Heart of the Warrior (33 page)

"Um, I don’t know." She fidgeted.

He held up his hands and smiled. "Hey, I’m just making
small talk here."
Uh-huh. Nice save, stupid.

She grinned almost shyly at him then looked toward the
bathroom. "Could you help me to the bathroom, please."

"Of course." He helped her out of bed. She was
tall. Almost as tall as he was, which was saying something since he stood at
six-foot-six. Where the hell had she gotten her genetic makeup? Damn!

She closed the door while she did her business. Then he
heard running water as she washed her hands.

"Oh my God!" she said from behind the closed door.

Io turned, startled. "Are you okay? Is everything all
right?"

Miriam opened the door, her face deep red and her gaze
averted. "I look awful. My hair." She tried to hide herself behind
her hands.

Io stopped her, taking her hands in his and turning her
toward him. "You’re beautiful."

Her eyelids fluttered and those crystal blue irises turned
up to his. "Really?"

He nodded. "Breathtaking."

She blushed and looked away. "But my hair, it feels
awful." She pulled one hand from his and ran her fingers through her black
mane.

"Would you feel better if I found you a brush?" He
gave her a look that made her laugh. The sound was husky, airy, and perfect,
just like she was.

"Yes, please. If you don’t mind."

He helped her back to bed then rummaged through the
cabinets. Nothing. "Hold on." He left and found a nurse, who
scrounged a brush out of the supply room. When he returned to Miriam, she was
wiping a tissue over her face.

"Ah, a brush!" Her smile lit up the room. Io loved
a girl who got excited over the simple things.

"Here, let me." Io scooted onto the bed behind her
as she made room for him.

He started at the ends of her hair and brushed out the
tangles before working his way up, gently pulling the brush through her long
hair. She dropped her head back so he could brush even higher.

Before he knew it, he found his mind drifting toward
fantasies of reaching around to stroke the graceful arch of her neck before
easing lower to cup one of her ample breasts. He had to force himself not to act
on the impulse, instead combing his large hand in the wake of the brush as it
smoothed over her silky soft hair.

"That feels so good," she said.

Yes, it does.
"I’m glad. You had a rough
night."

Suddenly, the door to her room pushed open and Tristan walked
in, looking like hell had just frozen over with him in it. He gave Io an abrupt
frown as if to ask what the fuck he was doing in there, brushing Miriam’s hair
no less, then he turned toward Miriam.

"Well, I just got a very interesting phone call."
His voice boomed harshly.

Miriam tensed and Io swore he felt anxiety roll out of her.

"What the fuck, Tristan. How about some bedside manner.
She’s been through enough already."

Tristan ignored him. "Why didn’t you tell us you were
King Bain’s daughter?"

Io nearly shit himself. "You’re King Bain’s
daughter?"

Tristan scowled at him. "Get away from her, Io. You’re
not allowed to touch her."

Miriam looked away as Io practically fell off the bed in his
haste to get away from her. He sure could pick them. Fuck. If the king himself
had come through the door and seen him touching Miriam like that, he wouldn’t
have seen his death coming. It just would have happened.

Tristan took a deep, exasperated breath. "He’s sending
someone to pick you up at sundown."

Miriam huffed. "He’s not coming himself?"

"No."

"Surprise, surprise." She huffed again and looked
away.

"You know your father doesn’t go out in public,"
Tristan said.

She flipped her hair, her chin jutting out proudly.
"Guess not. Not even for his own daughter."

Tristan pursed his lips and propped his hands on his hips.
"Well, someone will pick you up in about eight hours. I’m supposed to
watch over you personally until he’s here."

Io frowned at that idea. "I can watch her."

Miriam’s hopeful eyes shot to him and he forced himself not
to smile at her.

"No." Tristan shut him down in a heartbeat.
"Direct orders from the king himself. And after what I just saw, I think
it would be better that you get the hell out of here right now, Io."

Yeah, Tristan knew Io's reputation. This was one time he
wished he didn't have such a track record with the ladies. He wanted to stay
with Miriam. The thought she would leave and he'd never see her again was
disconcerting.

Miriam’s face fell and his chest ached for her. "I’m
sorry." He handed her the brush.

"It’s okay, Io. I’m used to it."

He wondered what she meant by that as she took the brush
from him and held it to her chest like a treasure.

"Thank you for brushing my hair." Her doe-like
eyes blinked to his and he nearly came undone with desire.

"You’re welcome." He couldn't take that first step
for the door. He could only stare at her.

"Now, Io." Tristan pointed to the door.

Io scowled at him. "Fuck, Tris. I'm going, okay? Cool
off."

He turned and gave Miriam a final glance, smiling at her wistfully.
Then he waved to her and she waved back as he left the room. In one way he
hoped he never saw Miriam again, because that would mean she'd gotten off the
cobalt, but in another way, he hoped her addiction only got worse, because that
would mean she would be back here where he could see her again.

Hmm, he usually avoided cobalt calls while on patrol because
of his past addiction. After this, he might have to change that. One never knew
where Miriam would turn up again, and if she was using, it was a sure bet she
would. And Io wanted to be the one to take that call.

Three nights later, Sev woke up with his arms around Ari in
the bed of his room in the medical wing as the nurse came in to open the curtains
and blinds. The medical wing was the only place in the compound with windows
because being exposed to the outside world was supposed to have a positive
psychological effect on the sick and recovering. Or at least, that's what he'd
been told. And he had to admit, seeing the lights of the city did make him feel
better.

"Good evening," the nurse said when she turned to
see him awake. Then she lowered her voice and smiled at Ari, who was still
sleeping. "He just refuses to leave you, doesn’t he?"

Sev looked at Ari’s face and slid his hand over his tattooed
left arm, which rested across his stomach. He turned back to the nurse and
smiled wide. "What can I say? He loves me."

"That he does, that he does." The nurse proceeded
quietly to the door then whispered, "Your dinner will be in shortly. One
last meal before you go home."

He nodded and mouthed
okay.

Sev felt so much better. Ari’s blood had helped heal him
quickly, and the doctor had removed the stitches in his chest this morning.
Right where Ari’s head now lay with his ear pressed against him as if he wanted
to make sure he could hear his heartbeat while he slept.

He bent his head and kissed the top of Ari’s. "Hey,
sleepyhead. Time to wake up."

Ari stirred and pressed closer.

"Come on, babe. Wakey-wakey."

Ari turned his face into Sev’s chest and kissed him through
his hospital gown, then lifted up and looked through sleep-filled eyes into
Sev’s. "I love you."

Since the accident,
I love you
was the first thing
Ari said to him every night upon waking and the last thing he said every
morning before going to sleep. And Sev always said in reply…

"I love you, too."

Ari pressed his mouth to Sev’s, his lips closing over Sev’s
bottom lip while Sev sucked on the top one of Ari’s.

The door to the room flew open and Micah barged in, followed
by Trace. "Get a fucking room, you two."

Sev jerked back, breaking the tender lip-lock as he scowled
at the intrusion. "We have a room, asshole."

Micah chuckled.

Ari pulled back and turned around. "Don’t you
knock?"

"Fuck no. I own the place." Micah pulled up a
chair and plopped down on it backward while Trace stood at his side.

"Is that so? You own the place, huh?" Sev actually
chuckled at Micah. Who would have thought he would ever find the fuckhead
amusing?

"Nah, but speaking of owning the place." Micah
leaned his forearms on the back of the chair. "That girl Trace brought in?
The overdose? She was King Bain’s daughter."

"What?" Sev thought back to that first night when
he paid her and Ari’s fleeting fiancé a visit in that Jag. Now he understood
all the bling and rich kid vibes. The fucking king’s daughter, for Christ’s
sake. And she was a junkie, or at least she would be if she didn't slow down.

"Yep. We just heard. And she made quite an impression
on Io."

"Oh?" Ari glanced down.

Io hadn’t been to visit them once. Everyone else had, even
his father, who had hovered in the background wordlessly while Tristan checked
on him. But Io? Ari’s best friend had all but abandoned him.

Micah gave them a facetious look. "Yep. Io has had
fucking hearts in his eyes ever since. As if he has a chance at tapping that
shit. The king would chop off his balls and cook them for breakfast if he even
caught Io looking at his daughter."

The nurse came back with a cart of food.

"Mmm. Speaking of food, what's for dinner?" Micah
lifted the lid off one tray and snagged a French fry.

"Back off, asshole. That’s my dinner." Sev laughed
as the nurse slapped Micah’s hand. "Thanks, Isabel. You show him who's
boss around here."

Isabel smiled at him. "I can handle Micah. Sometimes I
think I'm the only one."

"It's because I like you, Izzy." Micah tossed the
fry into his mouth.

Sev and Ari sat up in bed, side-by-side, and the nurse set
their trays on the make-shift table then situated it in front of them.

He and Ari had become quite the attraction in the medical
wing. The nurses practically doted on them, loving that they had a newly-mated
couple to take care of. Something about the females around here made them love
that he and Ari were two males who had gotten together. Maybe it was because
they saw it as a novelty. Sev couldn't say. But it made him laugh how they all
just gushed around the two of them.

He opened his carton of milk and took a drink as Ari started
on his own fries.

"So, what about the female who capped me? Where is
she?"

"Holding cell." Trace’s deep voice rumbled to
life. "Malek has been with her. Won't leave her, actually. It's kind of
freaky how he won't leave her."

Sev had already been told that Gina knew the truth about
what had actually gone down in Atlanta. She hadn't taken it well, apparently,
and had tried to get herself killed by faking an attempt to escape.

"I want to see her."

Ari tensed and looked at him.

"Not a good idea." Micah stole another fry.
"And not just because Malek will finish the job she started if you touch
her, either."

Okay, that did sound freaky. What was up with Malek? He
glanced between Micah and Trace then looked at Ari.

"I don’t care. I want to talk to her." Sev spoke
to Micah, but kept his eyes on Ari.

"After what she did to you? You sure you don’t just
want to go in there and kill her?" Micah shook his head. "Like I
said, not a good idea. Malek would blow out."

"What's up with that?" Ari said, shaking his head
in confusion.

Micah made a you-don't-want-to-know face and huffed.
"He's gotten a bit protective of your would-be assassin."

"I’m not going to hurt her," Sev said. "I
just need to see her."

Gina was Gabriel’s sister and she deserved to hear the truth
from him. Besides, he had something Gabe would have wanted her to have.

Trace snuck a fry and eyed him. "I know about you, you
know."

"What do you mean?" Sev stopped with his burger
halfway to his mouth and looked at Ari quizzically then back to Trace.

Ari half-shrugged and gave him a sheepish glance. "I
think he's saying that he knows about your mom."

Trace chewed and swallowed then glanced at Micah. "I
haven't told anyone else. Micah knew already, though."

Yeah, Micah would know because he had been poking around in
his mind. But damn if it didn't impress Sev all to hell and back that Micah had
known and hadn't said anything. That guy was better than Master Lock when it
came to keeping his mouth shut.

Micah grinned at him and held his gaze. Sev arched an
eyebrow at him and Micah chuckled before looking away.

"You got that, right?" Sev said.

"Loud and clear." Micah grinned. "Yeah, I am
better than Master Lock."

Ari looked back and forth between them. "What are you
two talking about?"

"Oh, nothing. Just Micah's five-finger action on my
thoughts."

Micah leaned back and threw his arms up like he was
innocent. "Hey, I'm not stealing them. I'm just window shopping."

Everyone laughed.

Sev looked back at Trace. "So, Tristan doesn't know? Or
the others?"

Trace shook his head. "Nope. And they won't. Not unless
you tell them. Not my place to."

Man, Trace was good people. Sev was starting to feel a
camaraderie growing among the four of them he never would have imagined just a
couple of weeks ago.

"What about Gina? She knows." Sev took a bite of
burger. "Has she told anyone?"

Trace shook his head. "No. And I doubt she will. She
already feels guilty about what she did. And I bet if you ask her not to say
anything, she probably won't. She feels she owes you."

"Well, that's something, I guess." Sev exchanged
glances with Ari.

He was grateful for Trace's and Micah's understanding about
the sensitive nature of his lineage, and he hoped Trace was right about Gina.
He wasn't ready for the entire compound to know what he was. At this point,
with all that had happened, most would probably look past it, but he was sure
some would shun him and demonstrate prejudice against him for being half dreck.
And there was still a chance he would be asked to resign.