Page 45 of Hide Me Darling

I nod, my eyes roaming over her body, taking in every mark and bruise we’ve left. “She’s perfect,” I agree, my voice barely above a whisper. “But we need to tend to the cuts and bruises. We can't have her waking yet until we’re finished and she’s alone again.”

He nods, his gaze sharpening on her. “I know,” he says. “She’s ours, and we’ll make sure she knows it, even in her sleep.”

Moving to the wall near the head of the bed, I press against two sections and hear the click as it opens the discrete panel hidden there. I pull out a breathing mask with some extended tubing and turn on the small tank, then I hold it over her face. Within moments, her breathing deepens, and her body relaxes further into the mattress.

Ensuring she remains unaware of our movements and actions is crucial, but she needs to wake up feeling both cared for and in control of her senses. The gas will help her rest while we take care of everything she needs, and it will help her body transition better to consciousness.

I pull the neon mask from my face, sighing as my brother fixes his clothes and retrieves his mask that she managed to pull free. I was thankful he was clear headed enough to restrict her movement or our plans would have been ruined.

“We’ll start with the cuts,” I say, moving to the side of the bed. Bending, I pick up the item I tossed there earlier and put it in my pocket. He retrieves a small first aid kit from the bedside table, its contents meticulously organized.

We work in silent harmony, cleaning each cut with antiseptic and carefully applying liquid bandages. On the deeper cut I apply a numbing cream to the area, it takes moments to do what I need to do, adding a small dissolvable stitch into her skin and sealing it. The bruises, though less urgent, are treated with a soothing salve to ease any discomfort she might feel upon waking.

As we tend to her, I can’t help but feel a deepening connection to her. Each touch, each careful movement, solidifies my possessiveness of her. She’s ours to protect, to care for, and to dominate.

Once we've finished, we move on to cleaning the rest of her body. Every inch of her skin is wiped down with a warm, damp cloth, removing any traces of sweat and blood.

Her breathing remains deep and even, the sedative ensuring she stays asleep through our care. I gently pull the bed sheets over her so she stays warm and comfortable.

I lean down, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my touch lingering for a moment. “Rest now, little shadow,” I whisper. “We’ll be watching you, always.”

When I step back, I notice my brother doing something with her phone. Curious, I raise an eyebrow and ask quietly, "What are you doing?"

He glances up with a small smile playing on his lips, his fingers tapping away at her phone screen. "Setting her alarm for the morning," he replies casually.

I frown in confusion. "Alarm? Why?"

He looks at me knowingly and simply says, "Trust me."

His confident tone intrigues me, but I decide not to press further. Instead, I watch as he finishes and sets the phone back down beside her. The soft glow of the screen illuminates her serene face, casting a gentle light in the dimly lit room.

I know she doesn’t understand everything yet. She only has a few pieces to the larger puzzle. But, she's ours now and has been for a long time, and we intend to ensure she understands that fully.

Chapter 22

Hydessa

Ican hear the alarm going off from somewhere close by but I refuse to open my eyes. Maybe if I don’t open my eyes I don’t have to face the reality that I did a very bad thing…

Groaning, I roll over and bury my face into my pillow. Moving reminds me exactly what bad thing I did when I can feel all the little aches and pains that cover my body. The room falls silent as the alarm stops blaring and I sigh with relief. I don’t even remember setting the alarm, or why I even would have set one.

I’m just starting to drift to sleep again when the alarm blares once more.

Annoyance flares within me as I grope blindly for my phone, almost knocking it off the nightstand before I finally manage to get ahold of it.

I pull the phone close to my face as I turn to squint at it against the bright light of the screen. 6:40 in the morning. Why would I set an alarm this early? It takes a moment before I remember the gym class at 7:30.

I don’t even remember setting the alarm, and my body protests at the prospect of even going. But if I don’t go, I will miss out on the opportunity to connect with Makai and anyone at the gym. As much as I want to skip the class and just sleep, I know I can’t afford to.

With a deep sigh, I force myself to get up. The room is lit by the early morning light filtering through the curtains. I stretch my arms, feeling the tension in my muscles, and swing my legs over the side of the bed.

I take a moment to steady myself before standing up, my body protesting every movement. Slowly, I make my way to the bathroom, turning on the light and staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Instantly, I cringe, my hand going to my mouth in shock.

Surprisingly the cuts look like they’ve been cleaned, they even look like they have been sealed with surgical glue.

The cut on my arm aches the worst and I remember the knife digging in deeper there. I turn enough to look at it closer, my stomach dipping until I see the bump under my skin not far from it. I run a finger over it to assure myself that my birth control is still there before I look at the bruising.

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