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“Fortunately for the both of us, he’s constipated,” Ryder answered with a wink. It took me a moment to understand what he said, but, when I did put it together, I threw my head back in laughter.

Luckily, Declan’s attention was fixated on my injuries, so he couldn’t read my lips. I had the feeling that he would either laugh at me again or turn back into Mr. Glarey. The verdict was still out on that one.

“Are all of you guys okay?” I asked. “Any injuries?”

“We’re fine, Princess,” Ronan said reassuringly. “You are by far in the worst shape.”

“Gee, thanks. Way to make a girl feel pretty.”

“Well, you’re beautiful. You could never be justpretty.”

I snorted, my standard response when it came to these men. Still so fucking cheesy.

“What else hurts?” Declan signed after he waved his hands to gain my attention. I frowned; the boys really should be checking on Calax. I was fine, more than used to the pain that seemed to emanate from every pore in my body. Pain was just that...pain. It didn’t determine the severity of an injury.

“My back and arm,” I admitted at last. “Some glass got stuck...and I think something landed on me.”

Tam moved to my side, his tentative hands rolling up the sleeve of my shirt. They paused, at first, as they ran over the old scars from my self-inflicted injuries. A tremor went through his body before he settled on pulling out tiny shards of glass.

“Shit!” I hissed after a particularly nasty piece was removed. Yup. Glass still stung like a bitch.

Turning my head, my pulse spiked when I noted Calax’s prone body. Was he breathing? Oh god, what if he was brain dead?

“He’s not brain dead,” Tam admonished gently. He glanced towards me, blushed, and then refocused on treating my wounds. “He’s just unconscious.”

“Hey, lazy bastard!” Ryder cupped his mouth to amplify the sound. He landed a light kick to Calax’s stomach. “Wake up! Kitten is worried about you!”

The giant didn’t even twitch. My heart hammered in my chest.

Ryder kicked Calax again. “It’s Addie! Calax come quickly!”

At that, Calax’s eyes snapped open. With surprising speed, he sat up, eyes casting a quick, panicked look around. They noticeably relaxed when they landed on me, only for alarm to set in when he took in my condition.

“What happened?” he asked, crawling towards me. Asher half-heartedly warned Calax against moving with his head injury, but it surprised no one when Calax ignored him. Once he was above me, a towering pillar that blocked out every other face, his expression calmed. His hand gently smoothed my blood encrusted hair.

“What happened to you, Baby?” he asked, so softly that I had to strain to hear him.

“You were unconscious,” I explained. “I had to protect you.”

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Why would you do that?”

I didn’t have an answer for that. Because we were friends? Because you were vulnerable, and I was capable of helping?

Because, for once, I wanted to save a life instead of end one?

I didn’t say any of that. Instead, I just gazed up at him. His eyes looked incredibly tender. I half expected him to yell at me, call me stupid, but I only saw awe in his commanding gaze. Awe...and that other emotion that I shall not name.

I chose not to look too far into that. Another day. Another time.

“What about Shannon and the others?” I asked, breaking my gaze away from Calax’s.

“Who the hell is Shannon?” Ryder questioned.

“The girl you were flirting with yesterday,” I answered with a roll of my eyes. “Blond hair? Hostess at a restaurant? Only dates football players?”

“Nope. Don’t remember.”