Page 48 of Until Forever Comes
“I… I killed him. I didn’t mean to do it and he was trying to hurt me, but still. I killed him.”
“Oh, baby.” Miguel sighed. “Let me get our things and get you out of here. I think we could both use a bath.”
I tightened my legs around his waist and fisted his shirt in both hands. “Don’t you let me go,” I begged. “Please.”
Thankfully, he gave heed to my words. He walked around the room, gathering our belongings and stuffing them into both our bags with one hand while he continued to hang onto me with the other. Because neither of us had much, it didn’t take long before Miguel draped a long shirt over my nude body and we left the room.
Ted and Katherine were still next to the stairs, caring for Pedro and Anthony, both of whom were now awake and looking like they might survive. They cringed and whimpered when they caught sight of Miguel approaching them.
“He won’t hurt you,” Katherine said. “Relax.”
“I already hurt them,” Miguel reminded the vampires. “And I might do it again. More thoroughly. Like I did to their dead friends. I haven’t decided.”
Katherine glared up at my mate. “Miguel!” she shouted. “Don’t tease them. They’re in no condition for your humor.”
Miguel flashed his fangs at her. “I’m not teasing, Katie, and I could give a fuck about their condition. They tried to keep me away from my mate!”
I gasped. It was the first time he’d acknowledged the nature of our connection out loud, and the joy it brought nearly took my breath away. It also made my pecker stand up and take notice, which was a miracle considering the current situation.
“Miguel,” I whispered. “Can we have that bath now?”
“Sure we can, baby,” he said tenderly. “Ted,” he snapped.
“Yes.” Ted’s anxiety was apparent from just that word.
“You brought the trash in here and you’ll see to it that it’s cleared out of my room, won’t you?”
“I will,” Ted answered, and then he sighed in relief at what I reckoned was Miguel’s display of forgiveness for his part in that day’s fiasco. “Thank you.”
Chapter 20
THEREwas a room in the warehouse that had running water and a bathtub. Miguel had boarded up the window, just as he had throughout the rest of the warehouse, so we’d had the pleasure of bathing during the night and the day. He climbed the basement steps with me in his arms and walked us over to the bathroom.
“Are you okay to stand?” he asked, not making a move to set me onto my feet until I nodded. Even then he lowered me slowly, gently, and made sure I was steady before pulling his hand away. The shirt he’d draped over me fell to the floor.
“I’m fine,” I said with a laugh. “Honest. I wasn’t hurt.” I shrugged. “I just wanted to be close to you.” I rubbed my toe on the floor. “I guess maybe I was a tad more frightened than I realized.”
He flung his arm around my waist and pulled me into a hug. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bring all this down on you.”
“None of this was your fault,” I said. “If anything, it was my fault. To hear Ralph tell it, he was mad about your decision to buy up the pack lands.”
“Ralph was a fool who deserved what he got,” Miguel said angrily. He pressed his fingers to the spot on my neck where Ralph had bitten me. “He had no right to touch you, to bite you.”
I put my hand over Miguel’s. “He’s dead,” I reminded him.
“I know. I wish I could bring him back to life just so I could kill him all over again.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that comment.
Miguel arched one eyebrow. “You think that’s funny, do you?”
“No.” I shook my head and chuckled some more. “It’s really not.”
“And yet you’re laughing.”
“Yeah.” I beamed at him. “Thanks for that.”
He smiled back at me and we stood there for a few moments, staring at each other and grinning like a couple of loons.
