Page 47 of Underworld

He shakes his head. “I’ll change once you’re done.”

Looking over at Silas, I see he has two towels in his lap. He hands one to Jax, who wraps it around himself. I take a deep breath, then let the wet towel hit the floor. It makes a splat, and I push it out of the way. Grabbing the soap, I lather myself up. I scrub and scrub until my skin is bright pink, but no matter how hard I scrub, I can’t get the feel of Doyle off of me. Eventually, I let the dirty suds swirl around my feet before shutting off the water.

I turn to find that Silas already has the towel held out for me to grab. I take it and wrap it around myself tightly. Jax and Silas stand, and I reach out to grasp Jax’s arm. He turns just enough to ensure I’m covered before wrapping an arm around me to help me walk to the bathroom counter. He waits until I have my balance before turning back around.

I lean against the counter to slide my underwear and pants on first. There isn’t a bra, so I just slip the large shirt over my aching body. “I’m dressed.”

The brothers turn to face me. I look between the two of them before stopping on Silas. I’ve only asked the question once before, and I know he isn’t an affectionate guy, but . . . I really need this. “Hey, Silas. Can I ask a favor?”

He nods. “Of course.”

My fingers tangle in my shirt before I ask in a whisper, “Can I have a hug?” Before I can even look up to see his reaction, he’s in front of me, wrapping me in his arms. Fuck. I needed this. My arms wrap around him, and I grip his shirt lightly. His hold isn’t tight, just enough to make me feel safe. “Thank you,” I whisper brokenly.

“For what?”

“For saving me.”

He makes a grunting sound before holding me tighter. “You are family. I’ll always come for you.”

And with those words, the floodgates open. Every ounce of fear, pain, and loneliness I’ve kept inside pours out. I sob into his chest as my fingers dig into his back. I just want to feel that he’s real, that this isn’t a dream.

I hear his whispered words as he holds me tight. “We’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jane

I’m in the passenger seat as Silas drives us back to the house, and to be honest, I’m a little nervous. Fuck, I look like shit. I tug at my shirt again. Silas places one hand over mine as he drives with the other. “Stop fidgeting.”

“I’m nervous,” I whisper.

“Why are you nervous? It’s just the guys,” Jax asks from the back of the car.

“I look like shit!” I cry.

Jax snorts a laugh and says, “You look like a woman who has survived two shitty weeks. They don’t care what you look like, Sweets. They’ll just be so happy that you’re home.”

Silas gives my hand one last squeeze before he switches hands to roll down the window. He puts in the gate code, then rolls the window up. The iron gates open, and we make our way down the long drive. Before we make it to the house, though, Silas stops the car. I’m confused until I see four men racing down the drive toward us. I unbuckle my seatbelt, but before I can turn to open the door, it’s ripped open.

I’m suddenly lifted into someone's arms. I wince slightly because, holy shit, my body hurts. Whoever is holding me pulls back, and I can see that it’s Alec. His eyes are wide, and tears are streaming down his face. “I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m okay, just sore.”

He gives me one last look over before I’m lifted into the air again. I look behind me to see Howe giving me a bear hug. “I fucking missed you, Starlight.”

I attempt a grin as I say, “I missed you too.” He sets me down softly, and I turn to find Jace and Zane watching me. I can tell they are holding back. My two tough men. Slowly, I make my way over to Zane first, wrapping my arms around him. He stiffens for a moment before wrapping his arms around me and returning the hug.

His voice is strained as he says, “Fuck, Sunshine.”

I pull away just enough to croak, “Take me home.” Suddenly, I’m in Jace’s arms, and he marches to the house. His body shakes with each step, and I know he’s trying to stay strong because Silas and Jax are following behind in the car. He doesn’t want to show weakness.

The door to the house is wide open, so we walk right on through and up to the bedrooms. I notice that we don’t go to mine. Instead, he takes me to a different bedroom that doesn’t belong to any of them. He walks through the door and takes me to the large bed in the center of the room. The bed is big enough that all five of us will fit.

He lays me on my back, then snuggles as close as he can get to my side. He shoves his face into my neck and takes a deep breath. He doesn’t speak just keeps breathing. Zane follows behind and settles on my other side, snuggling in just as close.

Howe and Alec settle by my legs, oddly snuggling with my feet. But, whatever. No judgment. I am happy to have all of them touching me.

I feel Jace’s breath hitch against my neck, and I know he’s trying to hold everything in. When I look over to Zane, I find him with his eyes squeezed shut while he bites his lip. My poor men. What the hell is wrong with society that men aren’t allowed to show emotion? What’s wrong with men crying when they need to cry? I also know these two men blame themselves for not protecting me.

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