Page 46 of Torch
My fucking sassy woman, fighting to stay on top, even though she’s had a hell of a scare tonight. I let her help me with the bedding, then firmly tucked her under them.
“Want something to drink? Tea? Coffee? I might have something stronger, I can check.”
She sat back against my headboard, which admittedly was wooden and not so comfy.
“Something stronger, definitely. Then… you’re coming to bed with me, right?”
“Try and stop me, babe.”
Grace
Hewastiptoeingaroundme, like he thought I’d suddenly crumble, and he’d have to pick up the pieces. I didn’t want to be pieces. I didn’t want him to be so careful that he wouldn’t scare me, or hurt me. I wanted him to just be him with me, so I could enjoy normality, and remind myself of it, instead of the memories of that bastard tonight.
“Here, babe. It’s a shot ofPatron. That’s all I have really, except tea or coffee. I could make you one of those too. Do you need food?”
“I need you to sit the hell down, Mr North,” I snapped at him, and his eyes widened as he dropped down on the bed beside me, sucking in a deep breath.
“Fuck, it’s hot when you do that. Do you want to spank me, babe? I’ll be your anything you want.”
He looked eager, and nervous, and so desperate to please, and all I wanted was Torch.
“I just want you to be you, do you think you can do that for me? I’m not a victim. I survived an attack, and I’m fine. I’m safe. I’m safe because of you, Torch.”
His posture tensed as he kept watching me.
“If not for me, you wouldn’t even be hurt at all. I’m so fucking pissed that I caused this to happen to you.”
I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, downing the shot of alcohol, and shuddering and gagging in the aftermath of it.
“Yuck. That stuff is horrible.” Still, it did what it was supposed to do, right? A shock to the system. An awakening.
“Yeah, it’s coffeePatron. Someone bought it for me, but I can only drink it if it’s with something else, and I’m all out. I actually think someone half inched some of my stuff while I was uh… away.”
“Torch, listen to me and hear me on this. You didn’t cause what happened tonight, and you’re not to blame. I mean, look, it could honestly be some crazy coincidence, and that was a random thing tonight. There’s no proof it was connected to the club, right? It was some big guy, dressed in black and wearing a balaclava. He could have been anyone.”
“You never mentioned that before. What he wore, I mean. Gloves?” I nodded.
“Leather ones.”
“What colour were his eyes? You must have stared into them when he had you… when he… Jesus…”
“Brown.” They were definitely brown. Very dark. Filled with malice and evil. And hatred. Ugh. I didn’t want to see those eyes ever again.
“Brown eyes. Babe, you just narrowed this down a lot. Wow, let me text that to Stitch.” He got up and grabbed his phone, tapping away at it, and when he was done, he set it aside and returned, climbing into the bed beside me.
The second he was in reach, I rolled closer, and let him hold me, because I needed to be held. I needed to feel his strength, and body heat. I needed to feel his body beside mine, filled with life, just like mine was, even though either one of us could have ended up dead because of this bastard. I wasn’t really considering it being a coincidence at all. We both knew it was bull, but I was trying to ease his mind a little, because even if it was because of the club, that didn’t make it his fault.
“You’re safe now, babe. I’m not letting anything else happen to you, I promise.”
We sat in silence for a while, but it was too awkward. Too quiet. Too uncomfortable.
“Torch?”
“Yeah, babe? You wanna settle down?” Was he relieved? Was this so awkward for him too?
“No, I mean, unless you want to.”
He chuckled, kissing the top of my head.
