Page 19 of Tainted Essence
She swallows audibly. “How do I stop them?” The hard set of her jaw shows me she hates having to confide in me but she doesn’t have any other choice right now.
“Time. I know everyone hates hearing that answer to a question but it’s the truth. Over time you will learn to train your mind to block out the faces.” Silence encases the room for a while until she clears her throat and draws my attention back to her.
“Who hurt you?” Her question is simple and should be easy to answer but it’s a double edged blade for me. Only three people know the truth about me, Knox, Xan and Wave. I’ve never spoken a word about it to Lake, Mom or anyone else and I sure as fuck don’t plan to make her the fourth person to know my story.
“No one, go to sleep,” I grit out as I stand, but she leaps across the bed and grips my arm, stopping my escape. I look from her hand to her and raise a brow. The terrified look on her face has me lulling my head back and staring up at the ceiling groaning. “Fine. Move your ass over.” She releases me instantly and shifts to the other side of the bed. I peel off my shirt and push the borrowed sweats down my legs and climb beside her in my boxers. I can feel her staring at me but I ignore her. If she doesn’t like me sleeping next to her like this I’m more than happy to return to her uncomfortable couch and leave her here to suffer on her own.
I place my arm behind my head and close my eyes, ready to sleep for a fucking week. I’m sore and angry that those Russian fucks got the jump on me. Just as I’m about to cross over into the blackness of a dreamless sleep I feel her cuddle into my side. I remain still and say nothing when she wraps her arm over my waist and rests her head on my chest as she pulls the covers over us.
“Body heat, that’s all this is,” she declares. I can’t help but smile.
“Whatever you say, Slayer. If this position gets you to shut your mouth and sleep, then snuggle away.”
The sun beating down on my face is what rouses me from sleep. I arch my back and try to turn but something is weighing my arm down. I snap my eyes open and frown at the sight of a mess of blonde hair splayed over my arm and chest.
Destiny.
I drink in the sight of how peaceful she looks, it’s been a long time since I felt like how she looks. After she cuddled into my side we were both out within minutes and she didn’t have another nightmare. I look around her room, able to see more now thanks to the sunlight. She has a pin board above her desk in the corner of attractions from all over the world but the one in the center is a picture of the Eiffel tower. I didn’t peg her as the type of girl who wanted to travel, all she has talked about is how much she wants to fight and make it big in the octagon.
I reach around her back and wrap my arm around her, liking the way she feels pressed against me. The moment is shattered when the iMac on her desk begins to ring with an incoming FaceTime call. I quickly drop my arm and feign sleep when she bolts upright. I remain still but I can feel her staring at me.
“Fuck,” she grits out before she pushes off the bed and stumbles over to her computer. I blink my eyes open and smirk at the sight of her bent over her desk, the bottom of her ass cheeks are hanging out the bottom of her shorts. “Yeah?” she says when she answers the call.
“Clearly you're not a morning person,” a girl quips.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I forgot we were supposed to meet up today. Give me thirty minutes and I’ll meet you at the gym,” she rushes to say and steps aside. The girl’s mouth hangs open, on the computer, when she spots me in the bed.
“Dest!” she screams. I dart my gaze toward the wardrobe where she has her back to me and strips off her shirt.
“What?” she calls back as she pulls on a sports bra.
“Who is that hunk of juicy meat in your bed?” Destiny freezes and slowly turns around to face me. Her eyes are wide and she looks like a deer caught in the headlights, but the moment I smile her face morphs into a vindictive mask.
“No one, I’ll see you soon,” she clips out as she rushes to end the call and finish getting changed.
“Did you forget I’m your new bodyguard and where you go I go?” I ask as I stand and stretch. She stands there running her gaze up and down my body. “Take a picture, Slayer, it will last longer.”
“Asshole,” she snarls as she crosses the room to enter the small bathroom that is attached. I take my time changing and making use of the other bathroom down the small hallway, I need clothes and a phone stat. As I exit the bathroom, I call out to her but she doesn’t answer. I search the apartment for her but don’t find her.
“Bitch ditched me!” I snarl. She is going to pay for that fucking stunt as soon as I get the essentials and a fucking phone, I am going to that gym to show her that she is going to listen to me whether she likes it or fucking not!
With no fucking phone I can’t even order an Uber. I’m forced to walk and the longer it takes me to get to the store the angrier I become. I don’t know why I am so pissed off, maybe it’s my abandonment issues or the fact the little bitch was able to sneak past me, whatever it is has me wanting to strangle the fucking life out of her. If she gets taken again, then it’s my fucking neck on the chopping block, not hers!
I pull up to the front of the gym a couple of hours later and sling the duffel bag of clothes I just got over my shoulder and nod to the Uber driver. Before entering, I pull out my phone and sigh with relief that the fucker has finally finished uploading all my contacts—losing your phone fucking sucks, let me tell you that. I hit Knox’s number and place the phone to my ear as I watch people file in and out of the gym. The place has definitely had a makeover and it turns a good profit judging from the amount of people coming here but we all know this palace is just a front to wash their cash.
“Who the fuck is this?”
I smile at the grumpy fuckers tone. “It’s me.”
“About time you got a fucking phone.”
“Did you miss me, Knoxy?” I tease.
“Shut up, asshole. What the fuck is going on, Taylan? After you bailed last night I was left standing there trying to answer questions I didn’t have the answers to.”
“Like?” I push.
“Like why the fuck you said you were Royal Murdoch?”