Page 28 of Promise of Hellfire

Victoria pulled me in for a hug and kissed my cheek. “You did something good today,” she whispered.

As I poured the dark liquid from the carafe, I raised my eyebrows. “I know. I just wish there had been a different way. How’s Lexi?”

The corner of her lips lifted slightly. “Nia said it was just a scratch but she’s raising hell in one of the rooms right now.”

I took a sip of the hot beverage, momentarily not caring about sugar or cream. “Sounds about right.”

I clutched my cup to my chest as I wandered through the house, taking in the sights. Kourtney knelt in front of a large tote on the floor sorting through clothes and handing items to several of the women.

As I entered the hallway, I heard it. Lexi’s raised voice with panic lacing the edges. I couldn’t hear Oliver’s words, only the patient and calm tone he was using.

“You can’t expect me to stay here!” she yelled. “It’s just another cage.”

Ignacio rushed past me and I followed behind him, curious about what he would say. He pulled her into a tight embrace and crushed her against his chest. That wasn’t what I expected, and neither were the words that came next. “I’ve known you for a long time, and I know you can take care of yourself, but he’s right. You can’t go back to your apartment. Not yet.”

Lexi sobbed against him, and his grip tightened. “Where am I going to go?”

Emotion welled in my throat as I watched her battle her thoughts. “Come stay with me for a little while if you can’t stay here. At least then someone can keep an eye on you. We can swing by your place and grab some things. Then you can get some food and a nice long shower.”

Oliver nodded in approval, and Lexi’s hold loosened.

After the two of them left the room, I tilted my head towards Olly. “So those two…”

He sighed as he leaned back against the wall. “No clue. Lexi’s complicated on a good day. I’ll say a prayer for Ethan’s friend because he’s going to need it.” He rubbed his face with both hands. “Speaking of Ethan, how’s his shoulder?”

I grimaced. “No idea yet. That’s my next stop.”

He pointed a thumb behind him. “Nia’s in the room at the end.”

When I pushed open the door, Ethan sat in front of Nia frowning. His shirt lay crumpled on the floor at his feet while she cleaned the wound on his shoulder, her fingers gently prodding his skin.

She looked up, and when she saw me she shook her head. “At least this time, it isn’t you who’s injured.”

Chapter seventeen

Ethan

Isaunteredintothehouse after Rayne disappeared and searched for Nia. While everyone else was getting the women from the Rose settled, I had something else planned but first I needed my shoulder stitched up.

I couldn’t tell anyone about my plans for the day. If I did, they would try to stop me or tell me to wait until I was healed. Fuck that. It had been long enough.

My shoulder ached from the wound and my skin was tacky from where blood had partially dried. I dreaded trying to remove the fabric from where it clung. I debated my options as I walked through the different rooms, assessing everything. Most of the women were slowly settling in while Victoria plied them with food and Kourtney helped them sort through clothes and toiletries. Most were quiet, and a few were still teary-eyed, but hopefully, with help from Ash and the others, they would be okay. Eventually.

Out of the people gathered this morning, it looked like I was the one who had the most physical damage. Rory had a cut from glass shattering, Ignacio had a few scrapes, and Aldo’s jaw was bruised somehow, but overall we were okay. That in itself was a miracle.

Joey looked me over and whistled.

“Fuck off,” I told him with a grin. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

He looked at me with amusement and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sure, but just in case, the doc is in the bedroom at the end of the hall.”

Okay, it was definitely as bad as it looked, but I didn’t have time for this. I just needed some stitches, potentially some antibiotics, and possibly a tetanus booster. I needed to keep my whining to a minimum or Hunter would give me hell.

I opened the door leading into the bedroom and Nia sat on the end of the bed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She gave me a once over and sighed deeply, gesturing to the chair near the wall. “Shirt off so I can see,” was all she said to me as she tugged on a pair of latex gloves.

Shrugging off the shirt, I closed my eyes and envisioned myself somewhere else as she poked at the oozing skin on my shoulder.I’ve lived through worse than a bullet in my shoulder and stitches.When the needle pierced my flesh, I clenched my jaw, refusing to show any discomfort. The doctor mumbled under her breath as she worked. Something about “no one is invincible,” but my mind was focused on the hypothetical getaway we discussed with Rayne. After all of this is over, a break would be nice.

The door squeaked open and there stood the woman I was fantasizing about, wide-eyed and frowning, fists clenched at her side. Nia muttered something to her, but she didn’t reply, all of her attention instead focused on me.

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