Page 115 of The Fractured

I ran a hand through my hair and climbed out of the car, tucking the gun into the back of my jeans as I went.

The cops watched as I entered the building, but then lost interest after receiving a radio call. Probably from Mark.

I rode the elevator to the third floor, slowly feeling the adrenaline from tonight wearing off. My mind was mostly quiet. Much like the apartment.

Apart from the jingling of my keys and the faint hiss of the door scraping along the carpet as I pushed it open, everything was calm inside. Peaceful.

The apartment itself was like a warm hug, inviting me in with the sweet smell of whatever infusers the girls had put in the space.

Apples? Cinnamon? Whatever it was, I didn’t suit it. I smelled like the city.

And sweat, I thought as I lifted my arm and grimaced at the smell.

A lamp was on in the living room. The second I stepped into view, Lily jumped off the couch where she was reading. All worry drained from her face as she rounded the corner of the couch and rushed into my arms, regardless of the sweat.

I squeezed her closer, inhaling her strawberry-scented shampoo. “You okay?”

She looked up, resting her chin on my chest. The blue of her eyes was cloudier, and her eyelashes were still wet. “I am now.”

Chapter 39

Dean

Freshly showered and in sweatpants, I leaned against the counter with my hands in my pockets, watching the soup for bubbles. Behind me on the counter, with her smooth legs on either side of my waist as she drew on my back, Lily waited too, wearing those satin pajama shorts I loved so much with an oversized shirt with a neck hole wide enough to bare one shoulder.

We had the apartment to ourselves.

Lily snaked her hands around my chest and leaned into me with a sigh. Nothing else needed to be said for me to understand what she was feeling; relief I was home, content because she was home, and maybe in a little denial about the gun currently hidden beneath her dresser. Out of sight and out of mind for now.

My eyes went to the clock on the wall to our left, above the counter. It was almost 3 AM.

I should’ve felt tired, but I wasn’t. I was mentally restless. Gabriele’s words didn’t help with that.

I stared at the soup but placed a hand on Lily’s knee.

Any conversation we had since I got home was light-hearted but also a little sombre. Everything that happened tonight was a conversation for tomorrow.

Lily’s hand slowly skimmed down over my front, coming close to the hem of my sweatpants before she smoothed it back up again. Whether her touch was intentional or not, I half smiled and looked back over my shoulder, brow raised.

“You good?”

“Just…appreciating.” Her breath lightly fanned my left shoulder blade before she kissed it, and then dragged her lips to another area of skin. And another.

She moved her hand south again, following the ridges of muscle on my stomach. Her touch was definitely intentional this time as she continued peppering kisses across my back.

I hummed deeply, rolling my head back as she curled her fingers around the bulge in my sweatpants. She got one stroke in, sliding the fabric up and down along my cock before I turned around.

I cupped the back of her head and the small of her back as I kissed her.

My mouth barely left hers when I asked about her hair. “Why’d you cut it?”

“Needed the change. You don’t like it?”

I stopped and braced my hands on either side of her hips to look at her. “I love it.”

Lily’s cheeks were flushed as she smiled. “If I knew a haircut would get this reaction from you, I would’ve cut it sooner.”

“Baby, you’re gonna get this reaction no matter what you do.”