Page 22 of Ruined

“There’s no one, only you,” I tell her. “Luna is just a friend and hasonlybeen a friend. I don’t want anyone.” Not unless they’re you. But I don’t say that. I’m sure I’m already freaking her out. “So, no need to get stabby, Sunshine. I’d stab my heart before I think of another woman, let alone touch them.”

Blake swallows, my eyes dropping down to her neck. Hmmm, my hand twitches, remembering the feel of my palm pressing against her throat. I want to feel her delicate throat. Blake on her back while I drive into her, or on all fours, my hand wrapped around the back of her neck. Shoving her face into the mattress as I rutted into her.

“Jace…” Luna whispers, reminding me that not only do we have company, but Blake doesn’t like being touched. And I’ve been doing that a lot since we left her parents’ house.

“Go shower, Sunshine,” I mumble, fighting against wanting to press my lips against hers. I’m sure if I tried, she’d stab me with the scissors she’s hiding against her leg.

Letting go of her throat, Blake slowly maneuvers around me, not that I move at all. I want her to bump into me, just once. But she doesn’t. Blake has practice at not touching others and getting around.

I watch Blake leave the living room and disappear into the bedroom. Neither Luna nor I move until I hear the bathroom door close.

“You have feelings for her,” Luna states. It’s not a question, I feel something for her. It’s more than just looking after her, I want to fuck her and then watch her drift off into a peaceful sleep.

“Come on, big guy. Let’s save that thigh so you can go on your merry way. Soon, hopefully. I don’t want to wake up with her staring at me over the bed.”

I chuckle, knowing that Blake wouldn’t just stare at her. No, my girl would stab both her eyes out and probably play with them.

Keeping an eye on the door, I slide down into the rocker.

“How’d you meet her?” Luna asks, placing supplies on the side table.

I don’t answer right away, debating on lying to her. She was one of the jobs Ryker and I took when we first started out. Luna was sixteen and needed an out. That’s where we came into play. After we took out her brother, she came out to the woods and hasn’t looked back. Every once in a while, I try to catch up with her to make sure she’s okay and alive, for the most part.

“Jace?” Luna whispers.

My eyes flicker down to her. “She's a job,” I finally answer. I don’t like the answer, but it’s the truth and one that’s beginning to cross. Ryker and I both agreed we would never get involved with clients and here I am breaking the number two rule.

“I thought…” she trails off, her face dropping. Luna had a teenage crush on us when we were helping her. Only instead of it dropping when we went our separate ways, she’s been stuck on there being an us. Ryker scared her more than once, and she eventually realized he’d probably stab her in the heart while fucking her. And that wasn’t her thing. It’s not for many females.

“I know what you thought,” I mumble. She thought there would be something between us, and when that got shut down because of our rule, she thought no woman would ever come into my life. I didn’t think there would be either. I gave up on that long before the military, long before I had a chance to even know what life had in store for me.

I was just waiting for Blake.

“She’s so young…” Luna mutters under her breath. I don’t say anything, not wanting to start anything while Luna is giving us a place to lay low for a day. Idon’t think she would kick us out or anything, but it would just make Blake a little more on edge.

“How have you been?” I finally ask.

“I’ve been good, just been here,” she mumbles. “Okay, I’m going to pull it out. It’s… it’s going to hurt,” she warns, only two seconds before she’s yanking the knife from my right thigh.

“Fuck!” I growl out, fisting my hand, I throw my head back and start counting backward. “Sorry,” Luna says. Pressing gauze against my leg, I keep my head back as she works on stitching my thigh up. Neither of us speaks as she works, the only sound the shower running and the faint sound of the heater.

“How’s Ryker?” Luna asks, picking the medical supplies up.

“He’s fine,” I answer. I’m not sure how Ryker is, I never know. With him, it’s a hit or miss. One moment he can be in a decent mood, and the next he’s on a mission to take out as many people as he can. Just like he was a few days ago, killing the guy who was abusing his wife and son, though the fucker deserved everything Ryker gave him and more.

“Jace.” Luna sighs. “Are you keeping your distance because of me or because of something I’m not a part of?”

“I’m just tired,” I half lie. I’m tired, but I also don’t want Blake to have any more of a reason to hate Luna.

“You know we’re friends if you want to talk… or I know… I know she doesn’t like me.”

“Blake barely likes me, Luna.” I chuckle, motioning towards my thigh.

Luna’s eyes widen down at my leg, frowning before she looks up. “She’s the one who did this? She’s the one who stabbed you?”

How do I answer that without making Blake sound crazy? I know she’s just a scared girl who struggles with her emotions, and I’m oddly okay with being the punching bag—more like a stabbing bag for her.

“She wasn’t in her right mind,” I finally decide.

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