Page 24 of Savage Reign

My hand moved back to her face, taking in the temperature. It wasn’t normal. She was hot. Too hot, and fuck, but I wasn’t sure if I should call for Dr. Lee to come by or not. That wouldprobably cue her to the fact that we found her if she woke up to find the doctor in her room treating her.

I shook away the ridiculous thought, my hand moving up to her hair and taking in the soft strands around my fingers.

She muttered something in her sleep, and I stilled, wondering if she would wake up now. It would probably scare her to see me standing here, but I couldn't bring myself to move.

She didn’t wake up.

A small frown appeared between her brows. I let go of her hair and ran my fingers between it, smoothing out the skin there. “Baby,” I murmured.

She relaxed and turned slightly away from me, letting out a small sigh. Unable to stop myself, I pulled the covers back and got into the bed beside her.

She was still deep asleep when I pressed my body against her, molding myself to her. I wrapped my arms around her middle, and I could hear her let out another small sigh. I liked to believe it was one made in relief of knowing she didn’t have to be on guard all the time now. Not when I was here.

“Sleep, sweetheart. I won’t let anything happen to you,” I promised. It was going to be the one I took with me to the grave.

Her hand came up and pressed against mine. For a moment, I thought she had awoken, but she did nothing but leave her hand there.

I pulled her tighter against me, wondering how the hell I was supposed to leave her now once morning came.

I didn’t sleep.

I couldn’t. I stayed up the entire night and watched her.

She never woke up, and at one point, she turned toward me, burying her face in my chest, her arms moving around me.

I felt my heart skip a beat from the move, and I didn’t know what to make of my reaction.

She was still such a mystery to me. Everything about her, and even the way she was able to make me feel simply by existing, never made sense. Not from the beginning and not now.

And I didn’t know what to make of my feelings and my reactions to her. Did I…

Did I love her?

I tightened my arms around her from the thought. It was too early for that. There was no way I loved her.

I had thought I loved Lilliana once when I was nothing more than a reckless, naïve fifteen-year-old boy, but looking back, I wasn’t sure if what I felt was love. Certainly, it didn’t feel like that with Mila.

I shook away the thought when the sun started to peek through the clouds, and I knew I had to leave.

I squeezed her to me once more, pressing a small kiss to her cheek before I quietly got out of the bed. I tucked the blanket around her body and moved my hand to her forehead. She was still a little hot but nowhere near as bad as it had been the night before. Perhaps all she needed was a good night's sleep.

I frowned. I still thought she should see a doctor, but how would I get her to see one?

Cursing silently, I slipped out of the room, locking it behind me and taking in the cool morning air.

My eyes scanned my surroundings, my thoughts firmly placed on the sleeping girl behind me. My body felt wrong. Like it was physically rejecting the idea of leaving her.

I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to get myself under control when movement across the property line of themotel caught my attention. I narrowed my eyes at that. It could be nothing.

But I didn’t know many fuckers who would loiter about in a shitty motel’s parking lot at five in the morning, and my gut told me it wasn’t nothing.

My gut was rarely ever wrong. I kept my expression neutral as I walked away from the motel room and out to the side of the property. And it was as I predicted. The fucking shadow followed me.

I walked between two buildings that housed a handful of motel rooms each, purposely slowing my steps for the fucker to catch up, nearly shaking my head in disgust at how much noise he was making. Either he wanted me to know that he was following me, or the fucker didn’t have enough experience following another person.

I turned the corner and waited.

He didn’t disappoint. He turned the corner, pulling up short when he noticed me there, but it was too late.

---