Once ready, I step in and shut the door behind me. I finally wash off the blood that covers my body—some from Taylor and some from the men who attacked her. The memory of that man holding her against her will with a knife against her neck has stained my mind. And it makes me think of Nicole. Was it like that for her? Did she cry out and beg me to save her? How long was she in pain? Is she still alive to this day? So many questions are unanswered. So many things I need to dig to find. I need to be there for Taylor as I should have been for Nicole. And if I tell Taylor the truth, she’ll run.
I can’t do what Brecken said. He knows it can’t happen yet. But things do need to change. And I know exactly what needs to change.
I get out of the shower, dry off, and look over at the bedroom. I slip on a pair of boxers and then crawl into bed next to her. She lets out a little whimper as she shifts in her sleep.
“Taylor, baby?” I ask, gently touching her warm arm. I watch her chest rise and fall through one of my t-shirts I dressed her in and I sigh heavily. This is all my fault. And I don’t know how to apologize for it.
She moves again, and I know that her pain meds from Doc earlier are starting to wear off. “Case?” her voice rasps.
I feel my heart break as I look at the handprint mark on her neck, and I wish I would have killed the guy I let Brecken turn over to the cops. The bastard is now in the hospital on pain meds himself. And that thought pisses me off; he deserves to feel every broken bone I gave him. “I’m right here, sweetheart.” I place a soft kiss on her cheek, making sure not to touch the bruise from where one of them slapped her. I hope it was the guy I killed.
She tilts her head to me and her eyes slowly open. Closing and reopening them a few times. “Where am I?” she whispers.
“You’re at my place.”
Where you’re going to stay
.
“I need … to go home.” She lets out a little moan as she shifts, trying to get comfortable.
I shake my head. “You need to stay here, Taylor. I have a doctor in the other room, and he’s going to take care of you.”
She sighs heavily, and I know I’ve won. She’s too tired to argue with me. “Are you in any pain?” I ask
She swallows and shifts on her back. “No. Just tired.”
I lean over and give her a soft kiss on her lips, but she doesn’t act on it. “Get some sleep, baby.”
TAYLOR
I wake to darkness. And the first thing I notice is how my body aches and my head pounds. I’ve only ever been hung over three times since I’ve turned twenty-one, and one of those times was just days ago after Case and I went to that club. This feels kind of like that but worse.
I sit up and place my hand on my forehead. Did I drink last night? I think back to what I remember and my fight with Case comes to mind. Then snapping at Rachel. My brother showing up. Another fight with Case. Then me walking out the back door …
I shove the covers off me and try to run to the bathroom, but I gasp at the pain that shoots through my body. I quickly look over at the bed where Case sleeps and let out a shaky breath when I see I didn’t wake him. I quietly and slowly finish making my way to the bathroom. I turn on the light as I shove the door shut. I gasp when I get a look at myself in the mirror. I have a bruise under my right eye and a white bandage on my neck. I pull up an overly large shirt that I know must be Case’s and my eyes widen as I take in the bruise on my side. That’s where the guy kicked me. I drop the shirt and my hands start to shake. I remember Case showing up and lifting a gun … did he shoot that guy? The man had asked where his friend was. Case had said dead … Did he kill him too?
I reach up and softly touch the handprint mark of the man who wrapped his hand around my throat. I swallow thickly. For as bad as I look, I don’t feel as bad as I should. I’m lucky. I’m very lucky Case saved me.
“Taylor?”
I look over to my right and hiss in a breath at the pain that shoots up my neck. I moved too fast.
“Taylor?” Case’s voice is frantic. “Where the hell did she go?” he demands.
“I’m in here,” I say, reaching up to touch the white bandage on my neck as it pulls at my skin.
He comes barging into the bathroom making the door bang against the wall. I flinch. “Jesus Christ,” he hisses, jaw tight and standing there in his boxers. “You scared the fuck out of me.” He walks over to me. “What happened?” he asks as he watches me grab my neck.
“I’m fine.” He pulls my hand away and examines it. “I just moved it too fast,” I inform him softly.
He lets out a heavy sigh as he stares down at me, his eyes softening. “Why are you out of bed? You need to rest.”
“I had to use the restroom,” I lie softly.
His dark blue eyes look into mine, and I look away. For some reason, I feel ashamed of last night. He saw me shirtless with another man. He stood there, staring at me with hatred in his eyes. He had lifted a gun …? “Case.” I lick my lips nervously. “Did you shoot that guy?” I need to know what happened because for some reason I don’t remember.
“Yes,” he says with no hesitation.
I lower my eyes to look down at my hands. “Is he dead?” I whisper.
“Yes.” No hesitation again.
My head snaps up to him, and I hiss in another breath at the movement. “You need to take it slow,” he orders through clenched teeth.
How can I think about taking it slow when he killed a man? I narrow my eyes on him. “And the other one? You had said you killed him too?”
He runs a hand through his hair, and it makes the muscles in his arms and stomach flex. I can feel the tension rolling off him. “No. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve death as a punishment.”
He saved me. He killed another man in order to save me, yet I don’t feel happy about that. “I need to leave,” I state.
“You need to stay here with me.”
“I don’t want to stay here.” All of a sudden, I don’t feel safe here. I don’t want to walk around a packed and noisy club tonight and wait on people while they get shitfaced. The bruises and cuts on my face are enough to scare them.
He hangs his head, and after a few long seconds, he lifts it back to look at me. “Do you want me to take you home?”
I turn to face myself in the mirror and sigh. “I can’t go home.” If Blane sees me like this, he will freak.
Case comes to stand behind me. He gently wraps his arms around my waist as he sets his chin on my shoulder and looks at me through the mirror. “Let me take you away from here.”
“You don’t have to do that …” He’s done enough for me.
“I want to.” He pulls away from me and slowly spins me around to face him. It’s as if I’m all of a sudden made of glass. He reaches up and places his hands on my hips. “I wanna be alone with you. Not here at the club. Not where others can find us and bother us. I want to be alone with you. Just you and me.”
“Where would we go?” I question confused. “We can’t go to my house. Blane doesn’t know about us,”
He gives me a big smile. “Let me take care of it.”
“But I don’t have any clothes …”
“Trust me.” He leans down and kisses my forehead gently. “You don’t need any clothes.” And with that, he pulls away and walks out of his bathroom. I take one long last look at myself in the mirror and sigh. What have I gotten myself into?
Case called Brecken and asked him if he could take care of the club for a couple of nights without him. Brecken sounded offended he would even ask and told him to get me away from here and get some rest himself.
Case had some guy by the name of Doc come into his room and check me out one last time while he packed us a bag. He said I didn’t need to get any of my clothes, but he had packed me a few pairs of his sweatpants and a couple of t-shirts for me to lounge in for the next couple of days. Doc examined me and asked how I felt. I told him that other than being a little sore, I felt pretty good.
We were walking out of the back of the club within thirty minutes. “Where are we going?” I ask as we pull out of the parking lot of Seven Deadly Sins.
“I’m taking you downtown. We are going to spend a few days in a hotel.” He looks to the side and throws me a soft smile.
I return it with a small smile of my own and then lie back in the passenger seat and enjoy the ride to downtown.
***
He holds the door open to our hotel room for me and I walk in with a mumbled thank you. I take a long look around at the suite he got us. I tried to tell him downstairs that we didn’t need anything special—just a bed—but he wasn’t having it. So I’m not surprised to see a large living room with a couch and loveseat, a small kitchenette to the right, and a hallway leading to the master suite.
I walk into the bedroom and look over the king-size bed that sits back against the far wall. The white comforter looks as white as snow with the rich purple pillows. I look to the left and see a big window with the same color of purple drapes pulled open. I walk over to it and look down over the city. It’s almost frightening how high up we are. It also doesn’t help that I’m afraid of heights.
“Taylor?” I turn around to see Case standing in the doorway of the bathroom. “Would you like to take a nap?”
I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself. “I wanna take a bath.” I feel so dirty. The thought of those men having their hands on me makes a shiver run down my spine.
He nods once and then turns around to go to the bathroom. Moments later, I hear the water come on. I take a deep breath as I walk into it. He sits on the side of the Jacuzzi tub in his dark blue jeans and a simple white cotton t-shirt as he leans over to check the temperature. “How do you like your water?” he asks not turning around to face me.
“Hot.” The hotter the better.
He reaches up, adjusts the knobs, and then places his hand back under the water. Once he is satisfied, he turns to face me. Without a word, he reaches for the hem of his shirt that I’m wearing and starts to pull it up. I slap his hand away from it and take a step back from him. My heart now racing.
“What’s wrong?” he asks with a frown.
I look around the overly large bathroom quickly to avoid his eyes. “I … I wanna be left alone.” I swallow nervously as I feel the tears start to sting my eyes.
“I just wanna help you,” he says softly.
A tear slides down my cheek, and he takes a step to me, closing the space between us. “Taylor, baby. Talk to me.” He reaches up and rubs it away with his thumb.
I wrap my arms around myself once again. My head starts to ache again as I think about last night. “I don’t want you to see me,” I whisper as my chest tightens.
I take the chance to look up at him and his brows are pulled together, that frown still on his face. “I don’t understand.” He shakes his head once.
I drop my head to look down at his sweatpants that are so long for me, they cover up my shoes. “I saw how you looked at me.” A knot forms in my throat. “When you saw me in the alley last night.” I swallow thickly. “I’m ashamed,” I whisper as another tear runs down my face.
Two strong arms wrap around my shoulders at that next moment, pulling my body into his. A sob escapes me causing my body to shake. He bends his head down to mine. He moves one hand to hold my head against his chest while the other strong hand runs up and down my back. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he says with a heavy sigh and another sob comes out of me.
I don’t know why he’s apologizing; it’s not his fault those guys jumped me. “I’m so sorry, Case,” I cry, soaking his white shirt with my tears. “I tried … I tried to get away.” My body failed me. I just wasn’t strong enough. And at one point, I had even given up.
“Oh, baby.” He tightens his arms around me as his chest rises and falls quickly. I suck in a breath from the pain his arms are causing my body. I’m still so sore.
He pulls away from me quickly and grabs my hand. He pulls me over to the tub and he sits down on the side of it as he places his hands on either side of my face. “Listen to me, Taylor.” His voice is rough with emotion. Hate heats his dark blue eyes, and it just makes me cry harder. “There is nothing for you to be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong. Do you understand?” he demands. “Nothing!”
“But …”
“But nothing!” he snaps interrupting me. I suck in another deep breath trying to calm my racing heart and stop the tears that continue to fall. “You did nothing wrong,” he repeats. “If you want me to leave so you can take a bath by yourself, then I will understand. But ask me to leave because you’re mad at me, not because you are ashamed of yourself.” His hand falls from my face, and he lets out a long sigh.
“Why would I be mad at you?” I ask through the tears.
He sighs heavily as he runs a hand through his dark hair. “Because it’s my fault. I should have never yelled at you.” He stands quickly and gives me his back as he turns to face the door. “I should have never let you go outside …”
I grab his hand, and he turns to face me. “It wasn’t your fault,” I say shaking my head and it intensifies my headache. “Case, you saved me,” I say reaching up and place my hand on his wet shirt. My tears have it clinging to his chest, and I can see his strained muscles through it.
“You wouldn’t have needed to be saved if I hadn’t put you in danger,” he growls through gritted teeth.
“I should have never asked about Rachel,” I say in all honesty. “What you did in the past is none of my business.” He keeps telling me that, but I just can’t keep from asking.
He reaches up and runs a hand over his unshaven face, and I feel my body start to relax. I love that sound. “After you’re done with your bath, I will tell you all about Rachel.” He turns to leave the bathroom, and I find myself reaching out for him again. Needing him to be with me. Needing him to calm me. That is why I left Seven Deadly Sins, to be alone with him. I pushed him away just yesterday and look what happened. I need him by me.
“Please stay?” I beg softly.
He turns to face me. His face wearing mixed emotions. “You don’t want me…”
“I do,” I interrupt him. He stands there, his dark blue eyes looking down into mine. I quickly wipe what tears I have left off my face and take a deep breath. With my heart still pounding against my chest, I reach down, grab the hem of his shirt, and pull it up and off. I let it fall to the floor and I bite the inside of my cheek as his eyes drop to my breasts. They fall lower to my stomach and then trace the bruise on my right side. I watch nervously as his eyes take in every inch of me. His jaw twitches, and his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows thickly. He fists his hands down by his side, and I feel that knot in my throat return. It’s as if he’s seeing me again for the first time naked, but only this time, he doesn’t like what he sees. I know I’m ugly. I have bruises and scratches all over me. And my legs look even worse than my upper half.
“I know.” I speak when he just stands there looking down at me. “I look hideous,” I whisper only imagining what he must be thinking.
His dark blue eyes lift to meet mine. “No!” He shakes his head. “You look like a woman who I almost lost.” He closes the few spaces between us. “And you look like a woman who is giving a man another chance when he doesn’t deserve it.” His eyes search mine as he runs his hand through my messy hair. “I won’t let you down again, Taylor. I promise you. I would die before I let anything else happen to you.” Then he lowers his lips down to mine giving me a soft kiss on my lips, making tears sting my eyes for another reason.
***
Case stayed in the bathroom and helped me out of his sweatpants. He helped me into the tub, and before I could even ask what he was doing, he started undressing. I scooted forward for him to get in behind me. With a sigh, I laid my back against his muscular chest. I closed my eyes and silently thanked him for getting the suite. I’m not sure all the other rooms came with a tub big enough for the both of us.