Page 10 of Double Dirty

Instead of my usual tank top and shorts, I put on a t-shirt and zipped a jacket high at my neck. Maybe they’d think I was cold, maybe I was coming down with something and needed the jacket to stay warm. The eye—well, Icouldn’t wear sunglasses inside at the gym, so I’d have to say I hurt my eye.

I could claim I poked myself putting on mascara. Men didn’t know much about makeup so they might believe that I could jab a wand in my eyeball hard enough to burst a blood vessel. Part of me wanted to curl up and hide, not go out, not let them see me, but the part that craved contact and friendship and the comfort of being with them spoke louder.

I walked into the gym, dropped my bag in the locker room and met them on the mats. I had my back to them, putting on the helmet.

“Here, let me help fasten it,” Rafe said, touching my shoulder. I turned around, determined to brazen it out, daring him to see that I’d been hurt.

“Holy fuck, Lexi, what happened?” he said, his hands on my face, stripping away the guard helmet, touching my cheeks and jaw as if feeling for damage, “who did this?”

“It’s nothing,” I said, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Let me see your neck. Someone choked you. Was it the dad? Leo!” he called from across the gym.

Leo came in, still doing curls with a big dumbbell probably showing off, “What?”

“Look at her,” Rafe said, his voice almost accusing. “I thought you said she made it back to the office just fine.”

“I got a text. I figured it was okay. Jesus,” he said when he saw me. He reached for the zipper on my jacket, but I stepped back.

“Whoa,” I said. “I didn’t sign up for the full body inspection.”

“Let me see,” Rafe said. Instead of going for my jacket, he took my hands, inspected the fingertips, my ragged nails, “Defensive injuries.” He shook his head, “You clawed atsomeone who had a hold of your neck. Have you been to the doctor?”

I nodded.

“Were you going to tell us about it?” Leo said.

I shook my head, my throat tight and thick, unable to speak.

“Come here,” he said. He opened his arms to me. I hung back, resisting. I blinked hard, something making my eyes burn.

“We want to take care of you,” Rafe said, “I know you’ve had trauma here. But we’re not going to let anyone hurt you again. Come back to our place. We’ll talk about it, work out a plan.”

I sniffed mightily because my nose was running.

“Okay,” I said, my voice shaky.

“My truck’s around back,” Rafe said, unwrapping his hands from mine. “Take her on out there. I’ll grab her bag,” he said to Leo.

Leo didn’t hesitate. I thought he was going to put an arm around me and help me to the truck like an invalid. I was wrong. He bent and scooped me up in his arms. I gasped.

“I got you. It’s okay now,” he said. I felt stupid, but I couldn’t help thinking it was nice to be carried, coddled in that way. He set me down to open the truck and helped me into it. I slid across to the middle, “We’re going to make a Lexi sandwich,” he teased, “nobody’s going to get near you again.”

It was true, once Rafe got in the driver’s side I was sandwiched between two big guys, hemmed in and safe. They didn’t live far, but that didn’t stop me from letting my head drift against Rafe’s shoulder as he drove. I may have nodded off. When the truck stopped, I jostled awake.

“My turn,” Rafe said softly, taking me in his arms and carrying me up the steps to their house.

He sat down on their big sectional couch, me in his lap. I stirred against him, my head on his chest. He kissed my forehead.

“We’ve got you. You can rest,” he said. “We’ll talk later.”

“No,” I murmured. “we should talk now.”

“Have you slept since the attack?” Leo said.

“Not really,” I mumbled, “I stare at the door like he’s burst in.”

Leo swore, then said. “You need to stay with us for a while. Until you feel safe again.”