I’m leaning down, trying to decide if his breathing sounds steadier, when I hear a low growl.
“You are dead fucking weight. I should leave you on the damn grass. Should leave all your stupid asses. Gonna get me killed like an asshole. Dicks. None of you are worth this shit.”
Jayk stumbles in through the now-open space where the glass sliding door used to be, one of Beau’s arms over his shoulder. My heart actually flutters in dizzying relief as I rush over to help.
They’re all here, I reassure myself, and it’s like feeling floods back into my numb body. All here.
Though as I glance back at Lucky, the relief fades quickly. Those wounds are far from nothing. Not to mention, there’s no guarantee the danger is over yet. I scan the clearing again, but nothing moves except flames dancing over dead grass.
“Like anyone’s coming close again after that,” Jayk scoffs, and I just grunt, not ready to trust it.
Pulling Beau’s other arm around my shoulder, I move with Jayk to get him beside Lucky and Jasper. He’s covered in blood, but I can’t see where it’s coming from. There doesn’t appear to be a head wound. His left leg looks the worst, with a deep cut in his thigh that’s leaking blood.
“I’m going to kill you for that stunt,” I bite out under my breath.
Beau laughs, though it sounds pained. “Well, I wouldn’t want a good speech to go to waste.”
When he catches sight of Lucky, he sobers. “We need to get him to the med bay. Now.”
Jasper and I lift Lucky gently. We’re moving, fast and efficient, toward the med bay when Jayk asks a question that has more violent force than any bomb I’ve set off today.
“Where the hell is Eden?”
Chapter 37
Lucky
SURVIVAL TIP #178
Kisses are better than oxygen.
No, Beau, it’s a good tip, don’t take my—
M y first thought is that death is more uncomfortable than I hoped for. I mean, after the wars and the apocalypse and all, I kind of hoped that I’d catch some kind of break in the afterlife. Some cushy ether or a nice fluffy kingdom in the clouds.
Heck, I’d take reincarnation. Bring me back as a tiger or something—I’ve got no problem picking my teeth with a poacher’s tibia.
I try to shift and realize I do have some form of body. I can move. It’s just that moving sucks and sends bolts of pain everywhere.
Really, it’s not fair that it hurts this much. If I have to hurt for my sins, I’d really have loved for it to be in some kind of sexy dungeon scenario. I bet Lucifer is the daddy of all sadists. I could get down with that.
“Lucien.”
Noise starts to filter in, and I’m pretty sure I heard my name. Or maybe they said “Lucifer.” I might be getting the dungeon after all.
Each breath is agony, sending spasms through my body, but between those spasms, I feel something else. Someone is gently stroking my face, right along my hairline. I’m no expert, but I don’t think Luci would be this sweet to me. Eden’s the only one who has touched me this tenderly in a long time. The soft touches are almost worth the spasms.
“I’m going to kill you for putting me through this, you selfish boy,” someone says, and the low voice triggers warm shivers through me. Even with my foggy brain, I recognize that voice, though I’ve never heard that rough, choked tone from him.
I’m alive then, that’s good. Jasper may not be the prince of darkness, exactly, but he’s close enough. The rough sheet around my bare waist registers, and the warmth of Jasper’s hand in mine. He’s close enough that I can smell him, but his usual parchment and ink scent is clouded by smoke and sweat.
Memories of the barn and the hunters, the frag and the truck, come back to me sluggishly. Ah, shit. What happened? If Jasper’s sitting next to me then it worked, and we got free. No idea how the fuck that happened, or how I made it out of that one. I didn’t run out into the open expecting to live, that was for sure.
My lids are heavy and gritty. It takes a few attempts before they crack open. The room is dimly lit—no lights are on, but candles flicker around the room. Generator’s crapped out, then. I recognize the med bay, but how the hell did we make it here?
Last I knew, we were well and truly fucked.
As they always do, my eyes drift back to Jasper. There’s no urgency in his body language, though I can vaguely hear an argument from behind the door. He’s close beside me in the bed, his head pressed against the mattress beside mine. His eyes are shut and soot dusts his face, hair, and eyelashes. My heart tangles when I realize he’s been crying.
I didn’t know he could do that.
The slow, sweet touches along my hairline continue. He’s never touched me like this before. Not even during aftercare, that I can remember.
My throat burns with thirst, but I ignore it. Every breath stabs and spasms, but I ignore that too. I just watch him. The pain makes sense now. It always hurts around Jasper.
I’m okay with it. I would take a lot worse than this to have him here. He’s safe. Whether it’s because of what I did or by some other miracle, Jasper got free and isn’t dead behind a truck right now. Life is good.
“—where she is. We need to look for her.”
The door slams open abruptly enough to make me startle, which in turn sets off a thousand-lash punishment through every inch of my body. I groan, and Jasper’s head lifts sharply to stare down at me.
“Is he awake?” Beau asks, ignoring whatever Jayk was snarling at him about.
I work up a smile for Jasper, wondering how awkward this is going to be. He didn’t seem happy after our liaison in his study, and— In the next instant, Jasper has my face cupped between his hands, and his mouth crashes down on mine. His tongue prises between my lips, tangling with mine in desperate urgency. I sigh into the kiss as he holds my face close, and I taste a sting of salt. I realize more tears have escaped him, and I try to gentle the storm, easing back until I’m pressing soft, comforting kisses against his lips.
“It’s okay,” I whisper between kisses. “I’m okay.”
Actually, I can’t hold myself up. I’d say I feel weak as a kitten but I’m pretty sure a kitten could kick my ass right now. Still, even weak and dizzy and with every movement an agony, I wouldn’t stop this for anything.
Jasper’s kissing me like I matter.
He finally pulls back, sucking in a deep breath, and settles me back into the bed. He gives me a dark look as he pulls out an embroidered handkerchief from his slacks and cleans his damp cheeks with zero shame. The look promises punishment, but I’m starting to float.
I abruptly remember we have company and lift my eyes to Beau and Jayk, who are both staring at us in shock. Jasper and I have never been that overt in front of anyone before. And barely in private either. I can’t keep my lips from splitting into a wide grin.
Beau’s lips twitch in response, and Jayk just scowls.
“How do you feel?” Beau asks, moving forward. He pulls his stethoscope up from around his neck and presses the chilly metal against my chest. Jasper watches him with concern.
“Horny,” I respond, then cough when my raw throat protests.
Jasper stands quickly and pours me a cup of water as Beau gives me a dry look.