Page 10 of Blade's Runaway Bride
Reaper exchanges another look with Ghost, then sighs. "Alright. You'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do with you."
I stiffen at his wording. *What to do with you.* Like I'm a problem to be solved, not a person.
Blade must feel my reaction because his hand presses more firmly against my back. "She can stay in my room," he says.
All eyes turn to him, including mine. Blade offering his private space seems to surprise everyone.
"You sure about that?" Reaper asks, his tone suggesting there's more to the question than I understand.
Blade shrugs. "Makes the most sense. I found her, I'll keep an eye on her."
There's a moment of tension I don't fully grasp, then Reaper nods. "Your call. But she's your responsibility."
"I know."
I want to object to being discussed like I'm not standing right here, but exhaustion is winning out over indignation. I'm swaying on my feet, the events of the day finally catching up to me.
"Come on," Blade says, steering me toward a hallway off the main room. "You need to clean up and sleep."
I follow without argument, too tired to care where he's taking me as long as it involves a shower and a bed. We pass several closed doors before stopping at one at the end of the hall. Blade pushes it open and flips on a light.
The room is surprisingly neat. A king-sized bed dominates the space, with plain black sheets and a dark gray comforter. There's a dresser, a desk with a laptop, and a door that I assume leads toa bathroom. No personal touches that I can see. No photos, no decorations, nothing that reveals anything about the man who sleeps here.
"Bathroom's through there," Blade says, confirming my guess. "Shower, get cleaned up. I'll find you some clothes."
I nod, too exhausted to speak, and move toward the bathroom. But before I can enter, his hand catches my wrist, stopping me.
"Kelly."
I turn to look at him, suddenly aware of how close we're standing. His dark eyes bore into mine, searching for something.
"If you're lying about any of this, I'll know. And I'll deal with it personally. Understand?"
It should sound like a threat. It is a threat. But it's also the most honest thing anyone has said to me in months. No false promises, no manipulation, just plain truth.
"I understand," I whisper.
He releases my wrist and steps back. "Good. Go shower."
I close the bathroom door behind me and finally let out the breath I've been holding. My reflection in the mirror is a shock: tangled blonde hair, dirt-streaked face, eyes wide with a combination of fear and exhaustion. I still wear Blade's cut over my ruined wedding dress, the leather hanging loose on my frame.
I look like a victim. Like prey.
I hate it.
Stripping off the cut, I slowly hang it on the back of the door. The wedding dress follows, and I take great satisfaction in leaving it in a heap on the floor. I'll burn it later if I get the chance.
The hot water of the shower is blissful, washing away dirt, blood (none of it mine), and some of the fear that's been my constant companion. I use Blade's soap and shampoo, surrounding myself with his scent, something clean and masculine without being overpowering.
As I scrub my skin raw, I can't stop the thoughts that have been hovering at the edges of my consciousness. I helped hide evidence of multiple murders tonight. I watched a man kill without hesitation and felt something other than horror. I'm now in the home of what is clearly another outlaw motorcycle gang, wearing a member’s cut, about to sleep in his bed.
But the alternative was becoming Mike's "wife", his possession to use and abuse and share as he saw fit.
I close my eyes, letting the water pound against my face. What the fuck have I gotten myself into? And more importantly, how am I going to get my sister out of the Vultures MC's clutches?
When I finally emerge from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around me and another around my hair, I find clothes laid out on the bed—a black t-shirt that will hang like a dress on me and a pair of boxers with a drawstring that I might be able to tighten enough to stay up.
Blade is nowhere to be seen.
