Page 89 of Crimson Tears

“Maybe we did.” He pokes at my side, and I scowl at him because it hurts and tickles. I hate being tickled and he knows it, but he just grins and puts his hands behind his head. “I decided to highlight my days in blue, but yer old fella insisted on pink for his.”

That makes my face flush a little as Boris glares daggers at him.

“We did not. Besides, pink is a beautiful color.” Boris brushes my cheek again. “It is the same shade this pretty face turns when she is happy.”

“Or incredibly turned on,” Cillian whispers right behind my ear.

I bite my lip, softening into Boris’ touch.

“He’s right,Lisichka. Our arrangement is simply that we will take it one day at a time and tell each other when something is bothering us. We hope you can do the same.”

I smile at them, but so many questions flash through my mind.

“So, will we all sleep here then? Or is that too weird for you?” I look at Boris. “What about sex? Oh my feck, have you guys already discussed that? If you made a calendar, I am going to need to see it. I will need rest days. And what about my period? Do you even know when that comes into play? Do we all use the same shower? I mean ours is big enough, but I don’t know if it will work every night. And what if we ever…”

Cillian presses a finger to my lips and I cross my arms, careful to avoid adding pressure on my sore ribs.

“None of that, Sweetheart.”

“I think your mind is overthinking this one, my little fox. We will figure this out as we go. We have been doing fine thus far.”

“It’s been ten days, and the three of us just arrived back at home. What if…” I mumble around Cillians finger, but they both shush me.They actually shush me.

“I don’t know if I like the two of you getting along,” I say, eyeing them skeptically while settling on my side. Boris snuggles behind me, then hands me some pills as Cillian holds a bottle of water to my lips.Okay, maybe the two of them working as a team isn’t that bad.

I didn’t realize how intense the pain had gotten until I swallowed the water. My overactive brain had other things occupying it. Like the two men now surrounding me, their scents mixing together and creating an intoxicating combination, making me feel heady and whole at last.

I drift off to sleep with two sets of lips pressed to my head and my heart telling me I am the luckiest girl in the world.

???

The next time I wake up, a video feed of Cillian cooking is on the screen while Boris lounges against the headboard with his computer in his lap. Apparently, their body heat became too much at some point because I can feel the sweat still cooling on my back.

As soon as Boris notices my eyes are open, he closes his laptop and sets it aside before scooting down and brushing a kiss to my forehead.

I hum my approval. We lay there for a while, and now that the pain is under control and I don’t need to worry about my men running off, all of the information we have received recently floods my mind.

My father is involved in child trafficking. He knows I’m alive. He is pissed that I have men in my life.

How did he get tied up in buying kids? Just two years ago, he had fifty new recruits lined up; he doesn’t need children.

Is he simply using them as business? Buying them now to sell them once they are fully trained? Or does he have other plans?

Why did he want me tortured so badly? He was an awful father, but the extent Green went to was pure insanity. Does he even know what he did to me? Does he have any idea that the man working for him literally ate pieces of his daughter while he tortured her?

Images of his teeth grinding down on my pale flesh causes shivers to run down my spine, I can see it so clearly that nausea begins to rise in my gut.

I don’t want to be sick, it will hurt too bad right now.

Taking a deep breath in through my nose, I try to help the thoughts scatter until only black fills my mind. Evie taught me this trick back when I got overwhelmed learning hand to hand combat. She said Dr. K taught it to her.

I really do need to give that woman a call.

“Are you there?” Boris asks gently.

Sighing, I tilt my forehead to rest on his sternum.

“Physically, yes. Mentally, not at all.”

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