Page 68 of His Deadly Devotion
I don’t like the way he’s looking at me right now. I don’t like how it feels.
“I want a shower,” I tell him, choosing not to push him on the subject of his father. Honestly, I don’t have the energy for it, and I really don’t care. It makes no difference what he did or what consequences come with it. I’m still going to be here, by his side, fighting for us.
“The doctor is coming up to see you,” Connor says.
“I don’t want a doctor. I want a shower. I need to wash them off me. I need to get clean. Please. I need a shower,” I repeat, a hint of desperation in my voice. I don’t like that either.
Connor sits me on the edge of the bed. His eyes roam up and down my body.
I take hold of his hands, ignoring the fact they’re covered in dried-up blood, and squeeze. “Don’t do that,” I whisper.
“Do what?”
“Look at me like I’m broken. I didn’t break. I’m fine,” I assure him. “I just want a shower.”
“I know you’re not breakable, princess. I’m sorry this happened. I should have gotten to you sooner. I shouldn’t have let them fucking take you.”
“We can sit here, play the blame game, and let them take more of our time and energy, Connor, or you can help me into the shower and we can figure out where we go from there.”
“I love you.” Connor smiles down at me.
“I love you.”
He helps me to my feet. He then decides I’m not capable of walking and picks me up, carrying me across the room into a bathroom. He doesn’t put me down again until we make it to the vanity. I look into the mirror and see my reflection for the first time since entering that basement.
“Holy shit,” I curse under my breath. My entire face is covered in bruises, my nose and cheeks swelled up with tiny cuts scattered all over. “I look hideous.”
I get I shouldn’t be vain at a time like this. I should be thankful to be alive. Also, I don’t care. If all I want to focus on is the way I look on the outside, then that’s what I’m going to do.
“You should leave. I can shower by myself,” I tell Connor.
“Yeah, that’s not happening, and you are far from hideous, princess,” he says.
“I don’t want you to see me like this.” I look like I’ve gone through a hundred rounds in the ring with a champion fighter and came out the loser.
“Too fucking bad. I’m not leaving.” Connor reaches for the bottom of my shirt and starts lifting the hem. I wince as he raises the fabric over my head.
I glance down at my torso. I’m not surprised to see the same bruising. There are imprints from the belts and whips they used as well.
“I’m going to fucking kill every last one of them,” Connor hisses through clenched teeth.
“I don’t even know who they were.” Otherwise, I’d be right there with him. Giving them a taste of their own cruelty.
“I know exactly who they are and I promise you they will pay for what they’ve done to you.”
“Okay,” I tell him. I don’t know what else to say. I could pretend to be the type of person who doesn’t want their heads on spikes, but that’s just not me. I wasn’t raised to be complacent. I was raised to always come out on top. To fight. My heart hurts just thinking about my family. “I need to call my parents.”
A look passes over Connor’s face. “Soon,” he says before dropping his glare. He’s hiding something. What isn’t he telling me?
“Connor O’Malley, we do not lie to each other.”
That has his eyes flicking up in my direction again. “I’ve never lied to you.”
“Omitting facts is the same as lying. What aren’t you telling me?” I press him.
“Let’s get in the shower. The sooner the doctor can treat you, the sooner we can get out of this city,” he says.
“Why don’t you want me to talk to my parents?” I ask him.