Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove, #2) (86)
“Did he just call her baby?” a new voice asked. Some part of my brain recognized it as Maverick’s, but I couldn’t get myself to look.
I shoved myself deeper into Kol’s hold as he rocked me. He held me to him as if he could shield me from every ounce of pain. From every stare and question. From everything that had happened in the past and might happen in the future.
“He’s touching her,” Brae said almost reverently. “How is he touching her?”
Kol only continued to rock me. My hands fisted in his shirts. One grabbed onto the worn cotton of a tee. The other wrapped around soft flannel. That one reminded me of last night. Of everything we’d shared. I rubbed my cheek against it, trying to escape into that memory.
“What the hell is happening?” Brae demanded. “What’s going on?”
“Breathe, Hellion,” Dex said quietly. “I think you know.”
I could just make out the people surrounding us, even if I didn’t want to see.
“I knew this was coming,” Wylder said quietly. His words were free of judgment, but I thought I heard concern there.
Maverick let out a grunt. “Of course, you did. Psychic mind games.”
“Enough.” Kol’s voice cracked out over my head. “None of that matters right now. What matters is Nova. I need to get her back to my truck and home.”
“Maybe we should take her to the hospital,” Brae said softly.
My hands jerked, tightening around Kol’s shirts as if someone might rip me away at any moment. “No,” I croaked. “No hospitals.”
“No hospitals,” Kol echoed, trying to calm me. “I’m gonna take care of you. Okay, Phoenix? I’ve got you.”
And for the first time since I’d been taken, I believed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Kol
IKEPT LOOKING OVER AT NOVA AS I DROVE, AS IF SHE MIGHT suddenly vanish right in front of my eyes. I wanted to touch her. To comfort her. But she was covered in scratches and had some nasty gashes on her knees. I didn’t want to hurt her in an attempt to help.
But she found me instead.
Even as she stared out at the road in front of us almost vacantly, she reached out to me. Her hand searched for mine, and I met her in the middle, weaving my fingers through hers and bringing them to rest on my thigh.
God, I was worried about her. I didn’t have the first clue what had happened in those woods, if something had broken in her more deeply than what I could fix.
My hand spasmed around Nova’s instinctively, as if holding her more tightly was some magical cure. Only I knew it wouldn’t be. I’d seen that firsthand with Brae. Clinging more tightly had only hurt.
I focused on my breathing as my house came into view. Nova didn’t even seem to register it. My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, and I saw a trail of vehicles behind me: Mav’s. Wylder’s. Dex’s. My brothers wanted to help, but part of me just wanted them to go.
But I had no choice. They were here, and that’s how it was going to be.
Shutting off the engine, I turned to Nova. “I’m gonna come around and get you, okay?” I didn’t want her jumping down and hurting herself.
Nova’s hand only gripped mine harder. “Don’t go.”
Those words broke something in me. But they had nothing on her next ones.
“Don’t leave me. Everybody leaves me.”
Fucking hell.
I pressed my lips gently to her temple. “You’re stuck with me, Phoenix. Not letting go.”
I shoved my door open, unfastened my seat belt and then Nova’s, then carefully extricated her. “Think you can lean over the console so I can take you with me?”
She moved instantly. Complete trust. And that slayed something in me.
Trying to mitigate the awkward angles, I pulled her over and into the driver’s seat, then lifted her into my arms. As I did, more doors slammed.
Nova curled into me, burying her face in the crook of my neck as if she didn’t want to see anyone.
“What can I do?” Maverick asked softly. I could hear the guilt in his words, like I could see the bruise already darkening his jawbone.
My own guilt swirled. “You can get me the first-aid kit. I’m going to take her to my room,” I said quietly.
“She’ll need a change of clothes. I’ll get them,” Brae said as she walked up, her voice tight. Her expression battled between anger and worry. And I understood both. I couldn’t blame her for either.
Wylder moved into the open door of my truck, swiping up my keys. “I’ll get the door.”
And that was the thing—even when it felt like they were invading my space, my brothers were always there. Showing up for me.
Wylder watched me as I carried Nova up the stairs. “Ever’s in town. Want me to have her give Nova a once-over?”
I stilled for a moment. I hadn’t known that our childhood friend, Orion’s first love—his only love as far as I knew—was in town. She might be taking a break from working as a doctor for Medicine for Humanity, but I wasn’t above asking her to put that hat back on for Nova.
“Call her,” I said, my voice low.
“Someone might want to warn the god of the brood,” Mav singsonged.
“Just sent him a text,” Dex cut in as I carried Nova inside.