Page 43 of Depraved

"Shh," I murmured, my voice soft in the stillness of the room. "I've got you, baby. You're safe with me."

His arms tightened around me, clinging to me like I was a lifeline in a storm. I continued to stroke his hair, marveling at how soft it felt between my fingers.

Gradually, River's sobs subsided, replaced by shaky breaths that ghosted across my damp skin. He pressed a tender kiss to my neck, his lips lingering as he inhaled deeply.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, voice hoarse.

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands. My thumbs stroked over his cheekbones, wiping away the last traces of moisture. "Don't fucking apologize. Not for this. Never for this."

He propped himself up on his arm and looked down at me. “Already giving me orders?” A hint of a sad smile twitched his lips.

“Well Idoown you now,” I said lazily.

The peaceful moment was shattered by a sharp knock at the door. River tensed instantly, his body coiling with lethal readiness. He rolled off me in one fluid motion, reaching for the gun on the nightstand.

"It's me," Alex's voice called through the door. "We've got company."

I ran to the adjoined bathroom to the right, and quickly cleaned up, peeing as fast as I could, before River came in with some clothes. One thing I knew with absolute certainty, was that if I had to spend the rest of the day killing some poor schmucks, I wasn’t going to do it with a UTI.

CHAPTER 16

Layla

River and I descended the stairs, our footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The air was thick with dust and the musty scent of a long-abandoned building. Weak sunlight filtered through grimy windows.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard voices coming from what appeared to be a sitting room off to the right. My hand instinctively went to the gun tucked into the waistband of my borrowed jeans, but River's shoulders were relaxed, so I wasn’t too worried.

We rounded the corner into a spacious room dominated by mismatched furniture draped in dusty white sheets. Alex lounged against a weathered fireplace mantle, his usual cocky smirk firmly in place despite the dark circles under his eyes.

But it was the two figures standing by the bay window that drew my attention. Gage's lean frame was silhouetted against the dirty glass, tension radiating from every line of his body. And beside him...

"Sarge," I breathed, relief flooding through me at the sight of him.

A string of colorful curses fell from his lips. Before I could blink, he crossed the room in three long strides. His arms engulfed me, crushing me against his broad chest. The familiar scent of leather and tobacco washed over me as he buried his face in my hair. For a moment, I let myself melt.

Then Sarge pulled back, his palms framing my face as he studied me intently. His dark eyes were suspiciously bright as they roamed over every inch of me, cataloging injuries both visible and not.

Without warning, he crushed his lips to mine in a bruising kiss. It was desperate, and full of knee shaking relief. I kissed him back just as fiercely.

When we finally broke apart, both slightly breathless, Sarge rested his forehead against mine. "Did they hurt you, baby? Tell me the truth."

I managed a weak smirk, despite the lump in my throat. "Only my pride. But don't worry, River and Alex made damn sure they didn't get a chance to do it twice."

Sarge's eyes flicked to River, who stood silently behind me. Something unspoken passed between the two men—a shared understanding.

I turned to Alex next, my heart clenching at the sight of him. Despite his casual stance, I could see the tension in his shoulders, the tightness around his eyes. I crossed the room to him.

His arms opened for me automatically, and I stepped into his embrace. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck. For a moment, we just held each other, his heart beating steadily against my chest.

When I pulled back, my hands came up to frame his face. My thumbs traced the dark circles under his eyes, the faint bruises along his jaw. "I thought you were a goner," I whispered, my voice thick.

Alex's lips quirked into that infuriating smirk I loved so much. "You know it takes more than a few trigger-happy cops to take me out. I'm too pretty to die."

Before he could say another stupid word, I crushed my lips to his. The kiss was desperate and deep, all teeth and tongue as I poured every ounce of relief and longing into it. Alex responded with equal desperation, one hand tangling in my hair while the other gripped my hip possessively.

When we finally broke apart, both slightly breathless, Alex’s eyes moved over my shoulder, and his expression hardened. I tensed, knowing I was out of options and I’d have to face Gage.

I spun, pinning my flare on him, folding my arms over my chest. “Let me guess. They were friends of yours?”

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