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16

Lyon

My hands shook as I helped Niki walk to the shower, my touch gentle despite the tremor in my fingers. I carefully undressed her, then removed all my clothes except my boxers. I started the shower and guided her to the chair, making sure the water never touched her injured arms. “I’m going to wash your hair first,” I murmured softly.

As I worked, I felt a stirring desire mixed with the lingering tension of pain. When I nearly finished, I asked, “Can you stand?” Not realizing I had been kissing her neck and that she had already risen on her own—she must have stood by instinct.

I soaped her body slowly, and as my hands moved between her thighs, she moaned softly and pressed closer. My middle finger traced a delicate path through the heat of her skin while my thumb expertly caressed her clit, coaxing a cascade of pleasure. Her breath hitched, and she cried out, “That feels so good—don’t stop, I want more.”

I gently helped her settle into the chair before kneeling beside her. My tongue set to work, lavishing attention on her sensitive spot as my thumb continued its tender exploration. The intensity built until she climaxed repeatedly, her body trembling with each release.

Afterward, I carefully dried both of us and helped dress her, then changed myself—discarding my boxers without hesitation. All the while, Niki watched me intently. “When my mouth heals,” she whispered with a playful glint, “I’m going to return the favor and take you in my mouth, giving you as much pleasure as you’ve given me.”

I picked her up in my arms and carried her back to bed, planting gentle kisses along her skin as I laid her down. I settled in to read while she dozed, until her family eventually entered the room.

“Hello, I’m glad you’re here,” I greeted them. “I have to leave for a few days, but when Niki is discharged from the hospital, she’s coming home with me. I’ll take care of her. Now, does anyone have anything to say?”

Raeann responded quietly, “I don’t.” Then she turned to Nick: “Do you have anything to say, Nick?”

Nick added, “I’m sure Niki will be in good hands.” I heard Niki chuckle softly. I rose to leave and gently kissed her goodbye, but she stopped me. “How is Cyclone?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“He’s still unconscious. The doctor said they’re not sure why he hasn’t woken up yet,” I replied. Niki whispered, “I pray he wakes up soon.”

I stepped closer and kissed her again. “I’ll be back in a few days,” I promised.

“Okay. Stay safe,” she murmured.

I paused at the door. Turning back, I heard her say, “Thank you for helping me shower.” I chuckled, returning to the bed. “You’re welcome,” I said, kissing her once more. As I neared the exit, I heard her soft whisper: “I love you.”

I stopped and noticed Nick and Raeann watching us. “Could you give us a moment, please?” I asked. They stepped away, and I returned to Niki. Helping her sit up, I saw a tear roll down her cheek. Gently, I cradled her face in my hands.

“Sweetheart, I love you more than anything in this world. I will never love another woman as long as I live. You are my life, and I promise to return to you,” I vowed, kissing away her tears. “Even if I’m late getting home, I’ll always return to you.”

Niki nodded, and I left. Outside, Raeann—wiping her eyes—whispered, “You are so lucky to have Niki’s love, and she’s lucky to have yours.” she replied softly.

“I know, and thank you. I’ll make sure someone stays with her. It’s better if she isn’t alone at night.” I said.

“We’ll stay with her,” Raeann promised.

This wasn’t an easy time to part. My lady had confessed her love, and I longed to ease all her pain. I smiled, marveling at how lucky I was to have her love. Two hours later, I was still smiling as I entered our local hospital.

“Why are you smiling?” River asked.

“Niki loves me, and I love her,” I replied.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you. How is he doing?”

“There’s been no change. This isn’t good. They want to send him to a rehab facility, but I said no. If he has to be somewhere, he can stay with one of us. Raven wants him to stay at his place—I think that’s a good idea. He can sit on the beach and get his tan back.”

“Have they checked his brain waves lately?”

“Yes, everything appears to be functioning as it should. No one knows why he isn’t waking up.”

“I mean, look at him. He just looks like he’s taking a nap. He’s going to be starving when he finally wakes up. They’re feeding him through a tube—I bet he’ll crave a steak and an ice-cold beer as soon as he comes around.”

“You’re right; I wouldn’t mind that myself. I’ll stick around with Cyclone if you want to head home to your family.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you early in the morning. Who else is coming with us?”

“Oliver is coming. He’s staying at my place while his new home is being built,” I explained.

“So, he found the property he wanted?”

“Yes. It’s the one right next door to me. I was planning to buy it so no one else could develop it, but then Oliver said he wanted it. I thought that was perfect. Now he stays with me until his house is finished. He even checks on the construction to make sure everything’s done right,” I laughed, recalling Oliver’s temper when he’d inspected the progress on his home.

“Once, when he went to check on his workers, they were drinking and swimming in my pool. One guy was passed out on my floaty—he was the contractor. They even helped themselves to my outdoor fridge. And you know Oliver—he hates wasting money, he was paying them by the hour.”

River laughed until his side hurt. We all knew how much Oliver despised wasting money; he’d said so many times.

“I wish I could have seen that,” Cyclone chuckled.

“Cyclone, damn, it’s about time you woke up.”

“Wait—how long have I been asleep?”

“Five weeks.”

“What? No way—it’s been five weeks? Where am I?”

“You’re in Carlsbad.”

“Wait, where were we?”

“We were in Iran, rescuing those Navy Seals.”

“That’s right—I was shot. That’s all I remember.”

“A bullet went into the back of your skull. Thank God it didn’t go any further. I told you that you were hard-headed.”

Cyclone felt around for his wound and discovered the patch on his shaved head. “Who took the bullet out?”

“I did,” I replied.

“And what about the other bullet?” he asked.

“You lost a lot of blood, but I shared some of mine with you.”

“Thanks, Lyon. Did you call my family?”

“No—we decided to wait and see if you’d wake up.”

“Good, because the last thing we need is my brothers getting pissed off. Well, I’m ready to leave. Are you heading home?” he asked, glancing at me. “Are you leaving?”

“They aren’t going to let you leave today,” River said.

“Then can you please get me three giant hamburgers and a cold beer? Cyclone asked. He looked at me.

“Are you leaving?”

“Just for a few days.

I’m calling the doctor so they can unhook you from all those drips,” Raven said.

“Why is there a tube in my stomach?” he demanded.

“That’s your feeding tube,” River said, laughing at Cyclone’s bewildered expression.

“What kind of food do they put in it? It doesn’t fill me up—I’m starving. Can we stop on the way home and grab some steaks?”

It was obvious he didn’t hear when River said he wouldn’t be going home today.

“By the way, Lyon is in love,” River said.

Cyclone looked at me as he disconnected his IV drips. “Who are you in love with?”

“She loves me too. It’s Niki.”

“Niki. That doesn’t surprise me.”

“She’s in the hospital and will be there for a while,” I explained, recounting what had happened to her.

“Fuck, she was in a homemade casket. God put you in the right place at the right time. She must have been in so much pain— they even pulled her fingers from their sockets. Fuck, that must have made her pass out from the agony.”

“Yes, she said she passed out every time they beat her.”

“Fuck.”