Page 72 of Born Reckless

He bolts to his feet and crosses the space between us in just a moment.

"Juliet," he whispers as he pulls me into his chest. He cradles the back of my head and I rest my temple against his shoulder. His grip on me is so tight, that if I were human, it would hurt.

But I'm hurting in a different way. My chest is tight. My throat feels slightly closed off.

Because I know what needs to happen. Just…maybe not right this second.

"I'm okay," I say. But my words come out too tight. "Sebastian stitched me up. He said I will be okay in a few hours."

"He said you need to rest," Elena points out. "Shower, Juliet. Get in bed. Drink as much as you need tonight. We will get everything sorted in the morning. For now, Roman and his teams are sweeping the city."

Mason releases me just slightly, but his hands shift to either side of my neck, and he brushes his thumb over one of the rows of stitches. His gaze is intense as he stares at me. I see so much regret there. Maybe guilt. Because Mason is the kind of person who thinks he can fix everything, that he can save everyone. It's just the golden heart that he has.

"Okay," I answer Elena. "I'm not going anywhere tonight." I look back at my best friend. "Thank you, for everything you've done for me."

Her eyes tell me that she wishes she could do more, that she could tear down the entire city to find the man who hurt me. She has the power to do it. With enough money, you can accomplish just about anything. But there is a certain order that must be exacted here. "I would do anything for you, Juliet."

I know she would. Just the same as I would do anything for her.

"Goodnight," she says softly as she walks back to the door and opens it. She speaks softly to the guard, and I watch as he steps in front of the door and closes it.

"I'm so sorry," Mason says as he looks down at me and shakes his head. "I tried… I tried coming to find you. But Elena…"

"She told me what she did," I cut him off. "And she was right. So long as you're human, this kind of stuff is too dangerous. I'm glad she did it. I'm okay. It's all that matters."

I reach up and I brush my thumb over his lips. He has the most beautiful lips. He has the most beautiful eyes. He has the most beautiful soul.

But he can't be mine.

"I'm going to go take a shower," I say instead of speaking the truth that I know needs to be said. "And then I think I might actually sleep tonight."

Mason nods, and I step out of his grasp and aim down the hall. I hear him following after me, though he gives me a little space. I feel his eyes on the back of me. I can only imagine what's going through his head right now. It has to feel like I might disappear at any moment now. Like I might just evaporate into thin air after what he's been through tonight.

But I'm a selfish person. I can't ease his pain right now. I can't comfort him. All I can think about is getting out of this damn bloody dress.

I close myself into the bathroom and peel it off of me. I stare at it on the floor for a moment and debate. Mostly I just want to watch it burn. But Elena wasn't wrong. That dress is magic.

Burn it? Or try to save it?

For now, I ignore it and climb into the massive shower.

It looks like a murder scene. As the hot water cascades down my naked body, rivers of blood streak down me and then swirl in the water before disappearing down the drain. As I raise my hands into my hair, I realize just how much I was bleeding. My hair is crusty and flakes of dried blood coat my hands. I wash my hair three times before finally, there is no more red that comes off on my hands. I scrub my body five times before there is finally no more dirt or blood coating me.

I wrap myself in a fluffy white towel and look at my reflection in the mirror.

Sebastian was right. Already, the bruises on my face are disappearing. Already, the cuts in my skin are beginning to heal.

I still look tired. I still look exhausted. I still look like someone beat the shit out of me.

But I turn away from myself. I dress in comfortable pajamas, brush my teeth, and walk back out into my bedroom.

Mason is lying in my bed. It's not the first time we've slept in this bed together. We still haven't had sex. But having someone next to you at night is kind of comforting.

So even though I know what's coming, I still climb into the bed. I pull the blankets over us and curl up into Mason’s side. He wraps his arms around me, and I relish every second that is remaining between us.

Neither of us says anything. For now, each other's presence is all that's necessary.

I take one deep breath, savoring the comforting scent of this man. I close my eyes, and I let the exhaustion pull me under.