Page 38 of Silver Sanctuary
“Oh, there’s no dealing with this kind of pain. Honestly, Nash, I should sleep in with Embrie. What if she wakes up and is scared?”
“I’ll go check on her then. If you don’t want to be in the same bed as me?—”
“The problem is I want that too much, handsome.”
His eyes went wide for a second before he chuckled. “All right, sweetheart, less flirting, more getting ready to rest. I grabbed some of my comfiest things if you want to change before I tuck you in.”
“No pants. I get toohot.”
“Christ,” he mumbled under his breath. Nash’s hands trembled as he unbuttoned her pants, his fingers skimming lightly over her hips as he helped her step out of them. “Do you want to just stay in the sweatshirt for the night?”
“Yes,” she whimpered as his hands settled on her waist, waiting for her decision. Tears burned in her eyes. She tried so hard to stop them from falling, but it wasn’t enough.
“Lacy.Fuck,I can’t stand this. I want to kill these fuckers.”
“Will you… will you hold me, tonight?”
He walked to the other side of the bed, clicking the small light on the side table off, so just a dusty glow from the nightlight in his attached bathroom filtered out toward them. The next thing she knew, Nash was helping guide her back.
Everything fucking hurt. Her body was ready to sleep for a week, but Lacy knew it would have to be fine with only a few hours of rest instead. Because being a mom to Embrie meant making sure her daughter was okay with everything that happened. Her eyes fluttered shut as soon as her head pressed against his chest. He was all citrus and leather, and just the tiniest bit of icy winter air. Whatever cologne he used… she needed to get some. The scent was quickly becoming something that told her body she was safe, and she’d need that when she had to leave in the morning.
“Lace?” Nash whispered over top of her head. “Why aren’t you falling asleep? Are you in pain? Maybe I shouldn’t be holding you.”
“No. I just… I don’t have Silky anymore.” She knew it was stupid, mourning her tattered and torn, more dirt than fabric, blanket. But it was the one thing from her childhood that had been a constant. There hadn’t been a single night she’d slept without it since she was five.
“What’s a ‘Silky’?”
“My blanket, from when I was a baby. It was the only thing I had to give me comfort growing up. He kept thenightmares away, Nash. And now he’s gone, just like everything else in that trailer. Up in smoke. A perfect metaphor for my life.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m here now. I’ll make sure you’re safe. Here, and in your dreams. You can rest. I’ve got you now.”
Her face tipped up as her fingers moved toward his hairline. She’d never brought it up before—the scar that was prominent on his forehead—but something about Nash finally seeing her back left her wanting to know.
“How did you get this?” Her fingers traced over the translucent skin, ignoring the burning in her side as she stretched against the bruising. It looked almost as if a moon beam had struck him, the opalescence of the healed skin adding to his handsome features.
Nash pulled her fingers down and pressed them to his lips. “I failed my friends, and that was the price I paid for not being aware in a situation where we could have all died. But never again, Lace. I promise. Nothing is more important to me than keeping you and Embrie safe.”
She nodded as she settled her head back onto his chest. And for the first time in her life, she didn’t need her tattered and torn blanket to feel safe as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Nash’s alarm went off a few, short hours later and the grit in his eyes as he blinked made him groan in protest of being awake. His body seemed to naturally wake up ten minutes before his alarm each day, without fail, but that morning he hadn’t. And the reason why was easy to see.
Holding Lacy in his arms had given him the best rest of his life. Not that he hadn’t gone to sleep full of restless thoughts, because he knew the days ahead of him would be busy and tough, trying to get Lacy to agree to his plan. But there wasjust something about holding her, having her heart beat against his side, her breath warming his chest, that felt so fucking right. He never wanted to wake up without her in his arms again.
His phone vibrated in his hands, a message coming in from Hawk. It was only ten minutes after five, but the team had a strict schedule that they were all accustomed to keeping. It was a good thing, too, because Nash wanted to slip out of bed and help Embrie get ready for school when the time came. Lacy needed all the rest she could get, and his hope was she’d stay in bed all day.
Hawk:
I let the team know what happened last night. I’m taking over your duties at The Trident for the rest of the week with Stone. Gage is sticking to the office, so is Gunner. Take as much time as you need to make sure Lacy’s okay.
Thanks, bud. I appreciate it.
“Nash?” Lacy’s eyes fluttered open.
“Shh.” He hadn't meant to wake her. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
“Just a little sore. What time is it?” Her body moved just an inch or two and the way she contorted her face let Nash know the truth.
“Time to get you some more pain meds with something to eat, and then you need to go back to sleep.”
