Page 10 of Purgatory (Devil Dogs of the Apocalypse #1)

Cole

“Chow’s here.” Hawk’s belligerent ass shouts as he comes bounding up the stairs.

“Shhhhhhh!!!!” I whisper shout to him through the doorway. “Shut the fuck up, man, she’s sleeping again.”

He winces, then straightens up. “Again? Did she wake up after I left?” He cocks his head to the side like a damn puppy and hands me a bowl of soup, leaving the other one on the bedside table for sleeping beauty here.

“Yea, I found her hiding in the closet, of all places, but was able to talk her into coming out for me so I could assess her condition. She was barely coherent; however, she did manage to drink some water before she passed out again. I checked her temperature just a little while ago and, luckily, it’s gone down significantly, so I think she’s in the clear. ”

Hawk claps me on the shoulder and gives me an approving smile.

“Nice job, man. I’m happy we were able to get her back here in time. I just wish I could’ve been here when she woke up. I can’t wait to talk to her and see what her story is.”

“Ah, that reminds me. She said her name is Alessandra.” I inform him.

Alessandra. Beautiful, just like her. I take a moment to stare down at her lying on the bed.

I’ve since covered her in a light sheet so that she could still remain undressed, to cool down, but not exposed.

Her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow and her soft, pink lips slightly open with the long draws of breath indicating a deep, well-deserved rest. I wonder how long it’s been since she was able to fully succumb to her exhaustive state without the nagging of impending danger on her mind.

I’m sure she still has her worries, but I'd like to think she feels safe with us.

Well... me.... since I'm the only one that’s, officially, met her so far.

The thought stirs something deep within me.

A sense of primal contentment at providing her with a sense of protection.

I’ll admit, I was hesitant about bringing her back to Jax’s place, but now, looking down at her beautiful face and just how vulnerable she really is and how satisfied she looks in her sleep, I would do it all over again. No question about it.

Without thought, I brush away a few stray hairs the wind blew across her face and my breath catches when she pushes her cheek against my palm, seeking my touch.

Her eyes are still shut so she must still be sleeping but that little movement brings up a few more things I haven’t felt in a while. .. a LONG while.

Holy fuck, what am I doing?

I pull my hand away like it’s just been burned and turn back to Hawk who is thoroughly living up to his namesake. I've been caught. He just saw that. And now he’s smirking. Son of a bitch.

“Alessandra, huh? You guys talk about anything else while I was gone?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively and tries, unsuccessfully, to hide his growing smile.

I flip him the bird. “Fuck off, Hawk. I barely got to talk to her about what happened, let alone anything else. She needs rest before we start bombarding her with questions.” I chance another look at her and ask about the elephant in the room.

“How’s Jax doing?” We needed to figure out how to navigate this whole predicament so that Jax didn’t have an episode.

At least she wasn’t some burly guy seeking asylum.

That definitely wouldn’t fly. But her? How could he not approve of her staying with us.

She doesn’t seem to have an intimidating bone in her body.

Hawk sighs with his response. “I’ll be honest, he’s not happy about it.

Gave me my own Spanish Inquisition over dinner about what intel we got.

Luckily, he’s got Sadie and she seemed to keep him steady, as always.

” He looks down contemplating. “We’ve got to be sensitive about this.

Let her know the rules and what he expects.

As long as she abides, we should be good.

Oh, and he strongly reiterated that she stays clear of his room. You know how he is about his space.”

Yea, I know how he is. Ever watch Beauty and the Beast? We don’t exactly have a West Wing but I sometimes wonder if he takes his emotional inspiration from that movie. Broody bastard. Gotta love him.

“Shouldn’t be a problem, but we can give her the rundown when she wakes up.

For now, let’s just let her rest before we flip her world upside down.

” I’m sure she’s been through enough, being on her own during all of this.

Information overload can wait a bit longer if I have anything to say about it.

I take a second to run my fingers through the ends of her hair again, unable to stop myself in my attempt to provide her some comfort.

She can take all the time she needs to recuperate. She won’t have to worry. I won’t let anything hurt her anymore. I’ll make sure of it.