Page 38 of A Touch Of Death

I drag my eyes open and slowly turn my head to the right. Nix is lying on his side next to me, making the smallest movements to get comfortable in my bed without moving me too much.

I give him another smile, one that doesn't seem to hurt as much, and my fingers twitch where they're resting on my lower abdomen. Nix catches the movement and lifts his hand, resting his over mine carefully, his skin barely touching the back of my hand. Ignoring the ache in all of my joints, I flex my fingers until his intertwine with mine. I clutch his hand as tightly as I dare and smile at him again before my eyelids grow heavy, and I start to drift to sleep.

The last thing I see is Nix's ocean eyes, the two scars through his eyebrow, and the soft smile that makes my heart hiccup in my chest.

Chapter 18

Novia

WhenI wake up next, the sun is shining through the open doors and windows. A light breeze floats through my room, rustling my hair slightly and cooling the heat that surrounds the right side of my body.

I turn my head slowly, noticing the ache in my body has lessened, but not enough for it to go unnoticed. My eyes land on Nix's handsome face, smoothed out with sleep. He's still sleeping on his side, hand in mine resting between my breasts. I clutch his hand tighter, lifting my other hand to rub against his. I'm already so used to Nix's touchy feely nature that I don't even bat an eye at our position. It's nice having him so close.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Nix whispers, his sleep-roughened voice sending shivers down my spine.

"Hey," I near whisper, my voice still sounding raspy and dry. "What time is it?"

There's shuffling from beside the bed, and I turn my head to see Spencer sitting in a rocking chair that I don’t remember seeing before. There's a bandage on his bicep where I remember him being injured by a tranquiliser bullet. Other than that, he looks good. He pulls up his phone and softly says, "It's just past seven in the morning. How are you feeling?"

I shift in bed, groaning from the lingering aches as I turn over to face Spencer. I keep Nix's arm snugly against my chest, which causes him to shuffle closer to me until his entire front is plastered to my back, and his body heat seeps into me. For some reason, I can't bear to let him go right now, but he doesn't seem to mind if the contented sigh I hear from him is anything to go by.

"My body still hurts, and my back isn't so great. I'm still exhausted, and I feel weak and depleted. I feel like shit," I tell him honestly.

Spencer winces but nods. "You were shot three times, and one only grazed your waist. One ended up just below your shoulder blade, and the other got you three inches from your spinal cord."

"That explains the sharp pains I'm getting in my back then," I comment, nodding.

Spencer glances at Nix past my head and then brings his eyes back down to mine. "They weren't just ordinary bullets, sweetheart. They were-"

"I know what they were." My eyes close briefly. "They used me for a trial run on the first set they created. The ones Davis shot me with were stronger though. The first bullets only felt like someone had touched me with scalding metal. These... these were different. Felt like my entire body was on fire."

Nix's arms grow tighter around me, and I take a shuddering breath. Thinking about the pain almost makes me feel like I'm suffering it all over again, so I shake off the thoughts and focus on the warmth of Nix's body and the feel of his arms banded around me. I focus on how right his arm feels around me, how natural him holding me seems.

"Do you know what they were made of, Novia?" Spencer asks, shuffling to the edge of his seat, resting his elbows on his knees.

I shake my head and divert my eyes. "I never knew how or where they were creating them. I have no idea what they used. I only know the one you were shot with because I overheard one of the men bragging that they had overpowered tranq bullets, and then saw it with my own eyes when they shot one of my people just to see how fast it worked."

I'm kicking myself now for not paying more attention when they discussed the new weapons they'd forged, or for not listening when they'd compare their newest creations. Maybe I'm being hard on myself because no one would be able to focus on anything other than the pain I'd been feeling. I just wanted the pain to stop.

When a tear falls from my eye and drops onto the white pillow beneath my head. I see Spencer reach to grab the hand that’s not holding Nix's. He moves my hand to hold in his, and I clutch it like I'm doing with Nix's hand. Like I need them more than air.

When Nix moves behind me, my back twinges with pain, and I hiss a breath before settling again.

"Why is it taking you so long to heal? It hasn't taken this long before," Nix comments, worry lacing his words.

Breathing through the lingering pain, I say, "I used every ounce of energy I had just to phase back onto the truck while you were driving. I don't have anything left right now; I'm completely spent. Not even my glamour is working."

With his free hand, Spencer moves my hair and tucks it behind my ear. His finger brushes the sensitive skin, and I'm sucking in a lungful of air for a completely different reason. My gaze flies to his, only to find him watching me intently. His hand cups the side of my head while his thumb brushes over my ear, and my eyes flutter closed while sensations I shouldn't be feeling while I'm injured rush through my body and straight to my core.

"Woah. Your ears are pointy," Nix points out, his breath fanning my ear and hair from how close he is. Next thing I know, Nix is brushing a finger along the outside of my ear, and my eyes damn near roll to the back of my head.

Under my breath, I whisper, "Oh, shit."

"What was that, babe?" Nix asks, completely innocent and unaware of the effect that one stroke of his finger is having on me. He might as well have his hand down my pants, playing with something equally as sensitive.

He brushes his finger feather soft across the pointed tip of my ear, and I see stars. With a choked plea, I say, "Guys. You need to stop doing that now."

"What? Why?" Nix asks, but he moves his hand away, just as Spencer does. I notice the small smirk on Spencer's face, and I narrow my eyes at him.

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