Page 54 of Like Grim Death: Part One
I suck off the flour, the taste slightly salty as my eyes lock on hers. Her pupils dilate in her green eyes, but her lips are pressed into a line, anger etched all over her freckled face, deep shadows beneath her eyes, like she didn’t sleep much either.When are you going to learn I’m yours too? You could’ve come downstairs and fucking demanded answers from me.
I suck her finger clean, then pull it down my lips, parting them as I stare at her. I step closer, my cock aching and finding more taunting than relief at the feel of her low belly against it.
But she chooses that moment to notice the bruises on my face. Her mouth falls open, her eyes going wide. “Mavy,” she gasps, her voice broken. “What happened?” She tries to reach for me, to touch my wounds, but I grip both of her hands tightly in my own, holding them between us.
“It’s almost nine,” I tell her, glancing at the clock above the stove behind her and ignoring her question. “Why’d you wait so long to find me, pretty girl?”
She shakes her head, her eyes darting to mine, then my bruises. “Who did this to you?” There’s an angry undercurrent in her words.
It turns me on more. “What are you gonna do to them, huh, pretty girl?” I pull her hands to my chest, grateful I’m wearing a fucking shirt and she won’t be able to see the bruises on my abs yet.
Her body is rigid with tension and fear and worry for me. It’s a beautiful thing to see as she keeps darting her gaze back and forth along my temple. “I would kill them,” she whispers, breathless. “What.Happened?”Those words are very clear.
Transferring her hands to one of mine, I reach up and brush a lock of hair behind her ear, resting my fingers along the back of her neck. I feel her shiver, but I start to second guess myself. Maybe she isn’t just mad on my behalf at all. There’s something hinting at sadness in her eyes, like a shine of unshed tears.
“Don’t worry about it, okay, kid? I’m okay. I’m home. I’m here now.”
“No, Maverick.No.Where were you? Why didn’t you come up?” She snaps out the words, her frustration jumping in her tone.
I try to keep my voice neutral, even as thoughts of Atlas and thatlaughterand the threats against her swirl in my brain. “I got called into Sanctum for a quick job.”
Her green eyes narrow and she tries to spin away, pulling her hands from my grip.
I bring my fingers to her hips, keeping her still. She glares at me like she wants to hit me upside the head with her mixing bowl.
“Yeah? And where, exactly, did you get a call when you didn’t bring your fucking phone?”
Shit.Dipping my head, I press my brow to hers. I have to keep digging the hole deeper. I reason with myself it’s for her own good. “Lucifer let me know when I got to his house.” If I have to make something up, I’d rather tell her it was Luce than Sid. “I’m sorry, baby.”
Her hands are by her sides, and now, I wish she’d just touch me. I kind of want to talk to her about everything going on, but aside from my explicit order not to, I’m not so sure she can handle any of it. I’m scared it’ll freak her out more than is necessary.
“Right.” She snorts, but then her tone turns more serious. “Who the fuck hurt you, Maverick?” She says my full name with fury.
I wish I could talk to you. I wish I could tell you.“Shut up and kiss me.” I tilt my head, staring at her lips, the pronounced Cupid’s bow that gives them a sexy fucking pout.
“Mavy,” she says, and my heart warms at her nickname for me. It was annoying at first, but like most things about her, I’ve just fallen for it more as the months have passed. “Tell me what’s really going on.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I whisper, smiling a little.“And kiss me,pretty girl.” I run my mouth over hers, and her lips part for me. I’m not sure if this is what she really wants to do in this moment, but her body reacts to me all the same, and at least I can hold onto that.
Her breath, clean and fresh like toothpaste, fans across my mouth, and I close my teeth on her bottom lip, tugging gently. She moans, her hands coming up my back, over the scars there.
Over the other wounds.
She stiffens. I know she’s thinking of it. Him.Father Tomas.
Pulling away, her eyes searching mine, she says, “I was scared.” Her voice is low but her admission is bright and clear. It pulls at my heart. “Where were you? I thought maybe something happened to you. And now I see it did. Just…please, tell me what happened.Please.”
My chest feels like it’s cracking with her supplication, but I won’t put her in any more danger than she’s already in. “Just kiss me. Be here with me.Right here.”
She closes her eyes a second, a flurry of emotions flickering across her face before she stares at me again and says, “I saw blood this morning.” She swallows, looking between us. “On your…robe.”
Shit.She does all of our laundry. I should’ve known she’d see it and know it for what it is. Lucifer left his on the floor of the bottom level of Sanctum, but I stuffed mine in the backseat of the McLaren and dropped it in the laundry basket in our walk-in closet the night before last.
“You said it was just an extra meeting Monday. Now you come home looking like this, and…” Her eyes find mine, searching for answers. “What happened?”
I’m so sorry I can’t tell you. I’m so sorry I dragged you into this life.
Instead of saying that or answering her question, I pick her up, swiping the mixing bowl off the fucking counter, where it clangs loudly to the floor, my name in her mouth as she protests, but I don’t care, and I really don’t care that Cain is in the next room. I’m already reaching for the hem of her leggings, but her body is tense, and she doesn’t help me get them off.
