Page 73 of Unmasking Her Shadow

“My hands will heal. I will heal. The other girls didn’t have you to save them. I did. We stopped him, Kioni. That is something I can live with. This night wasn’t for nothing. What happened to me was not in vain. Let me have this because I feel disgusting for ever letting that man touch me. I willingly laid in a monster’s lair,” her voice breaks, and I drop the cloth to the floor, cupping her jaw gently and tilting her head back to meet my gaze.

“Your desires are not to blame for his actions. You were unaware of who he truly was. That’s the thing with evil, love. It disguises itself too well.”

She takes a shaky breath and leans up to kiss me.

“Spin so I can rinse you.” She rotates slowly, the suds sliding down her body until she’s clean. “Close your eyes so I can wash your face, and then I’ll wash your hair.”

“I feel disabled,” she complains.

“It’s only for a little while, and I enjoy taking care of you.”

It takes so long in the shower to bathe us both that by the time we finish, the water is no longer hot. My hair will have to wait until tomorrow. While she brushes her teeth, I towel-dry her hair, squeezing the water out until my fingers hurt, then brush through her tangles. I open the drawer to grab the hairdryer, but she darts out her arm, stopping me. “I just want to lie down.”

“Do you need help getting dressed?”

“I think I can manage to put on a shirt and a pair of shorts.” She grins and drops her towel to the floor before walking out. I’m helpless in keeping my eyes to myself, but she needs rest tonight, so my eyes are the only thing that is able to devour her tonight.

When I slide into bed next to her, Nyx joins, and this time I don’t protest.

“She’s extraordinary, isn’t she?” she asks, kissing the top of her head and then weaving her limbs around mine.

“Yeah. Yeah she is,” I agree, wrapping my arm around her back and carefully covering her bandaged hand with mine. “I love you, Sam.”

“I love you too, Kioni. Thank you for being my shadow.”

“Always.”

43

Sam

Groaning, I use my elbows to push myself up. The pain medication has worn off and my hands feel like…well…like they got stabbed. I rub my eyes with the backs of my hands, and darkness consumes my vision. It’s still nighttime. Reaching over, I touch Kioni, assuring myself she’s here with me. The weight of something tugging on the blankets at my feet tells me Nyx hasn’t gone to her bed on the floor yet. My saviors. I hiss when I try grabbing the blanket to push it off me, and tears fall without permission. The memory of my hands being nailed to the tree slams into me with full force.

“Hey. Shh. Come here,” Kioni whispers, sitting up and opening her arms. I lean into her, my hands falling into her lap, my forehead to her chest, and I finally let it all out. She rubs her hand up and down my back and lets me cry for what feels like an hour, but I’m sure was only a few minutes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks, swiping her thumbs under my eyes. The heaviness in her voice tells me she was crying along with me. Our hearts beat as one now.

“I just want you to hold me. Everything feels better when you hold me.”

“Okay,” she breathes. “Let me get your pain medicine first.”

When she returns, she turns on the nightlight and holds the glass of water to my lips, then hands me the pill. “Another drink?” I nod, and she carefully tips it up again before placing it on the nightstand and settling in next to me. I crawl into her open arms and make sure no space in between us. Her warmth surrounds me like a blanket on its own.

Home.

She feels like home.

“I got you, Sam. Go back to sleep.”

The sound of her heartbeat lulls me. I want to leave this in the past, not carry it with me, but I fear this isn’t something the sunrise will fix this time. And I was right…because I slept right through it.

Using the bathroom was rough. I’ll need to remain in sweats or loose shorts for the next few days. Never would have thought buttons would be a worst enemy. I don’t even want to think about going number two. Maybe I’ll just not eat until my hands aren’t so tender and I can move my fingers more freely. Or just load up on pain medication beforehand. I’m just about to give up on my hair, and Kioni steps into the bathroom, gathers my hair in her hands, twists, and holds her hand out for my clip. She secures it without saying a word and kisses my temple.

I turn and wrap my arms around her waist. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“I didn’t obsess over you for months, only to disregard your needs when I finally got to claim you.”

“Still,” I kiss the tip of her nose. “Thank you.”