Page 68 of Daughter of a Monster

I try to open my eyes, but they’re heavy and I can only manage to flutter them open for a fraction of a second, but it’s long enough to see Jericho’s stern face glaring down at me.

“Where the fuck did you think you were going?” he asks gruffly.

“Away from you,” I mumble, my teeth chattering. But even as I say it, I huddle closer, drawing heat from his body.

As soon as we slow to a stop, Jericho carries me from the car, barking orders to a ruffled Mrs Bellamy. He holds me tightly as he climbs the stairs two at a time, Mrs Bellamy scurrying ahead of him. He follows her into the bathroom where she turns on the faucets, warm water pouring into the bath.

“Not too hot,” Jericho warns. “She’s freezing.”

I don’t lift my head. I keep it nestle against Jericho’s chest, confused as to why I feel safe in his arms when he is the person I was running from.

I expect him to leave, let Mrs Bellamy help undress me and get me into the water, but instead, he kicks off his shoes and climbs into the bath with me in his arms, both of us still fully dressed.

“Mr Priest!” Mrs Bellamy says with a gasp. “I can—”

“Get her something to eat.” he growls. “Soup.”

He pushes me down his body until my lower half slides into the warm water. I hiss as the warmth seeps through my clothing. The heat burns my skin. Water sloshes over the side and spills onto the ground, but Jericho doesn’t care. He lowers us both until the water reaches my shoulders, my head pressed against his chest.

“Why did you run?” He asks the question so quietly, I’m not sure he knows he said it out loud.

“To get away from you,” I say again, my mouth stuttering over the words.

“Am I really that bad?” He almost sounds hurt by the suggestion.

I draw in a deep breath. My body relaxes as warmth soaks my skin. Beneath me, his heart pounds wildly. “That’s the problem,” I say with chattering teeth. “I don’t know.”

He shifts beneath me, pulling me tighter. His chin rests on the top of my head. “I’m not a monster.”

“Then why are you acting like one?”

I know how stupid this is, how hypocritical. Provoking the beast while lying in his arms. The steady beat of his heart soothes me, lulling me into a false sense of safety. But Jericho suddenly sits up and I slide into the water, banging my ankle against the edge of the bath. I cry out in pain and reach for it, only to realize how much more pain that would bring.

By this stage, Jericho’s climbed out of the water and is standing, completely drenched and fully dressed by the side of the bath. His white shirt clings to him, revealing the dark lines of his tattoos. His hair is plastered to his face, water running in rivulets down his skin.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” He grabs a towel from the rail, rubbing it vigorously over his head, leaving his hair spiked and messy. He throws the towel to the ground as he steps forward, glaring at where I’m gingerly cradling my ankle. It’s already turning dark and even through the gloss of the water it’s plain to see how swollen it is.

“I thought it would have been obvious,” I snap, clutching onto the edge of the bath to stop myself from sliding further in. It’s awkward trying to keep my ankle shielded.

“It wasn’t.” There’s a puddle of water at his feet. The cuffs of his jeans are under his heels, heavy from the weight of the water.

We glare at each other until his gaze falters, falling ever so slightly to first my lips, then my chest. He realizes what he’s doing and his eyes snap back to mine.

“I’ll go get Mrs Bellamy to help you.” He nods once, then walks out the door, leaving puddles of water in his wake.

I let out a giant breath I didn’t know I was holding and lean against the back of the tub. The water cocoons me and I relax, letting all the tension out of my body. I’m exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open. But then the water starts to feel cool and I begin trembling again. Mrs Bellamy bustles in, closing the door behind her and holds out a towel. “Come on dear, let’s get you dried off and into bed.”

I sit up but don’t stand, and she dumps the towel on the floor and comes closer.

“You’ll need help. Silly me.” She wraps her arm around me and yanks. I try to heave myself up on one leg, but I slip and tumble back into the bath. I bite my lip to stop myself from crying out in pain but it doesn’t stop the tears.

chapter twenty-three

JERICHO

The terror that ripped through me when I realized she’d gone was so violent it almost brought me to my knees. I stood frozen, staring at the open window, heart pounding. The wind and the rain whipped at the curtains. The carpet below was wet.

I never expected to want her, to feel the way I do, but the girl has gotten under my skin.

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