“The riverboat has already sailed.” He looks at me with a lopsided smile. “Besides, I thought you would sooner be here than quizzed by Day.”
I nod as I stroll further into the room. “I’ll have to face him, though.”
“Tomorrow. Tonight, you can sleep.”
Cole’s over large tee-shirt sticks to me, and as I tug at it, I grimace. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Alex strolls towards me, and as he is about to pass me a beer, his scowl deepens. “Fuck. Why didn’t you say something?” He throws the bottles onto the couch, pulling at the material of the tee-shirt which is embedded in the dry blood.
I slap at his hands as my lips pinch. “Stop it, Alex. It’s not much. Just tell me where the bathroom is.” Alex glowers at me. His frown is of concern and I smile as he leads me to the bathroom. With a sponge he dampens the tee-shirt and between us we wiggle it free from my body. His “fuck,” echoes in the bathroom and I look down at the knife wound. It is not wide, and the blood has dried. As the tub fills with warm water, Alex sits me on the edge of the tub, and with a damp cloth, wipes at the dry blood. His touch is soft. Free of its usual sexual torture as he caresses and cleans the wound. “Will I live?”
With a twisted smile, Alex glances at me. “Yeah, you’ll live. Now strip and step into the tub.”
I glance at the tub. The water is cloudy and the faint aroma of antiseptic teases my nose, “I prefer roses.”
“Not tonight.” Alex’s hand stops as it reaches my jeans and his frown is back. “Mia. Did they hurt you?”
I glance at the missing catch on my jeans and shake my head. “No.”
His stare is intensive, I want to step back, but remain where I am. “You wouldn’t lie to me. Would you?”
I kiss his forehead. His chin is covered in night stubble and I stroke the soft bristles. “No. You can see what they did.” I lean over, kissing him on the nose. “They didn’t do anything else.” I smile. It’s nervous and I close my eyes as I draw in a breath. “They didn’t have time.”
Alex nods without looking at me as he removes my jeans, then slaps my thigh. “Get in the water. I’ll be back in a minute.” The slap tells me everything I need to know, and I smile.
As warm as the water is, the antiseptic stings my wound forcing me not to linger. While Alex is in the other room, I quickly wash my body, and I’m just climbing out of the tub when Alex returns.
“I told you to soak,” he said.
“Pass me the towel.” Alex searches and reaches for the white towel folded on the toilet seat, then passes it over. My nose wrinkles, “the water is not enticing enough for me to soak.” With the towel wrapped round my body, I stroll into the bedroom. The walls are painted a soft blue and the bedside lamp radiates a soft glow, and I head for the bed with its vintage patchwork quilt. Alex saunters over to a mahogany tall boy and pulls out a large tee-shirt, then he’s strolling over to me and sits beside me. He drops the beer he collected from the lounge onto the bed and his touch is soft as he pats my body with towel. Once he is satisfied that I am dry, he reaches for the tube of cream he dropped with the beer and pushes me on to the bed. His fingers soothing as he smoothers cream into the long cut. His scowl deepens and I brush at it. Then he looks at me.
“Are we going to talk about it?”
Alex shakes his head as he reaches for the clean tee-shirt, slipping s it over my head. “No.” He looks at me and he reminds me of the Alex who returned to Noir Valley after Jo-Leigh’s death, seven years ago. “He’s been dealt with.”
“Alex.”
He leans over and kisses me, then he’s pulling back, stripping his tee-shirt off. “He’s been dealt with, Mia. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“No. Do I have to worry each time I see Hank. Or you’re stopped by the police.”
Alex halts as he reaches the bathroom door and turns to look at me. “No. Delaney is alive. He knows not to return to Noir Valley. Or to come near you.”
“Alex.”
“Yes.”
“How did you find me?”
Alex chuckles. It is one of mockery and his blue eyes sparkle. “I wish I could say by great detection like all the great detectives. After we realized you were missing and while we were searching for you, Delaney sent a message.”
“A text?”
Alex shook his head. “Patch. She told Cole everything.”
“Did he hurt her?”
“No. She told him willingly. She just made us wait.”
“Where is she now?”
“With Kit. He’s going to deal with her.”
“Why?”
Alex shrugs. “I didn’t ask why. She betrayed the club. That’s all that matters.” Alex smiles. “Now, can I go for my shower?”
“Yeah.”
I close my eyes, but I am too tense to sleep. My brain and imagination too unsettled, I turn to watch the door of the bathroom, listening to Alex as he showers. When he returns, he has a towel wrapped around his waist and the pulse in my clit leaps to life. With a welcoming smile, I hold my arms out to him. Alex hesitates at the door. His gaze penetrating as he watches me. Then the towel drops from his waist, and I watch his cock bounce to life. The shaft swelling as blood travels and throbs through his veins, engorging them and I lick
