Page 36 of Gathered Sparkle

Nicholas nods, his arms wrapping around me again, holding me close, while Koen examines the wound.

“It’s a bad graze,” he mutters, glancing up at me. “But I don’t think it’s as bad as we thought. Still, it’s going to hurt when I clean it.”

I bite my lip as Koen dips the washcloth in the water and wrings it out. The cloth is warm when he presses it to my arm, but the moment it touches the wound, a sharp sting cuts through me, and I hiss in pain, my fingers curling into Nicholas’s shirt instinctively. He tightens his hold on me, his lips brushing against the top of my head.

“You’ve got this, Sweetness,” he murmurs. “I’m right here.”

Koen shifts beside us, and I catch a glimpse of his eyes flicking up, a flash of surprise crossing his face. “You’re doing great, Little Thief,” he says softly, focusing back on what he’sdoing. He works quickly, and I try to focus on the rhythm of his touch. The gentle pressure of Koen’s movements and the warmth of Nicholas’s shoulder against my cheek, his steady heartbeat beneath my ear are soothing. “You’ll be all right.”

I don’t deserve this.

“He all right?” A new voice cuts through the quiet, and I glance up to see Ezra standing in the doorway.

He walks over to Levi on the couch and kneels next to him before brushing a few blond strands of hair away from his forehead.

“He will be.” Koen looks up from my arm, nodding. “Ric says it’s just a shiner, maybe a bit more. He hasn’t woken up yet, but his pulse is steady, and his breathing’s fine.”

Ezra lets out a breath, his shoulders sagging slightly. He doesn’t move, though, his eyes locked on Levi’s face, his fingers still brushing the other man’s hair, and Levi stirs a little at the caress.

“Done.” Koen finishes with my arm, and I let out a shaky breath, my eyes flicking up to meet his. He gives me a small smile, his hand brushing against my cheek. “All cleaned up now.”

A soft groan makes my head snap up. Levi is stirring, his brown eyes slowly blinking open, a confused frown pulling at his brow.

Ezra lets out a breath. “Thank fuck.” His fingers brush over Levi’s temple, tucking a strand of hair away. “You scared the hell out of me, Dove, you know that? I should spank your ass for this.”

Levi blinks up at him, his gaze hazy, and Ezra leans in closer, his thumb rubbing Levi’s arm as if to reassure himself.

Koen moves over, too, kneeling beside the couch, his eyes searching Levi’s face, his own worry clear. “You okay?”

Levi’s lips part. “Just… dumb,” he mumbles, his brow furrowing as if trying to make sense of what’s happening.

“Yeah, well.” Ezra’s eyes soften, and he huffs out a breath, half relief, half exasperation. “You’re lucky we’re here to cover for your dumb ass.”

“Dove?” Koen asks, edged with anxiety. “I need more words. You okay?”

Levi blinks a few times, his eyes focusing on Koen, then Ezra. He tries to sit up, wincing slightly. Ezra’s hands come to his back, supporting him. “I’m fine,” Levi mutters roughly. He lets out a long sigh, his gaze flicking between Koen and Ezra. “It was just… dumb.”

Ezra gets up and grabs a glass of water from the table and a bottle of pain meds from the kit Alaric left. He returns to the couch, hands Levi the water, and presses two pills into his palm. Then he sits beside him and pulls him in close, his arm protectively wrapping around his shoulders as Levi takes the pills and leans into him.

“What happened?” Ezra asks, but Levi shakes his head, his eyes closing for a moment.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” he mumbles, sounding exhausted. He lets his head fall against Ezra’s shoulder, and Ezra holds him close, his fingers brushing over Levi’s skin.

I can’t believe nobody else seems to notice how much Ezra’s in love with Levi.

It’s so painfully obvious to me, the way his gaze never strays far from Levi’s face, the way his touch is so careful, so tender. And yet, everyone else seems completely oblivious.

My heart still feels hollow when I think of Ace, even while here in Nicholas’s arms. I can’t shake the image of him, his face twisted in pain. He thought he killed me like I thought I killed him. We went through the same pain, but while I want nothing more than to hold him the way Ezra is holding Levi, he doesn’teven want to be near me. The emptiness yawns wider, and the tears are welling again.

Ezra’s eyes lift, finding mine. His gaze drops to my arm, and then he looks back at me. “Care to tell me what happened with you?”

“Depends.” I force a small smile, noting how his cheekbone is a little red. “Am I a wanted person now?”

“No,” Ezra huffs. “I didn’t report it, but apparently, Veronica hasn’t either.Yet.” He sighs, his fingers brushing against Levi’s arm absently. “But I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Good,” Koen mutters from where he’s crouched beside the couch. He runs a hand through his hair, his shoulders sagging. “I can’t… I can’t deal with anything else right now.”

Ezra glances over at him, frowning. “What’s going on?”

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