Reaper let me go and I ran to her and tossed her over my shoulder. She started beating my back just like she usually did, demanding to be let down. We spun in a circle before I set her down gently. I checked her body and looked for signs of damage.

My eyes landed on her face. Bruising formed. Gingerly, I brought my fingers up to check the swelling; I needed to feel her skin. “Who did this to you?”

Her eyes fell to the ground. “Alexander.”

I pulled her into me, the smell of her wet hair calming my nerves. She always used light floral scents and I loved how she smelled. I wanted her to consume me with flowers. “I will never let that piece of shit lay another hand on you. If I do, you can kill me yourself for failing to protect you. Never again.”

“It’s fine,” she mumbled. She looked embarrassed to be held like this in front of everyone. Not that it mattered who saw us at this point. The world was going to know that she was mine, and I would kill them for so much as thinking about her the wrong way.

Was it bad that I wanted my lips over every square inch of her body, relieving her of the memories of when I wasn’t there for her? I dragged her down the hallway so I could have her alone, even for just a few moments.

Behind her door, I couldn’t help but kiss the top of her head and hold her close to me again. Somewhere between when I told myself I wouldn’t get attached to her and now, she took my heart and held it inside her and she didn’t even know that she did.

She probably didn’t even like me.

“Tell me what happened. Whatever you want me to know.” I sat her down on her bed and knelt before her on the floor, giving her the full vantage point over me.

I played with her hands between us, massaging the fingers one by one while she stared at me, unable to form the words she wanted to speak. “It wasn’t fun, and I know you want to hear about it so you can go on your typical rampage, but...” she bit her lip and looked down at me before her.

“But, what?” Placing her hand in my palms, I raised it up to my lips. If all I would ever get again was the pleasure of kissing her hands, I’d take it.

“I got a phone call.”

“From whom?”

She didn’t reply. Her mind was racing—I saw it from the little scrunch between her eyebrows. The gears were always turning in that mind of hers. How badly I wanted to know what she was thinking, yet I waited.