Page 58 of Bound by Vengeance
He carried her into the bathroom and set heron the edge of the ugly, green tub. He kept his hand on her knee ashe leaned around her to turn on the water, all while listening forany sound from the other room.
Rising, he pulled his knife from his pocket,flipped it open, and cautiously cut away her turtleneck, sweater,and bra. He peeled away the last of her bra before kneeling infront of her and unbuttoning her pants.
Fascinated by the care he took with her,Vicky watched his every move as he unbuttoned her pants and slidthem down her thighs. There was nothing sexual in his touch, butthere was something affectionate in it.
“You could have died,” he said when he’dremoved the last of her clothing.
The ragged tone of his voice tore at herheart. Before she could respond, he lowered his head and hisshoulders hunched up as if he were about to turn into the Hulk.She’d give anything to be able to lift her arms and embrace himagainst her as she sensed he needed it, but though she could feelher muscle and bone weaving themselves back together, she still hadno movement in her arms.
“So could you, every time you go out tohunt, and apparently there are some vipers in your stronghold,” shesaid.
“I’ll be okay.”
When he met her gaze, his eyes were haunted.Frustration filled her when she tried to move her arms again to hughim. Instead, she could only sit and stare as steam rose from thetub to swirl around them. The water at her back was hot, but shefelt chilled to the bone.
“I don’t know where your stronghold is,” shesaid. “The only one who could find it is Brian, and he vowed toRonan he wouldn’t search for it. If something happened to youthere, none of us could help you, and we’d never know what becameof you. You could vanish one day, and I would never learn the truthof what happened to you.”
Her words were choked by the end, and to herdismay, a tear slid free. She’d vowed not to let Nathan know howdeeply she cared for him. Because of Kadence, he’d learnedsomething about mates and vampires, but she didn’t know how muchKadence had revealed to him, and she didn’t want to arouse hissuspicions by broaching the subject with him.
She would never put him in the position ofmaking him think he had to choose between her and hisfollowers.
“Don’t,” Nathan whispered as he wiped hertear away and clasped her face in his palms. “Jordan is an anomaly.I’m safe with the hunters.”
“You said they don’t like the changes you’remaking.”
“They don’t.”
“Jordan could be working with others.”
“And if he is, I will find out who they are.Come on, let’s get you cleaned up so we can leave here.”
“And go where?” she asked.
“To my old stronghold.”
He dipped his fingers into the water to testit before turning the faucets off. Slipping his arms under Vicky’sknees and one of her arms, he lifted her and settled her into thetub. “I’ll be right back.”
He went far enough down the hall to makesure Jordan remained unconscious before returning to Vicky. When hestepped into the doorway, the sight of her in the bathtub haltedhim. With her head bowed and her hair shielding her face, shelooked so vulnerable it robbed him of his breath.
When she lifted her head to look at him, hereyes weren’t full of misery; they burned with fire. No matter whathappened to her, she refused to let it break her. Instead, she usedher experiences to fuel herself into becoming stronger.
He loved that about her.
The realization he’d fallen in love with herrocked him on his heels. He loved her heart, her fire, her energy;he loved her laugh and her brashness. He loved how bold she couldbe, yet also how understanding and caring she was. She never backeddown from him, something as infuriating as it was refreshing.
She’d been through so much in her shortlife, would endure so much more, and he wanted to experience all ofit with her. Every day and every night for the rest of his life, hewanted Vicky at his side.
He loved her, but he had no idea what hecould ever do about it.
You could walk away from the hunters asKadence did, but as the idea entered his mind, he knew hecouldn’t. Throughout the centuries, every leader sacrificedsomething to lead; he would have to sacrifice his love for her.
Fury and sorrow swelled with equal measureinside him.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Grabbing a towel, he knelt at her side anddipped a corner of the cloth into the water to clean the blood fromher face. The blood no longer trickled from her nose, the bruiseshad stopped darkening, but it would be a while before she healedcompletely.
