the reason; she and Tam were in an awkward semi-embrace as they worked to tie off the bandage while keeping pressure on the wound. "Do you need anything else?" she asked calmly, slipping away from the bed.
"Just Tucker."
"Here!" A tall, lanky, sandy haired young man pushed his way past the heavily muscled barrier in the door. "Aw, Maggie, what did you do?"
"Please let me die," the woman whimpered.
"We can’t do that, hun, and you know it." Tam brushed sweat-soaked hair from the woman’s face.
"I don’t care." She tried to pull away, but the big man wouldn’t let her.
Cassidy stared down at the figure in the blood-soaked sheets and for the first time saw the woman. She was covered in healing wounds not unlike her own. Cassidy’s hand drifted to her arm, touching the bandages. She’d been lucky. The woman in the bed looked like she’d had a fight with a meat grinder. The entire right side of her body, from the crown of her partially shaved head to where her torso vanished beneath the sheets, was a web of slash marks in various states of healing. Her dark hair and features spoke of Latin heritage, but her coloring was currently cadaver grey.
"Did one of those monsters do this?" Cassidy asked, turning to Rail.
"Yeah. We almost didn’t make it in time. We hadn’t planned on being in Miami that night. If it hadn’t been for the storm…I don’t want to think about it." Rail wrapped his arms around her and pulled Cassidy in close. "Let’s go back to your room and get you cleaned up."
Cassidy nodded, all of her energy evaporating, and allowed Rail to lead her out. In the hall, Seraphina and Gina pushed past them.
"Tam!" Gina screeched. "You were supposed to be watching her!"
Cassidy turned to see the petite blond punch the big man in the arm.
"Well, excuse me for having to take a piss!" he shouted back.
"Hey," Boomer snarled. "Do not yell at my woman."
"Stop it, both of you." Seraphina’s calm, but stern reprimand quieted things immediately. "This is not helping Margarite. Everyone who’s not helping, out."
Chapter Nine
Rail guided Cassidy down the hall, letting her set the pace, wondering if he should carry her. Every step seemed to cause her pain. She leaned heavily against him, muscles tense, her grip tight on his arm. "Cass…"
"Not now," she cut him off. "I need a moment of quiet."
"Okay."
At the bedroom door, she looked up with eyes full of tears. Rail’s breath hitched as his chest constricted.
"That could have been me, couldn’t it?" she asked quietly. "It still could be, if I leave?"
He nodded. Contemplating the possibility of one of those beasts tearing her apart stole his voice.
Inside the room, Rail silently helped Cassidy strip out of the bloody clothes so she could bathe again. When she finally emerged from the shower, he slipped her into a clean t-shirt and tucked her into bed. After a kiss on her forehead, he turned to leave.
"Rail?"
"Huh?"
"Will you stay? I don’t think I want to be alone right now." Her lower lip quivered.
"Anything you want, sweetheart." Toeing off his boots, Rail stripped off his shirt and weapons, then climbed in next to her. Before he could ask if she wanted to be held, Cassidy rolled closer and snuggled against him. A moment later, he felt her shoulders shake. Hot tears rained down on his chest. Wrapping his big arms around her, Rail whispered calming words into her hair, punctuating them with soft kisses.
* * *
Cassidy inhaled deeply, enjoying the woodsy, rain-clean scent of her pillow—too bad the thing wasn’t softer. She moved to fluff it and skimmed her hand across hard, warm flesh trembling beneath her touch. Shocked into consciousness, she pulled away.
God, she’d fallen asleep lying on Rail's chest!
"What’s wrong?" he rumbled sleepily. "Why did you move?"
Heat spread across her cheeks. "I was practically on top of you."
Rail opened his eyes half-mast. "I didn’t mind." He held out his hand and beckoned her back. "It’s hours
"Just Tucker."
"Here!" A tall, lanky, sandy haired young man pushed his way past the heavily muscled barrier in the door. "Aw, Maggie, what did you do?"
"Please let me die," the woman whimpered.
"We can’t do that, hun, and you know it." Tam brushed sweat-soaked hair from the woman’s face.
"I don’t care." She tried to pull away, but the big man wouldn’t let her.
Cassidy stared down at the figure in the blood-soaked sheets and for the first time saw the woman. She was covered in healing wounds not unlike her own. Cassidy’s hand drifted to her arm, touching the bandages. She’d been lucky. The woman in the bed looked like she’d had a fight with a meat grinder. The entire right side of her body, from the crown of her partially shaved head to where her torso vanished beneath the sheets, was a web of slash marks in various states of healing. Her dark hair and features spoke of Latin heritage, but her coloring was currently cadaver grey.
"Did one of those monsters do this?" Cassidy asked, turning to Rail.
"Yeah. We almost didn’t make it in time. We hadn’t planned on being in Miami that night. If it hadn’t been for the storm…I don’t want to think about it." Rail wrapped his arms around her and pulled Cassidy in close. "Let’s go back to your room and get you cleaned up."
Cassidy nodded, all of her energy evaporating, and allowed Rail to lead her out. In the hall, Seraphina and Gina pushed past them.
"Tam!" Gina screeched. "You were supposed to be watching her!"
Cassidy turned to see the petite blond punch the big man in the arm.
"Well, excuse me for having to take a piss!" he shouted back.
"Hey," Boomer snarled. "Do not yell at my woman."
"Stop it, both of you." Seraphina’s calm, but stern reprimand quieted things immediately. "This is not helping Margarite. Everyone who’s not helping, out."
Chapter Nine
Rail guided Cassidy down the hall, letting her set the pace, wondering if he should carry her. Every step seemed to cause her pain. She leaned heavily against him, muscles tense, her grip tight on his arm. "Cass…"
"Not now," she cut him off. "I need a moment of quiet."
"Okay."
At the bedroom door, she looked up with eyes full of tears. Rail’s breath hitched as his chest constricted.
"That could have been me, couldn’t it?" she asked quietly. "It still could be, if I leave?"
He nodded. Contemplating the possibility of one of those beasts tearing her apart stole his voice.
Inside the room, Rail silently helped Cassidy strip out of the bloody clothes so she could bathe again. When she finally emerged from the shower, he slipped her into a clean t-shirt and tucked her into bed. After a kiss on her forehead, he turned to leave.
"Rail?"
"Huh?"
"Will you stay? I don’t think I want to be alone right now." Her lower lip quivered.
"Anything you want, sweetheart." Toeing off his boots, Rail stripped off his shirt and weapons, then climbed in next to her. Before he could ask if she wanted to be held, Cassidy rolled closer and snuggled against him. A moment later, he felt her shoulders shake. Hot tears rained down on his chest. Wrapping his big arms around her, Rail whispered calming words into her hair, punctuating them with soft kisses.
* * *
Cassidy inhaled deeply, enjoying the woodsy, rain-clean scent of her pillow—too bad the thing wasn’t softer. She moved to fluff it and skimmed her hand across hard, warm flesh trembling beneath her touch. Shocked into consciousness, she pulled away.
God, she’d fallen asleep lying on Rail's chest!
"What’s wrong?" he rumbled sleepily. "Why did you move?"
Heat spread across her cheeks. "I was practically on top of you."
Rail opened his eyes half-mast. "I didn’t mind." He held out his hand and beckoned her back. "It’s hours
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