Page 40 of Underworld

“I know,” he says with a sigh.

“I, for one, am glad that it’s my sight and not your life.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jane

Groaning, I stretch and let out a hiss. Damn, I’m still sore. Although, I suppose a few days isn’t really long enough to heal from a stab wound that almost kills you. Rubbing at my eyes, I sit up a bit to look around the room and find that it’s completely empty. That’s a bit surprising. I look down to find that someone removed my IV catheter, and a small bandage now covers that spot.

My stomach growls as I shimmy out from under the blankets. Mhm, food sounds delicious right now. I feel gross, though, since I haven’t had a shower. I see they must have wiped me down, but that doesn’t erase the grimy feeling.

Slowly, I manage to shift my feet off the bed and onto the floor. I have to wait a moment till my head stops spinning before taking a deep breath and pushing myself off the bed. When I don’t immediately fall to the ground, I smile and shuffle my way to my bathroom.

Standing in front of the mirror, I assess the damage. Seems I have bandages over the stab wounds. One covers the wound on my front, and another covers the wound on my back. There’s a clear film over the bandages that seems to make it waterproof. Since I am already naked, I hobble over to the shower and adjust the knobs to make the water nice and hot.

Once the steam is billowing, I step inside and moan at the feel of the water on my skin. I stand there, letting the water cascade over my head, face, and body. I don’t have the energy to actually wash my body, but the feeling of the water already makes me feel better.

My stomach growls again, and I sigh as I turn off the water. Opening the door of the shower, I look up to grab a towel and let out a scream. The pain in my side turns from a dull irritation to a searing fire.

Holding a hand over my chest, I try to get my heart palpitations to slow. I narrow my gaze at the male in my bathroom and snap, “Holy fucking shit, Jace! You about gave me a heart attack! Must I remind you that I was stabbed by the last person hiding in my bathroom?!”

He winces as he walks over. Handing me a towel, he says, “I’m sorry, Princess. I heard the shower turn on and wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed fine, but I wanted to stay in case something happened.”

Snatching the towel from him, I growl. “Announce yourself next time.” I wrap the towel around me and hold my injured side. “Fucking hell,” I hiss out.

Jace helps guide me back into my room, and I look up to find three other men racing into my room. I roll my eyes as I gently lower myself onto the bed. Jace jogs into my closet. I smirk. Seems I made him feel bad enough to grab my clothes for me.

Zane looks around the room and asks, “What happened? We heard you scream.”

I smirk up at him. “Good to know my scream will have you come running.”

He glares at me with an arched brow. I roll my eyes and explain, “Jace was in the bathroom and just stood there like a creeper. I didn’t know he was there, so when I opened the shower door—” I shrug. “He scared the shit out of me, and now my side hurts like a bitch.”

Jace jogs back into the room, holding my clothes. He hands them to me and says, “I’m sorry, Princess. I should have let you know I was there.”

I sigh. “It’s fine. Just for future reference, let me know you’re in the room.”

Alec comes over, grabbing the underwear for me. He kneels on the ground and slips my legs through each hole before grabbing my pants and doing the same. Standing, he holds his hands out to me. “Up you get, Moonbeam.”

Howe comes to my other side, grabbing my bra and shirt. Slipping my hands into Alec’s, he helps me stand, and Howe reaches out an arm for me to hold onto. Smiling, I hold onto Howe as Alec kneels again to shimmy my clothes up my legs and over my ass.

Alec holds onto my hips as Howe helps me slip into my sports bra and a loose t-shirt. I didn’t think I needed help getting dressed, but I wasn’t about to refuse since they offered.

Now clean and dressed, I clap my hands. “Food! I need food!”

Alec and Howe grin as they slip a hand through each other's arms. Alec gives me a peck on the cheek as Howe says, “We prepared quite the spread, Starlight.”

Jace exits the room first, and I’m ushered after. I notice that Zane waits until we pass before he follows behind. Seems that the protection formation has made its way into my everyday life.

Making conversation, I clear my throat and ask, “So, can I get my face tattoo now?”

Jace glances at me over his shoulder as we enter the kitchen. He arches a brow. “You want your face tattoo?”

I nod as I take a seat at the table. A plate of food is already sitting in front of me. Scooping up some eggs, I shovel them into my mouth and moan as I chew. Fuck, I love food. Before I take another bite, I say, “Yeah, I figure I’ve earned it.”

Zane sits down beside me, frowning as he asks, “Did you think you had to earn your facial tattoo?”

Giving up on being polite, I answer with food in my mouth, “No.”

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