Page 180 of Firestorm
He held up his hands in surrender. “She didn’t exactly want to come quietly.”
Come quietly?!I hissed into his mind and he shot me a startled grin.
“You motherfucker,” Dani spat as she staggered to her feet, refusing my help. She moved toward Rafe, who had the sense to widen his eyes and take a step back. “You little…royal…entitled…brat! How fucking dare you!”
I snorted. “Dani,” I said.
“What the fuck is this about? Skye, why didn’t you just come get me?”
I held up my hands. “I’m sorry, I had no idea he was going to just grab you from somewhere–”
“From my apartment!” Dani shouted.
I bit my lip. “I had no idea he was going to grab you from your apartment. I’m sorry.”
Rafe stifled a laugh, and Dani rounded on him again. “I’ll beat your ass if you keep laughing at me like that,” she cried.
Mia snorted from Willow’s bed.
“Skye, she’s amazing.” Willow said dreamily. I blinked at the look on her face, then noticed a similar look on Mia, then blinked again.
Oh…my God?
“What’s going on?” Aiden asked weakly. I could have laughed. What the fuckwasgoing on?
“Dani,” I said, drawing her attention. “I’m sorry, but I need you. You told me to come to you. Here I am. Help Aiden, please.”
Dani’s face softened as she looked past me to the bed.
“Oh, suge, why didn’t you say so?” she said as she pushed past me.
The dorm really was tiny. Two huge men in here was already a lot, but those two men plus four women? The air was feeling a little thin.
I stepped back to give Dani more room, and my back bumped right into a hard chest. I stiffened, then glanced over my shoulder. Rafe flashed me a devastatingly wicked grin, threatening my already weak knees. I bit my lip, my eyes darting across his face quickly, taking in his features.
He looked a little older than the photo I’d seen in his file, and there was a scar in his eyebrow now that hadn’t been there before. He looked just like my fucking shadow sketch, and that was weirding me the fuck out. Had I somehow seen this man before? Did I subconsciously remember his picture from the news or something?
His brow furrowed slightly as his eyes looked me over, just like I’d done to him. “You okay?” he murmured.
I started to nod, then paused.Why should I lie?I shook my head.
Rafe reached out and ran his knuckles down my arm comfortingly.
“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered. “I’m going to protect you.” His eyes darted toward Aiden and then back to me quickly. “Both of you.”
Um.Wow.
“Sk-skye,” Aiden called out for me, his voice cracking slightly.
I spun around and dove toward the bed, taking Aiden’s hand from around Dani. Her hands were flat on his chest, her breathing slightly shallow as she worked on him.
“It weakened his heart, but it’s not too bad,” Dani explained. “Were you keeping his heart-rate level?”
I gulped, cold sweat drifting down my spine. Aiden was staring me right in the face, his expression open and hopeful. His hand tightened ever so slightly on mine, but he didn’t move to let go. Even while not in shadow form, I could feel Rafe draw closer, waiting on my answer. My two friends, who had both been ogling Dani since she arrived, were now watching me expectantly.
“Yes,” I croaked.
Everyone in the room seemed to breathe out in relief.
