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“That’s fine.” She nodded.
I helped her to her feet and walked down the street. I took the long way, avoiding the alleyway. The body and any evidence of it being there were long gone. Logan and Liam made sure of it and continued to remind me how terrible I was at that part of the job.
The drive over was short. I parked around the corner and helped her out. The neighborhood was the stark opposite of where her apartment was. The view of the beach was hidden behind the hill at the end of the neighborhood, only letting us see the setting sun. Worn-out houses bore the scars of time, fading paint, and the struggles surrounding us. We walked past a few houses, their chain-link fences mended with paracord and hope.
I kept my head on a swivel and Audry close to my side. She walked with her head down, focused on each footstep, and her arms wrapped around her body.
We reached my small rental house in the middle of the neighborhood. It wasn’t much. Not that it actually mattered. More often than not, the three of us stayed at the variety of houses we worked on. Something about fixing up the wood and enjoying beers with my brothers made it feel more like home than my own place ever would. Each of us had that struggle. Logan was similar to me, keeping multiple places in case. Liam opted to move between the houses we worked on instead of keeping his own place. Although I always had a theory, it was more about Laila than anything.
“Here we are,” I said, gesturing for her to step inside the cramped space. The room was cluttered with books, clothes, and a pile of unwashed dishes in the sink. “Sorry, it’s a mess. I’m not here often.” The hardwood floor creaked beneath our feet, and the sound echoed in the empty room.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. She made her way to the small kitchen, and the liquor on top of the fridge caught her stare.
“Help yourself to whatever,” I said.
She pulled down the whisky bottle and rummaged through the cabinets, looking for a glass.
I watched her, observing her every move and hoping she would utter something. However, her gaze was focused on the glass, eyes narrowed as she chugged the entire drink down before refilling it. The sound of the liquid pouring into the glass was deafening, and the smell of the alcohol filling the air made my head spin.
“If you need someone to talk to, Audry, I hope you know that I’m here for you.”
She glanced up, meeting my stare. There was a brokenness behind her eyes. Blood and violence tainted her spirit. Anger brewed inside me. I would never be able to make Nate pay for what he did. All I could do now was keep her safe. Her fingersgrazed her scarf, adjusting it higher up her neck. The bruises were on their worst day now—a solid purple.
“What Nate did?—”
“Stop.” She shook her head, taking another long swig.
“It isn’t fair to you. It wasn’t okay.” I took a step closer to her.
The air around us was cold, the room darker.
She chuckled, her dead gaze meeting mine. It shook me to the bone as the shadows played on the weary lines of her face. Her front had completely fallen, and the mask she donned during the day shattered.
“He raped me. Of course it isn’t okay.” She hung her head downward, her forearms resting on the counter. “I have a constant reminder of it.” She twisted the scarf again.
I inched forward, closing the distance between us until the warmth of our bodies mixed. My hand reached out hesitantly, and my fingers curled around the soft fabric of her scarf. She gazed at me with wide, uncertain eyes, her breaths coming in shallow gasps.
With a sudden motion, I tossed the scarf carelessly onto the counter, exposing the marks that marred her delicate skin. My finger traced the line around her throat, the rough texture of the skin beneath my touch a stark contrast to the smoothness of her unblemished flesh.
“These aren’t a mark of what he did,” I said. “These are proof you survived…that you did what you had to do…that you fought.”
Audry’s delicate hand found its way to mine, and she rested it there, her eyes wide and on the verge of spilling tears. Heat radiated from her flesh, warming my own hand. The world slowed, and the sounds of traffic floating in from the window disappeared. My heart pounded in my chest, and my pulse raced in my fingertips. As I traced my fingers delicately down her neck, her sweet perfume, a mix of vanilla and lavender, rushed toward me.
Her gaze flickered to my lips, and she leaned in closer, her breath warm against my skin.
“Audry.” I meant her name as a warning, but it came out wanting.
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to draw my stare over her body. She leaned closer, her lips meeting mine. She deepened the kiss, our tongues dancing. Her hands roamed up my chest, making me almost forget about why we were here. The taste of whiskey was bitter on her lips.
I needed to know what she knew, and I needed her safe.
I gripped at her hips, easily lifting her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I placed her on the counter. I wish I could fall into this. But with all the power I could muster, I put my hands on her biceps and gently pushed her away.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Audry.”
She chuckled, a dark laugh falling into the dark room. Something about the sinisterness of it stopped me still. “That job’s already been taken,” she whispered, hurt filling her eyes.
“Let me take you home.”
