The Virgin Duet(43)
“Shh. Not now, Tink. Let’s get you out of here.” I look to Hank and he looks back, giving me the all clear. I want to take time to find Nico and take him out, but my priority is always getting my fairy back to me. I shift her up higher on my hips and she locks her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. “Hold tight, Tink, we’re going home.”
Hank leads the way out as I carry Rebecca and keep watch behind me for anyone following. As we reach the dark stairs, I catch a glimpse of a woman out of the corner of my eyes. I look over and point my gun at her, but she doesn’t make any move towards us. She’s got long dark-brown hair and her eyes are wild with anger. Rebecca tenses in my arms, and I know something is wrong.
“This going to be a problem?” I ask the woman. She looks at Rebecca and then looks at me, and shakes her head. She turns the corner and slowly starts walking down the hallway as if she never saw us. I feel Hank behind me and I know we are cutting it close. “Four minutes,” he says, and we start to move again.
Exactly four minutes later the secret entrance door closes behind us and we are running down the alley. I’m still holding my fairy when we reach the side street and pile into the getaway car. Hank starts up the car and pulls away from the curb as I’m shutting the door. Once we’re enclosed in the back seat, I allow my fear to fall away. I’ve got her back and that’s the only thing that matters. Whatever else happens I can deal with, as long as she’s with me.
I feel her tears start again and she cries into my chest. I don’t know how to help, so I just rub her back, arms, legs. Anything I can run my hands over, I touch. I kiss her hair and make soothing noises while she cries her stress out against me. We have plenty of time to talk about everything that happened and why she left, but in this moment, I feel her relief to be back in my arms. I can feel it, because I’m relieved too. It felt like our souls were ripped apart and are now finally being put back together.
When we arrive in the underground garage of my building, Hank pulls up to the private penthouse elevator and opens the door for us. I get out of the back seat, still holding my fairy, and carry her to the elevator and up to our home.
When we enter the house I walk straight to the bedroom and to the master bath. I set her up on the counter of the sink and lean back to finally look her in the eyes. Her face is red and blotchy from crying, and she tries to wipe away her tears. I touch her cheeks to stop her movements, and hold her face, just looking at her. “God, how I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she says, and reaches up to touch my face. “I’m sorry, Bray, I—”
“No. I’m sorry, Tink. This was all my fault. I should’ve never left you unprotected. You’re so small and the world is so big. I hate myself for not being in more control of your safety. I should’ve never left you. I should’ve stayed home when you asked me to. I should’ve stayed home every single day since the moment I met you. I’ll never make that mistake again. I’ll always choose you. I was only trying to protect you.”
I lean down to kiss her lips, but she pulls back and jumps off the counter. I watch her as she goes over to the toilet and start to throw up.
Panic starts to take over, because all I can think is I tried to kiss her and she started throwing up. I don’t know what Nico did to her, but my imagination runs wild. I shake myself out of my fog, and grab a washcloth. I run some cold water over it, go to Tink, and lay it on the back of her neck. I pull her hair away from her face, but it looks like she’s only dry heaving. I pull out my cell phone and send a quick text, while trying to do everything I can to help.
“I’ve got a doctor on the way, Tink. Just hold tight for a few more minutes and she’ll be here. Did Nico give you any drugs? How long has it been since you’ve eaten anything?”
She takes a deep breath and pulls herself away from the toilet and leans back against the bathroom wall. She pulls the washcloth from her neck and uses it to wipe her face off. “I don’t think he gave me any drugs, but he hit my head pretty hard when he took me.”
I feel so much hate at her words that I know I’ll make Nico pay for that. I clench my fists and kneel in front of her to see if I can spot any signs of concussion. “Be sure and tell the doctor that when she gets here so she can make sure you’re okay.”
“Honestly, Bray, I think it may just be more morning sickness.”
All of a sudden it feels like I’m in a tunnel and I can’t hear what she’s saying. I look down and see her hand over her round belly, and then what she just said hits me. “You’re pregnant?” I ask and it sounds like my voice is far away.