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He still managed to catch me with a pained grunt.

“Oh my God. You’re back. It’s so late. What happened? Is everything okay? Why did it take so long? I’ve been so worried.”

He buried his head against my neck and huffed a laugh against my skin. He groaned and released me, letting my feet hit the floor. He didn’t let me get far, moving his hands to frame my face and held me close to kiss me.

“I missed you,” he growled against my lips.

“I missed you too.” I returned his kiss like it hadn’t been less than twelve hours since I’d seen him, but more like twelve months. I ran my hands over his face, his shoulders, and arms. I touched as much as I could reach. When I skimmed his sides desperate to get under his shirt to his skin, he hissed and jerked back.

“What?” I stepped back and scanned him.

“Nothing, baby.”

“It’s not nothing.” I crossed my arms, giving him my most intimidating stare. “Show me.”

“A bullet grazed m—”

“A bullet?” I screeched, lifting up his shirt on my own. A white square was taped to his side covering his injury. “Holy shit, Erik.” Tears burned my eyes. “Oh my God.”

“Shh, baby. It’s okay. It was just a graze and I already got stitches. Barely anything. I’m fine, I promise.”

“Erik, you could have been…” I didn’t even finish the sentence, not wanting to voice it.

“I wasn’t. Now come sit with me on the couch. I’ll tell you what happened.”

I led him to the living room but left to get a glass of bourbon for the both of us. I knew I could use one and I hadn’t even been shot. He downed it in one go.

“This should mix well with the meds.” He laughed and tugged me down until I was curled under his arm.

I settled in as he laid out the night for me. I was sure he left things out, like what he saw in the rooms as he walked down the halls. He would start talking about it, then his body would stiffen and he’d start a new sentence skipping the darker parts.

My body heated with shame when he got to how my sister was there waiting. How had she fallen so far from the sister who helped me through my first period? Who held me when the boy I liked had broken my heart by kissing another girl. I rubbed my tears off on his chest, not wanting to admit how much it hurt to know she would be part of something so sinister.

“Come on, it’s late,” he said when he finished. “Come take a shower with me and we can go to bed.”

He tugged me off the couch and held my hand all the way to his bathroom. The city lights sparkled beyond the windows, the beginnings of a sunrise along the horizon behind the tall buildings.

I made him lean against the counter as I got the water started before turning my attention back to him. I took care to help him with his clothes, enjoying each bit of skin I revealed like a Christmas present. I took care to place a plastic cover over his bandage before stripping out of my own clothes.

“Let me wash you.” I moved him under the water and began lathering my hands. He groaned when I massaged his shoulders and scrubbed at his scalp. He grew hard as I worked my way down his body, but this wasn’t a moment for sex. It was a moment for comfort and being close and being grateful for having each other.

“My turn,” he murmured against my neck.

“Not tonight. Let me wash off and we can get to bed.”

He sat on the bench and watched me clean myself. When I was done, he tugged me down to his lap and held me, pressing kisses along my shoulder up to my neck, sending chills down my spine.

I gently stroked my fingers along his bandage, hating that I played a part in his injury. “I’m so sorry, Erik.” Tears clogged my throat and I swallowed the lump, trying to hold them back. “I’m sorry this happened because of me.”

He gripped my chin and made me meet his eyes. They were dark like a forest and pleading for me to hear him. “Don’t you dare apologize, Alexandra. This was not your fault. Too many good things came from tonight to be sad about it.”

“Tell me,” I whispered, leaning down to press my lips against his skin. He told me the details, but I wanted to know more.

“Ten girls were rescued. The trafficker was a powerful one and once the cops are able to question him, more women will be saved.” Wet sucking kisses worked up my neck to my ear where he gently bit. His hand smoothed up the outside of my thigh until he cupped my ass. “And one shining realization hit me when he had that gun pointed at me.” He whispered the words in my ear and I held still—waiting—needing to know. “I needed to tell you how much I love you.”