Page 31 of Rami

She let her head curl beneath his bristly jaw. His body folded around hers, enveloping every inch of her in his heat. “I’ve got you.” His hushed words played on repeat close to her ear.

After a few minutes, her beating heart calmed and she lifted her cheek from his tear-soaked shirt. His eyes met hers, and he swept his hands over a chunk of her hair, pushing the strands behind her ear. “They’re dead. The two people who held you captive. August shot them. But I need you to finish that sentence, Ivy. That’s when...?”

A lump the size of a jawbreaker formed in her throat. She kept her gaze on the stubble sprouting along his jawline. “That’s when they drugged me for the first time.” The words came out bolder than she’d expected. His embrace was somehow giving her strength she hadn’t known she possessed.

“That’s done. Never again.” Promise laced his statement. “Why don’t you get some sleep?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m tired.”

He shifted her off his thighs and back onto the bed, and all she wanted to do was reclaim the spot on his lap. “One sec.” Rami strode to the adjoining door and waved August inside.

August smiled cautiously as he approached. “You look like a whole new person.” He reached for the tubing. “Feel better?”

“I won’t be doing backflips anytime soon, but yes, almost human.” She watched as Rami moved to the other side of the bed and plugged in his phone.

Please, don’t leave.

She craved his proximity. Just having him nearby slowed the rush of anxiety in her head. He’d rescued her. Had cared for her. Had been a stable presence ever since she opened her eyes in the camper.

So, yeah, it made sense that she didn’t want to be without him right now.

August grinned, revealing a softness behind his tough exterior. “Why don’t you get comfortable and then I’ll hook it up? It’ll save you from having to get blankets situated while confined.”

She scooched back on the bed and curled up on her side. Her head hit the pillow and instantly she sank into the lumpy mattress. She reached for the comforter and tugged it up while August swapped the empty bag of fluid for a fresh one.

Like Rami, he was tall and muscular, but other than that, they couldn’t look more different. August had a beach-boy look with a surfer’s tan and blond hair whereas Rami had olive skin and dark hair—like night and day.

Rami moved away from the bed, snapping her attention to him.

“Where are you going?” The question bolted from her lips before she could stomp out the desperate waver.

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

August lifted the tubing. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

He reached forward and removed one of the pieces of tape then clicked the tube back in place. “There. I’d like to get one more bag in you and then you should be good. But you’ll need to make sure to drink a lot of fluids.”

“When can I go home?”

He glanced at his watch. “It’s just after 4:30a.m. If we can all get some rest, we’ll leave early afternoon. But it’s a long drive.” He stood as Rami exited the bathroom. The two men exchanged glances and August opened and closed his hands at his side. “Call if you need anything.”

Fatigue weighed down her eyes, and she nodded in acknowledgment. With her cheek nestled into the pillow, her body went limp. The events of the last couple hours had drained every ounce of energy she’d built up.

Rami’s fingers brushed her shoulder. She opened her eyes. He leaned forward, and the scent of minty toothpaste warmed her cheek. “Hey, I’m gonna sleep in the chair right here, okay?”

She frowned. “You won’t get any rest in the chair.” She swallowed down a hiccup of hesitation. “There’s lots of room in the bed.”

His gaze drifted to the other side of the mattress. “You sure you’re okay with that?”

More than okay.

She rolled her lips together to stop the admission, but it was no use. For some screwed-up reason, she didn’t have a guard up when it came to this dark angel. “I’ll probably sleep better if you’re close,” she whispered.

A muscle in his neck jumped, and he gave one nod. He rounded the bed, and the blankets moved as he got in. She glanced behind her to watch him spread out on his back, one hand behind his head. His shoulder crossed the midline of the mattress—not that he could help it.

In seconds, heat had been generated beneath the covers, surrounding her in a protective bubble. He mumbled something that sounded like “good night,” but she was already pulled down too deep to respond.

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