“Believe me, if it had gone badly, you’d know. Actually, you’d probably be dead.” Knox stood. “She seemed all right?”
“Yeah. She seemed…normal.” Dante tucked his thumbs in his belt. “Still a little smart aleck.”
Knox relaxed his stance. “That’s good. Real good.” He looked around the scene. “I’d better start directing these boys or they’ll just wander around in circles.” He began to walk away and then stopped. “You go get that looked at,” he said, pointing at Dante’s shoulder.
“Planning on doing that right now.” Dante hesitated, watching the techs working away, and knew he was one lucky SOB. Five vampires and he managed to come out the other side alive. He’d take that kind of win any day.
Chapter Eighteen
By the time Tobias pulled the car into the parking lot of Nix’s apartment complex, she was asleep. He turned off the car and watched her, so full of emotion he felt…hesitant. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time—not since he’d first come through the rift and found himself in such an alien place.
It wasn’t a feeling he particularly enjoyed, so he did what he usually did. He pushed it aside and went into action. He opened his door and walked around to the passenger side. Leaning over, he eased Nix out of the car and into his arms. Before he straightened he snagged the strap of the huge tote she called a purse. He went up the sidewalk and, once at her front door, he knelt on one knee, balancing her on the thigh of his other leg while he rooted around for her keys.
She didn’t stir as he opened the door and went inside. Rufus was at the entryway, his whine loud. Before Tobias could stop him, the dog raced through the open door. Tobias didn’t wait around or try to catch the damned thing. He held a precious burden in his arms. The dog would come back.
Tobias carried Nix to her bedroom. As much as he’d like to let her keep sleeping, she needed to get cleaned up. She’d sleep better after the grime was washed away. He’d sleep better, knowing she was comfortable and safe. He went into the bathroom and set her gently on her feet, keeping one arm around her waist to support her weight. “Nix,” he coaxed, patting her on the cheek. “Wake up, honey.”
Her head lolled on his shoulder but he felt the amount of weight leaning into him lessen, so he knew she was standing on her own. With her eyes still closed she replied, “No. Not time to get up yet.” She sounded like a disgruntled kid being told it was time for school.
He would have laughed had the situation been different. As it was, there wasn’t much humor to be found under the circumstances. Nix was no longer human, at all, and it was his fault. He clenched his jaw. He’d deal with that later. Always later. “We’re going to take a shower, sweetheart.” He guided her to the toilet and helped her sit on the closed lid. Kneeling at her feet, he unzipped and removed her boots, then gently peeled her socks off her feet.
“Oh. Sh-shower’s good.” Her voice was so slurred she sounded drunk. She scooted forward so abruptly that her knee caught him in the face and knocked him on his ass. She stood and looked down at him with a frown. Her fingers went to the buttons on her blouse. “Why are you just sitting there?”
He got to his feet, rubbing the sting out of his cheek. He shook his head. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” In her fatigued stupor she had only managed to get one button undone. He brushed her hands away and finished the job, easing the material over her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor. He unbuckled her belt, noticing for the first time that both her gun and knife holsters were empty, and pushed her jeans to her ankles, supporting her as she lifted first one foot and then the other. Trying to ignore the enticing picture she made standing there in lacy bra and panties, he focused instead on the dried blood smeared on her neck and upper chest, scowling when he caught sight of the bruises on her shoulders, ribs, arms and thighs.
Damn. He was a bastard for lusting after her in the shape she was in. He should be wrapping her in cotton, not thinking about sliding her beneath him, less so of sliding himself into her.
He undid her bra and removed it. When he reached for her panties, she wrapped her fingers around his wrists. He could feel the new strength in her hands. “Thank you.”
He stared down at her. “For what?”
“For saving my life.” She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his shoulder.
“Any time, sweetheart.” Tobias finished undressing her, then stripped off his own clothes. He reached in and turned on the shower. The water warmed up within a few seconds. Grabbing a clean washcloth from the shelf above the toilet, he guided Nix into the stall and closed the frosted glass door behind them.