Page 89 of Dirty Deadly & Mine
CHAPTER 20
ASHER
Ifeel like I’ve been hit by a truck, yet the pain is nothing compared to my need to get home to Lily. It was an utter fucking fluke that I won that fight. Lil’ Ray was like a bulldozer, but I quickly discovered the one thing he wasn’t good at.
Grappling.
His arms were too thick, and his legs were like stiff trunks, and once I was on his back like a crazed monkey, he couldn’t get me off. My chokehold is what won me the match. Fucker wouldn’t even tap out. He fucking passed out, which is why I have fifteen grand burning my pocket right now.
Fifteen fucking grand.
That’s ridiculous… but I’m not complaining.
When I walk through the door, I hear Lily’s voice, and it takes me a moment to realise she’s talking on the phone.
Moving through the front of the house, my steps falter when I hear her say Barrett’s name.
“Chill out, Barrett. I’m fine.”
Fuck, her accent is so strong right now. I notice it gets that way when she is stressed, so I don’t believe her words to her cousin at all.
“I told you I’m fine. The second guy didn’t really hurt me. He helped me with the first one.”
The fuck?
Frowning at her words, I quietly step into the room, eyeing the back of her head as I approach. She’s not wearing her work uniform. Just a baggy pair of PJ bottoms and a white tank.
She looks a little dishevelled.
If it wasn’t her words or the way she’s wearing her typically pristine hair up on her head in a wet, messy top knot, then the graze on her shoulder, and the red marks on her upper back scream at me that something is wrong.
I rush to her, grabbing her arm to spin her to me, but it’s like she already knew I was there, not even startling, yet spinning away to keep her back to me.
“Look, I have to go. Asher is home…” She holds up a finger, silently telling me to wait, as she steps away, her back still to me as she finishes her call. “Yes, I know… Yes, Barrett. I’m fine… Okay. Talk soon.”
Moving to stand directly behind her, the vanilla and honey scent emanating from her freshly washed skin has me itching to touch her. I don’t though, because my gaze travels down the smooth column of her neck, to her shoulder where the graze is.
It reminds me of the type of scrape I used to get as a kid when I rode too fast on my bike and I’d fall off, grazing my knees or arms along the path.
What the fuck happened?
“Lil?” I whisper, wanting to reach out and touch her, but not sure I should, given the tension in her shoulders.
But my voice must do something to her, because she sighs, and that tension relaxes out of her coiled muscles, like hearing my voice is soothing to her.
“Don’t freak out. Okay?” Her voice is soft, yet raspy.
“Ahhh, you know saying that is only freaking me out, right?” I remind her, and she nods, still facing the other way.
“I know. I’m sorry,” she sighs again, still not facing me. “I just really need you tonotfreak out.”
“Lily, what the fuck is going on?” Not able to help myself, I reach out and run my fingers down her arm, which causes a smattering of goosebumps to flare across her skin.
Hooking my finger around her wrist, I tug on it a little, hoping she’ll get the hint and turn around.
She does.
And fuck… my heart stops.
