Page 147 of Revenge Saints

She crumbles.

Her sobs tear through the silence, thighs giving out as her whole body starts to collapse, but I catch her before she hits the ground. I drop to my knees, drag her into my lap, arms wrapping around her like armor. Her breath comes in ragged little bursts, her body twitching in aftershocks, and I press my lips to her shoulder, her temple, and the side of her neck, whispering filth and praise into her sweat-slick skin.

“Good girl.”

“My perfect fucking girl.”

She lets out the softest sound, half whimper, half relief, and I hold her tighter, burying my face in her hair like I can keep us both together a little longer.

Because tomorrow? There’s still a chance I won’t come back.

Knox

I’m still holding her.

Knees in the dirt. Her body slack against mine. My chest is rising too fast, like I’m coming down from a kill and can’t shake the high.

She’s not shaking anymore. She’s… still.

I shift her in my arms, pressing my lips to her temple. “You good, pet?”

She doesn’t answer, just pulls back, eyes heavy-lidded, skin flushed, lips raw from moaning my name, then she turns around in my lap and straddles me, cupping my face in bothhands.

“What are you—”

“I’m taking care of you,” she says softly. Her eyes never leaving mine.

I blink. What?

“I’m fine,” I mutter, clearing my throat. “You’re the one who just got,”

She leans in and presses her forehead to mine, and my hands twitch where they rest on her thighs. she rubs her thumb across my jaw gently, like I’m not the same bastard who just fucked her into the forest ground, then she stops and looks at me.

And that makes it worse, because I don’t know what to do with soft, not this kind of soft.

“You’re the one who just got railed into a fucking tree,” I mutter, trying to pull away. “You need rest, not this.”

“I need you to shut up,” she says, firmer now. “Just for once.”

My jaw clenches.

Her thumb brushes along my cheekbone in a caring, unusual way.

“I’m not built for this,” I grit.

“That’s bullshit,” she snaps. “You take care of everyone. Every second. You act like that’s strength, but it’s just fear, Knox. You think if you stop holding everything up, we’ll all fall apart.”

I open my mouth to argue, but she doesn’t let me. “You don’t think you’re allowed to be held. That if you crack, even for a second, it means you’re weak.”

“Because I can’t crack,” I bark. “Not with the world we live in. Not when everything around us is already broken. Someone has to fucking stay standing.”

Her eyes don’t waver. “Just let me take care of you, Reaper.”

I shake my head. “You’re not supposed to.”

“Let me try,” she whispers. “Because you’re bleeding inside and no one sees it.”

My throat closes. My chest aches.