Page 44

T he drive home is quiet—the tension heavy between the four of us. Sable is stained with Kai’s blood as she trembles in Levi’s arms. The second we get back to the Manor, I head straight to my room, slamming the door shut behind me.

Not because I’m scared. Not because I think anyone will come in. But because I can’t face them right now. I can’t face their eyes, filled with the same pain that’s clawing at my insides.

I notice Kai’s blood, staining my shoes, as I look down and sit on the edge of my bed, my elbows on my knees, my head in my hands. My whole body feels like it’s been drained of energy, replaced with a tightness that cuts off my air supply.

He was right there. Right fucking there.

My brain replays the scene in endless loops. Kai’s pale face, his blood pooling beneath him, the gurgling sound in his throat when he tried to breathe.

We shouldn’t have let him go with the Syndicate.

I should have done something. I should’ve fucking done something.

Instead, I stood there. Watching helplessly as they wheeled my best friend out of the goddamn warehouse, barely clinging to life.

My hands clench into fists, nails digging into my palms.

You couldn’t protect him.

The thought slices through me like a blade. I press my hands harder against my face, trying to block it out, but it’s relentless.

You failed him, Dayton.

The door handle rattles.

“Dayton?” It’s Sable. “Open the door.”

I don’t answer. My throat feels like it’s closed up, the words refusing to come. I want to tell her to go away, to let me drown in this alone, but I can’t muster the strength to say it.

She doesn’t wait. There’s a quiet click as she uses the key I leave at the top of the frame, and the door creaks open. Sable steps inside, her bare feet paddingacross the floor. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying. She doesn’t say anything at first. Just closes the door behind her and leans against it, her arms wrapped around herself. Her gaze meets mine, and for a moment, neither of us moves.

“I can’t do this,” I finally whisper, my voice cracking. “I can’t…”

She crosses the room, climbing onto the bed beside me. Without a word, she wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into her. The dam inside me breaks.

“We couldn’t save him,” I choke out, the confession tearing its way free. “We were right there, and we couldn’t do a damn thing.”

Sable tightens her hold, her fingers threading through my hair. “It’s not your fault, Dayton. None of this is your fault. They have him. They’ll save him. He’s not going to die.”

But I can’t believe her. The guilt is too loud, screaming over her reassurances. My hands shake as I grip the fabric of her hoodie, clutching it like it’s my lifeline.

Her arms, her hands—they’re still covered in Kai’s blood, the dark stains dried and cracked along her skin. Her clothes are ruined, soaked through in places. She’s a mess, a beautiful, devastating mess.

“You haven’t showered.”

“No,” she admits. “I needed to come check on you.”

“How are Silas and Levi?”

“Dayton,” she says quietly. “They’re a mess, but they both need to simmer. I need you right now.”

“Why me?” I ask. “Why come to me?”

She presses her forehead against mine. “Because you’re the daylight. I need my sunshine.”

Her words wrack through my body again, and all I can do is close my eyes and breathe.

She’s here.

She chose to be here.

I swallow hard, my hands sliding down to her wrists, pulling her arms away from her chest. “Let’s get you cleaned up, babygirl,”

Her lips curve into a faint, grateful smile. “And then?”

I press a kiss to her forehead, lingering there as if I can transfer some of her pain onto myself. “Then I’m going to hold you. Because I really need that right fucking now.”

“Good,” she whispers, her voice breaking slightly. “I just want to be close to you.”

“Same, babygirl,” I murmur, standing andpulling her up with me.

Sable watches me turn on the shower.

“Let me help you.”

Her hazel eyes meet mine, glassy but steady as she nods. I reach for the hem of her hoodie—Kai’s hoodie—and lift it over her head. She shivers slightly as the cool air meets her bare skin, the blood-soaked fabric peeling away to reveal the pale lines of her collarbone, the soft curves of her breasts.

My fingers brush against her arms, trailing down to the waistband of her leggings. I pause, searching her face for any hesitation, but she doesn’t flinch, just gives me the faintest nod. I tug her pants and underwear down, and instantly my cock swells.

It’s not a feeling of lust.

It’s a feeling of needing to love her.

Needing to worship her.

I shed my own clothes quickly. The shower beckons, and I take her hand again, leading her under the warmth of the water.

The spray hits her first, washing over her hair and face, the blood on her arms. Red streaks swirl down the drain.

Kai’s blood.

She leans against the tiled wall, her head tilted back as the water runs over her. I reach for the soap, lathering it between a washcloth, beforerunning it over her arms. The dried blood loosens under my touch, slipping away with each stroke. My hands move methodically.

“Dayton…”

“I’m here,” I say, my hands trailing up her shoulders, her neck. I tilt her chin down, letting the water rinse away the suds. “I’ve got you, babygirl.”

Her eyes close, her body leaning into mine as her defenses crumble. I catch her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close. The water beats down on us.

For a moment, it’s just her heartbeat against mine and the torrent of water.

“I thought we were going to lose him, Dayton.”

“I know,” I reply, my throat tight. “I know, baby.”

She tilts her head back, her eyes meeting mine. There’s a storm in them—pain, love, desperation—and it pulls me under.

“Dayton… I need you. All of you.”

I kiss her, slow and deep, pouring everything I feel into the connection. She kisses me back with equal fervor, her hands sliding up to cradle my face.

The water keeps falling, but it’s like the world fades away, leaving only us.

“Sable,” I ghost against her lips, my hands trailing down her sides, settling on her hips. “Do you want me to take care of you?”

Her nod is almost imperceptible, but it’s all I need. I lift her, her legs wrapping around my waist as I press her back against the cool tiles. Her breath catches, her hands gripping my shoulders as I kiss her again, deeper this time.

My cock slides in, welcoming itself back home inside of her. She gasps, arching her back as I slide all the way in.

“Fuck, babygirl. Why are you so goddamn perfect?”

“Fuck me, Day. Fuck me, and let me believe this is all just a nightmare.”

My heart sinks. Knowing that she needs this release. To rid herself of the negative thoughts, if just for a moment.

I thrust into her, harsh and unrelenting, the way I know she needs. Each movement is driven by more than just lust, it’s an act of desperation—a primal need to pull her out of the dark place she’s sinking into. Her slick heat wraps around me, and I grit my teeth, trying to hold myself together to give her everything she needs without falling apart myself.

Her head tilts back, leaning against the tile, and she moans, her hands digging into my shoulders, pulling me closer. “Dayton,” she gasps, her pussy gripping my cock.

“Fuck, babygirl,” I groan, my forehead pressed against hers as I drive deeper, harder. “You feel so goddamn good.”

She’s trembling in my arms, her legs tightening around my waist as her arms wrap tighter around my neck.

“More,” she breathes, her voice raw and needy. “Please, don’t stop.”

I don’t.

I can’t.

Her lips find my neck, kissing, biting, her teeth sinking into my skin just hard enough to leave marks. It’s a maddening sensation, pulling me out of my own head and into the moment.

“Fuck,” I hiss. “You’re ours, Sable. Do you hear me? Ours. Mine. Kai’s. Levi’s. Silas’. I fucking promise you.”

“Don’t let him die. Please.”

The words ignite something feral in me. I slam into her harder, my grip on her hips tightening as I bury myself deeper.

“He’s not dying. He’s coming back to us.”

Her cries echo off the tile, her body shuddering as I push her closer to the edge.

“You’re gonna come for me, babygirl. I want to feel you. Let go for me.”

Her breath hitches, her entire body tensing in my arms as she teeters on the edge. “I’m so close, don’t you fucking stop,” she whimpers.

“I’ve got you,” I promise, kissing her hard. “Come for me, Sable. Let me feel that pussy choke my cock as you come.”

With a strangled cry, she shatters. Her walls clench around me, her body arching as waves of pleasure crash over her. I hold her through it, my own release building as she trembles in my arms.

“Fuck, Sable,” I groan, my pace faltering as my cock explodes, coating her insides in ropes of my cum. We stay like that for a moment, clinging to each other as the water pounds down on us. Her breathing slows, her head resting against my shoulder, then I slide out of her, lowering her feet back to the ground.

I hold her close, my hands running up and down her back, as we both catch our breath. The world starts to creep back in, the weight of everything settling on my chest again, but this time it’s easier to bear.

Sable tilts her head up, her eyes soft but tired as she looks at me. “Thank you.”

I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, letting my lips linger there. “Always. I’m always here for you.”

She leans into me. “Let’s get you in bed,” I say, reaching for the faucet to turn it off.

We step out of the shower, the cold air biting against our skin. I grab a towel, wrapping it around her shoulders before drying myself off. She stays close, her head resting against my chest as I guide her back to the bed.

We collapse onto the mattress, pulling the blankets over us. She curls into my side, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my chest as her breathing evens out.

“Dayton.”

“Yeah, babygirl?”

“I love you.”

I kiss the top of her head, my hand running through her damp hair. “I love you too, Sable,” I whisper, my voice steady. “More than anything.”

“Can you call Silas and Levi in here? I need them in here too.”

“Yes, babygirl.”