Page 112 of Gideon
The ropes were soon off of my body, thrown into a puddled heap on the floor as his arms held me close. The sound of his heartbeat thundered in my ear, where my face pressed against the solid wall of his chest. It mirrored my own erratic rhythm.
He led me towards the door, but I didn’t want to shower. I didn’t want to do anything but stay in his arms.
“Just here,” I whispered against his chest.
“You don’t want to shower or take a bath?” he asked, tilting my chin until our eyes met. I shook my head no.
“Just hold me,” I muttered softly, offering him a small smile as I trembled in his arms. He led me to the bed, pulling back the covers so that we could both lay down. I curled into his side, needing his strong arms around me, his heartbeat music to my ears, grounding me and keeping me safe.
“You were incredible,” he muttered against the top of my head.
“Thank you,” I whispered quietly. I could feel sleep edging around my mind, pulling me and drawing me towards it like a siren’s call.
I was safe. I was secure.
I was home.
CHAPTER27
GIDEON
“I’m just saying it might be a good way to keep everyone distracted while we let you men find the proof you need to move forward,” Delilah stated firmly. The room had been oddly quiet other than the sound of Delilah and Ollie bickering back and forth.
“And I’m saying that the thought of using any of you women as essentially bait during this whole shit show sounds like a bad fucking idea,” Ollie argued with her. The two of them certainly liked to bicker. Almost as much as Naomi and I did. Well, as we had in our first days, at the very least. Our banter had not stopped, not by a long shot, but it had morphed from the nasty jabs and raised voices to a more playful banter between two brats. I could admit it. I was one hell of a brat, and Naomi certainly brought that side out in me, tenfold.
All of us had gathered at Malachi’s house to talk, but once again, Levi and Ruth were late to the party. Party was definitely not the right word for this particular gathering. I’m not sure any of our homes would have been a lively place for such a talk, but Malachi’s was a little more dreadful than the others. Perhaps it was just Malachi’s surly and burly attitude that made his home seem a little more depressing than it could have otherwise been.
The plan had been for us all to meet for dinner and discuss “things”, whatever that meant. Of course, it was already past six in the evening and there was nothing that remotely seemed like a meal happening. Not that I expected anything else from my curmudgeon of a brother. We all sat around Malachi’s table in silence, just waiting for our eldest brother to appear.
My hand squeezed Naomi’s beneath the table. She and the women had been chatting quietly on and off, talking about their own plans for the coming week. Anything to ignore the banter from Ollie and Delilah, honestly.
The particular topic of choice was currently centered on when to go public about Talia’s pregnancy. Zeke wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible, which I readily agreed with, but the women seemed to have another plan in mind.
“I have to agree with Ollie. I don’t think siccing the dogs — and by that I mean the women of Zion — on Talia is the best way to distract everyone. Plus, Malachi will be getting married, and that should be distraction enough,” I agreed with Ollie.
“Exactly. There is no reason to put any of you women in any more danger than you already are. Plus, Talia has been through enough,” Ollie continued. I looked at Zeke, wondering what his thoughts were on the matter. He had been strangely quiet during this entire exchange. Well, maybe not strangely. Zeke was a quiet one most of the time.
“What are your thoughts, Zeke?” Ollie asked, taking the question right from my lips before I could speak. Zeke thought over the question for a moment before answering.
“I think that my wife is an incredibly strong woman, capable of far more than any of us could possibly know. If she thinks this is the best course of action, then I choose to trust her. I support her,” he answered, taking Talia’s hand in his as his eyes never wavered from hers. They shared a small smile together, one that had me feeling more emotion than I would have thought possible. Zeke and Talia were in love with one another. It was painfully and glaringly obvious.
While I couldn’t say the same for Naomi and myself, I found myself longing for that very same thing with her. Perhaps some day in the near future. Only time would tell.
“So when are you going to tell us about this new wife of yours, Kai?” Ollie asked, turning the conversation to the eldest brother in attendance.
“She’s not my wife yet,” Kai grumbled.
“Yeah, but she will be, and soon, if Mother and Father have any say about it,” Ollie teased.
“It won’t bethatsoon,” he spat back derisively.
“Oh, and why is that?” I asked, shooting him a look of confusion.
“Reasons,” he scoffed, his arms crossed over his chest. He was more grumbly and grouchy than normal.
“You know, Kai, typically impending nuptials make a personlessof a grumpy asshole,” Ollie teased.
“Oh, because all of you were justso excitedto get married. Hmm, I seem to remember things a little differently,” Kai sarcastically quipped.
