’m about to argue when she cups the side of my face that doesn’t look like I was pieced together by Dr. Frankenstein. I don’t know how she’s able to touch me without me wanting to escape, without awakening Raven’s violent urges.

“You didn’t have to do any of this,” she whispers, oblivious to my turmoil. “You need to sleep before we go anywhere.”

In truth, I feel like I’ve been fucked into the ground by a bulldozer. When Raven comes out, it kicks my ass. I’m going to sleep like the dead, and it’s not like I can just lock her out. She’ll be in here, with me, seeing me defenseless and vulnerable.

It’s not like she’s going to pull a knife on me or anything, but it’s far too… personal. I’d use the word intimate, if it wasn’t laughable.

I don’t do this. I don’t trust people. I don’t let them in just so they can hurt me, or risk myself hurting them first. All of this is wrong. Tarynn should be far away. Why did I agree to help her? I’m nothing but a liability. Raven could break out when I can’t hold him back and—

And what? I’d never hurt her, dickwad. Didn’t I break down a door for her? Nearly annihilate her father? I only stopped because I didn’t want her to suffer the pain of seeing his spine ripped out of him via his asshole and wrapped around his neck like a scarf for merry fucking early Christmas.

Christ on a cracker, you like her?

I nearly reel back.Well, I don’tnotlike her. You’re clearly head over fucking tits for her, so what could it hurt?

I down the water and grab my toothbrush, whirling just so Tarynn leaves and gives me space. She might think I’m agreeing to her suggestion, but I’m not.

I saw away at my teeth, irrationally jealous, even though at the same time, I’m oddly relieved. Raven is violent, but if he says he won’t hurt someone, I know that he means it.

It’s astounding, given how protective he is. I’ll admit that he’s the only reason that we escaped that hospital where my parents locked us. That didn’t turn out well for anyone. Everseen a doctor take a syringe full of sedative stabbed straight into his own neck?

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