Page 30 of Saviors

She didn’t acknowledge me until my fingers brushed her wrist. “No!” She jerked away as I tried to grab the washcloth. “I have to get clean!”

I caught her arm, stilling her movement. The cloth was tinged red with flecks of her skin on it. “You’re clean, little bloom.”

“No! No! No!” She shrieked, twisting until I was forced to let her go or hurt her. “I can still feel him.”

Her head fell back, and she looked up at me with vulnerable eyes so round and gorgeous I knew I’d give her anything she asked for. The green seemed brighter in the dim light. It was as if I could see into her soul. See all the broken pieces.

“Please.” Her voice lowered. The quiet whimper echoed off the tiles as she begged. “I have to get rid of him.”

I tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear, keeping her attention on me. And because I couldn’t not touch her. She was like shattered glass. There was something memorizing in the cracks and splinters. “You’re hurting yourself.”

“I have to get clean.” The desperation in her words tore at my heart. “I have to make it go away.”

Another sob wrecked through her. I looked at my brothers, seeking their help. But they seemed just as confused as me. Both of them had stricken expressions on their faces.

There was only one thing I could think to do. One way to stop her from hurting.

I stepped into the shower. Water soaked my clothes, but I didn’t care. Violet’s gaze followed as I sunk to the floor behind her. Wrapping my arms around her body, I brought her back to my chest.

I crept my fingers towards her hands until I grasped the cloth. Her nails curled into the fabric. “He’s gone.”

Her grip loosened enough for me to pry the washcloth from her grasp. It made a wet splat as I tossed it aside. She continued to sob as I held her closer. I felt each tremor rush through her body. It stole the breath from my lungs. Her pain felt like my own.

I thought about the things people had said to me when my parents died. That it would be okay. That I’d move on. That the ache would go away.

None of it was true.

So I told her the only thing I knew. The one we could be sure of.

“It’s over, little bloom. We’ve got you now. He’ll never hurt anyone ever again.”

16

Maverick

Fury coursed through my body. My muscles pulled with the tension of it. My jaw was so tight it felt like my teeth would snap off any second.

Employees gave me a wide berth as I stalked through the halls of Eros, looking for Reid. Not even the sound of the music in the main area or the debauchery there could draw my attention.

“What hap—.” Ivette’s words died as I stomped up the stairs to the offices. She knew something was up if I was ignoring her. The door slammed into the wall as I burst inside.

“Where is that fucker?”

Reid raised his hands as he stood from his desk. “Cool down, Mav.”

“No.” I didn’t need to explain. He’d seen her. Seen her crumpled in Connor’s arms. Raw and broken. He knew the anger living in me. Felt it, but he was better at controlling it than I was.

There wasn’t an ounce of calm in my body. And there wouldn’t be until I had Simon’s blood on my hands. Reid understood that even if he didn’t want to admit it.

His jaw worked from side to side like he was debating before he tilted his head down the hall towards my office. I whipped around and stalked that way. The door was already ajar because I never cared to close it. I stepped inside and headed straight to the bathroom, then I was grasping the handle for the closet. Or that’s what it was supposed to look like.

There were shelves on either side with random supplies. Paper towel, soap, garbage bags, lube, condoms, printer ink. But the wall in front was another door. I yanked it open. This was my private entrance. There was a street level one for the people who came here.

I was stomping down a set of stairs. Noise carried up to me. The sound of screams and curses. The din of violence.

It grew to a deafening screech the further underground I went. The stench of sweat became thicker, stinging my nose. The sounds and smells were comforting. Familiar.

When I reached the bottom, I entered my domain. Ares.

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