“We’re not talking about me.” Max’s usual sunny face darkened further. He folded his arms, bulging out his musculature with a display of male stubbornness. “You almost died.”
“So did you, but you didn’t. I didn’t.”
“Bailey—” he scrubbed his face, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Have the rest come back?” she asked, changing the subject.
Bailey knew she shouldn’t, but there was a sense of culpability where Daisy was concerned. Yes, Daisy had kidnapped and tortured Max, and Bailey would never forgive her for that but, despite working for the enemy, the woman had returned and kept the creature distracted while Tony escaped with Bailey. She’d saved Bailey’s life.
She’d also been the reason Bailey was in danger in the first place.
Tony had been beside himself when he’d carried her through the streets, trying to find a pay phone. Shutting her eyes, all Bailey could see was Tony’s chest and feel his warmth as he’d held onto her while shouting down the payphone’s handset, saying he’d left their sister behind. The tremble in his voice still hit her squarely in the chest.
“No,” Max answered Bailey’s earlier question. “They haven’t come back.”
He strode out of the room.
Sighing, Bailey rested her head on the hard plastic pillow and stared at the ceiling. She was itchy, she smelled, and she was over it, but Sloan was still out there, hunting the creature and looking for their sister. Max’s irritation and moodiness was warranted.
Was this her future? Pacing back and forth, stressing and snapping, with nothing to do while the heroes did their jobs?
It was clear now why having their identities kept secret was so important. No normal person could fight that creature, and if the Syndicate made more, then... Bailey’s throat closed up with dread. Those heroes were vital.
“Here.” Max returned to the room with a plate of sandwiches.
“Yes, Lord. Gimme.” Bailey didn’t care what was in them, or that she still had a layer of filth on her. She took each little triangle of heaven and shoved it in her mouth, hardly chewing before swallowing. Cucumber and cream cheese. Heaven.
“Easy tiger,” Max murmured. He filled a glass of water at the sink and handed it to her.
She made appreciative hums as she swallowed, trying not to spill as it hit her mouth. Already, she felt better. A burning prickling began to build in her feet. She flexed her toes, wincing.
“How’s the patient feeling?” Doctor Grace Go rushed in, still wearing her green surgical scrubs. She had a stethoscope around her neck, and her hospital name tag pinned to her hip.
With dark hair and a kind smile, she had a way about her that put Bailey at ease, simply by setting her eyes on Bailey.
Tony and Parker came in behind her. Parker keenly watched from the side to hear what Grace had to say. That man had a mind like a sponge, always soaking up the information around him. Tony nudged Max out of the way to take the spot by her bedside. He gripped her hand and looked at her with eyes still flashing with worry. She squeezed back.
“I’m feeling quite good actually,” she replied to Grace. Now that she’d eaten. “What Parker gave to counteract the toxin seems to be working.” She wiggled her toes. “I can move them, but can’t feel much beyond my ankles. It kinda burns and prickles.”
Grace went down to the end of the bed and pulled out a pen from her pocket. She took Bailey’s heel and poked the nib around the pad of her foot.
Little burning sparks of fire shot through her.
“Ow,” Bailey said, jolting. “That hurts.”
Grace smiled. “Good. The feeling is coming back. Won’t be long now and you should make a full recovery.”
The doctor shooed Tony to the side and continued with a basic examination of Bailey. If she wasn’t so ready to get out of her disgusting attire, she’d find it humorous to see the three brooding men watching as though it were a life or death situation. Lined up in a row, all had their arms folded, eying her intently, jaws twitching.
Grace lowered Bailey’s wrist. “Heart rate is returning to normal. Blood pressure is fine.” She shone a torch into Bailey’s eyes. “Pupils responsive.”
Then she touched Bailey gently on the shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
Grace looked at Bailey. Really looked at her. Something in her tone sent a rush of hormones swimming around Bailey’s body. Her eyes teared up, but she pushed them down. She wasn’t one to cry in front of other people.
“I’m fine. Looking forward to a hot shower.”
“Well, you’ll need help with that. At least for tonight.” She glanced over at Tony. “You can take her upstairs now, if you like.”
Bailey stiffened. “I can’t go home?”
“You’re coming to mine,” Tony insisted.
Grace agreed. “I think it’s best that Tony stays with you, at least until you’re capable of walking on your own. And he will need to monitor you to ensure there are no adverse effects of the antitoxin.”
“How long will that be for?”
“The treatment seems to be working fine, so overnight.” She glanced at Parker. “Filtering Tony’s blood worked.”
His response was an arrogant cock of the eyebrow, as if to say, Of course. Did you expect any less?
Grace smirked. “As long as you’re feeling fine, there’s nothing to worry about. You had a big scare, so get some rest.” She scrunched up her nose and laughed. “Maybe two showers.”
Tony didn’t wait any longer, he scooped Bailey into his arms. She supposed there was no arguing with him, so laced her fingers around his neck. Having a big, strong, actual real life hero carry her wasn’t something she could complain about. She didn’t want to.
“We’ll finish our conversation later,” Parker insisted.
Tony ignored his brother’s statement and carried Bailey out of the room. Two steps out, they almost collided with Misha and Lilo in the hallway. Misha had a stack of folded clothes resting on her pregnant belly, while Lilo held another plate of sandwiches.
“Whoops!” Misha exclaimed, her blond curly hair bouncing as she stepped back.
“Hi.” Lilo gave Bailey a small grin. “You look better.”
Tony growled impatiently and tried to side-step the women, but they both united and blocked him.
“Here,” Misha handed the clothes to Bailey. “You’ll need some clean clothes. I have girly bubble soap in there too. God knows the man stuff is yuk.”
“I have more sandwiches if you’re still hungry.” Lilo put that plate on top of the clothes.
Bailey balanced it all between herself and Tony.
“Okay, grumble bum.” Lilo flared her eyes at Tony. “You can go now. But please come down and tell us everything when you get a chance.” To Bailey, she added, “We’ll come visit you tomorrow, honey, and let you know the goss. I’m sure everyone will come back fine.”
Bailey barely had time to give her thanks before Tony grunted and kept walking. Over his shoulder, Bailey saw the women join with Grace and share a familiar rapport. The wives and girlfriends of the Lazarus crew had always been nice to Bailey, even when she’d only been their bodyguard, but once they’d learned Bailey was Tony’s mate, they treated her like family. A feeling of rightness bloomed in her chest as they got further from the women and she knew that one day, she’d be right there with them.
“Shh. I’ve got you.”
Bailey jerked awake with a gurgled scream echoing in her mind. Her scream.
“You’re safe.”
She blinked, realizing they’d somehow made it to Tony’s apartment. She must have dozed off against his chest while he carried her. The memory of the drowning was still fresh and left its imprint on her nervous system. She’d relived it the moment she’d closed her eyes. Adrenaline pumped through her body, making everything skip—her heart, her breath. Calm down.
“I’m just putting you down here while I turn the shower on.” The volume of Tony’s
voice dropped to a calm baritone rumble. It felt so good next to her ear, coming from deep within his chest, that she instinctively gripped onto him when he tried to disengage from her body.
“Babe,” he said softly. “I’ll be right over there.”
He pointed to the open bedroom door.
She was on the sectional sofa in the living room, legs up. The place was cozy. Potted plants on her left and right. An acoustic guitar rested against the wall next to a modern fire place. Designer cushions took the weight off her feet. The sofa was cream. It would need cleaning after this, but Tony didn’t seem to care. He left the plate of sandwiches with her and took the clothes package from Lilo and Misha with him into the bedroom.
She wasn’t hungry anymore, so put the plate to the side.
Resting her head on the back of the sofa, she watched, bleary eyed as the light brightened in his bedroom. The sound of a faucet being turned on filtered through. Shortly after, he returned. The confident, charismatic lady’s man who’d dominated at the press junket was gone. Tony’s haggard face and filthy clothes looked like they belonged on a man who’d just completed a marathon through the winter wilderness and lost. His posture did too.
She wanted to apologize for not doing as he’d asked and going for backup, but she wasn’t sorry. It had scared her to leave him behind—and not because she had been afraid for herself, but for him. She hadn’t wanted him to go hunt that thing with someone they couldn’t trust. Intense feelings built inside her, and when he crouched down to scoop her up, she kissed him on the cheek.
Confused, he blinked at her. “What was that for?”
A warm rush spread through her as she searched his handsome face. “For being my knight in shining armor.”
Storm clouds brewed in his expression. Clearly he wasn’t pleased with her words. Silently, he lifted her and took her into his ensuite. Traveling through his bedroom, she glimpsed his comfortable king-sized bed covered in a dark, smooth coverlet. The last time she was there, she’d barely used the toilet before rushing out to go home. Now she took it all in. An enormous black and white painting of Frank Sinatra hung on the wall behind the bed. The curtains were drawn, and the lights were dim.
The ensuite had no door. It was a continuation of the bedroom and looked like something straight out of Vogue Living. Dark granite floor tiles led to a rock feature wall with a rain shower. A steady stream of hot water fell, back-lit by blue LEDs in the ceiling. The other walls were another shade of warm granite, and to the right of the shower, beside the vanity, was a free-standing tub, also slowly filling with steaming hot water. Two potted ficus were the only splash of color. The entire place had a luxurious man-cave vibe.
Tony carried her to a wooden bench near the tub and placed her down gently. “Okay, then, let’s get you showered.”
For a moment, the two of them stared at each other while the mood thickened with the steaming air. He was going to have to assist her at some point. Bailey became supremely self-conscious.
She glanced at the water running in the shower. The sound of wet sliced through her psyche and compounded. It wasn’t the water here, it was the suffocating blanket that had stolen her breath. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and she couldn’t work her lungs. Finally sucking in a breath, she looked at Tony. “I can’t.”
“Babe,” he cooed and crouched before her. “You have to wash this crap off.”
Closing her eyes, she let the darkness be her friend. She concentrated on Tony’s calloused hands running idly against her skin. She concentrated on the movement of her lungs. In. Out. I’m breathing. I’m breathing. Pain in her teeth made her aware she clenched too tight. She swallowed and forced herself to relax. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to see pain in Tony’s expression.
“This is my fault,” he whispered.
No it wasn’t.
“If I had truly thought you to be in danger, I would never have let you come down. I should have fought Daisy up the top. Obviously, my sense of reality is warped.”
Bailey cupped his face. “We all think differently in hindsight. You weren’t to know your power wouldn’t work that well under water, or that the creature could stay submerged like that.”
“Doesn’t matter. Parker was right.”
“Right about what?”
But Tony shook his head and changed the subject. “Do you want help getting out of your clothes? I can walk you to the shower, or I can put this bench in there and give you privacy. Whatever you need.”
“Stay,” she demanded a little too vehemently. She wasn’t ready to be under water on her own. She needed his arms around her, the same ones that had pulled her out of danger and saved her from drowning.
He nodded and kneeled down before her to unbutton her pants. Peeling the dried and crusty black fabric down her legs, he was careful to not disturb the welts on her ankles from the poison. When his attention passed the area, he frowned and stared at it angrily.
“Lift your arms,” he rumbled.
She did, and he popped her dress shirt down the front, not even patient enough to undo the buttons. When she lifted her brows at him, he shrugged. “It was ruined anyway.”
That word sat heavy in the air. Ruin. It punctuated every brisk and stilted move he made. First, taking off her buttonless shirt—ruin—then when he rolled the shirt into a ball and threw it in the vanity sink—ruin. She was left in her bra and panties, and when Tony’s gaze slid back to her, he cocked his head. The clouds in his eyes dissipated, replaced with surprise.
“You’re wearing sexy lingerie.”
“I know.”
“Has that been under there the whole time?” He gave a self-deprecating shake of the head. “Of course it has.”
He moved to lift her again, but she stopped him. “Aren’t you undressing too?”
He glanced down at his similarly dirty clothes. The Nikes were still on his feet. He had to be just as uncomfortable as she was, yet he never showed it.
“Right.” He tugged his shoes off, then stood.
“Uh-uh. There has to be something for me to look forward to.” Bailey waggled a finger around his torso. “That comes off.”
She held her breath, waiting.
A salacious grin curved up one side of his face, but then he dipped his gaze with a frown. “I can’t be held accountable for the actions of Tiny Tony if that happens.”
“Tiny Tony?” She giggled.
“Well,” he blushed. “He’s not tiny, tiny. But compared to me, he’s—shit, never mind. Forget I said anything.”
Bailey unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor. His beautiful eyes lowered to take in her breasts. The liquid heat in his intense gaze made her pulse quicken. Maybe this shower would be okay after all.
Tony slowly disrobed, and she couldn’t stop staring. With each inch of flesh he revealed, her pulse sped up. And when he threw in a cocky striptease, all the tension released with a laugh.
“You like this swamp stain?” he joked, pointing to a brown splat on his perfectly defined abs. “Does it do anything for you?”
The grin wouldn’t leave her face, no matter how hard she tried to school her features. Dammit. That boy knew how to make her smile.
“How about this one?” He turned and showed her the perfect globes of his ass, still covered by briefs. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and began to lower it, then grimaced. Checking his rear, he said, “Actually, let’s leave that striptease location for another day. Who knows what the waste water collected?”
He turned to face her and lowered his briefs with efficient economy. Bailey blinked, trying not to look at it, but like a schoolgirl catching a glimpse of her first naked boy in the pool locker room, she blushed ten times until Sunday. He was well endowed. Definitely not tiny. He turned the bath faucet off and then returned to her with a wink.
“Yeah,” he said smugly. “Tiny Tony kinda has that effect on women. Just ignore him.”
After tersely helping her out of her panties, he slid an arm around he
r waist.
“Can you stand, or should we do this with me carrying you?”
“Um.” She tested her weight. Nettles bit along her feet and prickled around her ankles. She winced. “I don’t think I can.”
“Okay,” he replied thoughtfully. “Carry you it is.”
He squeezed her waist and scooped another hand under her legs, so she was back in his arms. She gripped him around the neck as he lifted and brought them under the hot rain falling from the ceiling. Water flooded her face, getting in her eyes and mouth in an entirely uncomfortable way. It wasn’t like a jet shower stream, the water simply fell onto her softly, a small suffocation.
She didn’t like it.
Shutting her eyes, she frowned, adjusting to the sensation.
“You good?” Tony’s voice was low and rough next to her ear. She shivered at the intimacy.
Squeezing her eyes tight, she whispered, “Don’t let go.”
Twenty-One
It almost killed Tony to see Bailey’s vulnerability. He lost control of his voice. No words would come. He’d gently lowered her legs but supported her weight with one arm around her waist. She could stand, but it still pained her a little. There was a hose shower head attached to the rock wall. He used it to wash most of the mess off her body, trying to make the process as quick as possible.
She endured the entire thing with her eyes squeezed shut in concentration, breathing through the water raining on her face. He gave his head and body a quick squirt and then turned off the faucet.
“Time for a bath,” he murmured. “It will be easier to soap up in there and I’ll hold you the entire time.”
Still with her eyes closed, and a frown marring her beautiful face, she nodded. Transferring her to the tub, he positioned himself behind her and lowered them at the same time. They gave a collective sigh as the heat enveloped their aching bodies. He reclined and pulled her back against his chest. The two of them comfortably took up the space with little leg bend. He wrapped his arms around her front and held her until she was ready to open her eyes.
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