Page 98 of Madness & Mayhem
The moment the water hits my skin, it feels like prickling ice runs across me. It’s painful, a burn that makes me want to leap from the tub. I can barely take it, and I grind my teeth in pain.
Lakyn starts sobbing in front of me. “It hurts so bad.”
“It’s okay,” I mumble, my face twisted in pain as I lay my chin on her shoulder. “It’s going to be painful until you warm up. Just let your blood get warm, baby Lake.”
“I can’t take it. This is fucking torture,” she cries.
“Maybe we need to go to the hospital,” Posie cries from the front of the bath. “This doesn’t feel right. It’s like my blood is frozen.”
Archer reaches forward, his hands squeezing her calves. “You need to let the blood flow through, Posie. Just give it time.”
“This shit sucks,” Kyler groans, leaning his head forward in pain.
We fall into a silence, and Posie turns off the water once it’s filled up to the brim, sloshing over the sides with each of our movements. The mirror is completely blurred, and the steam fills the room, thickening the air.
“We made it,” Lakyn says after a while, and I know our pain is gone. My limbs no longer scream, but occasionally ache.
“We did make it,” I rasp, my fingers trailing down the back of her neck. We might not be out of the woods, but I do think the worst is over. We need to find a place to go, a place to live, and figure out what the rest of their plans are, but we’ll figure it out. In time, we’ll figure it out.
“I’m so tired. I think I’m going to sleep for a fucking year,” Posie groans from the front of the tub.
“One king-sized bed. Looks like we all have to fucking cuddle tonight,” Kyler jokes quietly.
My lips flatten at the thought of anyone else snuggling beside her. But I bat the thought away, because it doesn’t fucking matter anymore.
Lakyn is mine, and now she’ll be mine forever.
Once the water is cold, and we’ve emptied and refilled the water enough times to where there is no hot water left, we all stand and use the small towels hanging on the rod to dry our bodies. The moment my skin hits the fresh air, goosebumps pop along my skin.
Lakyn sits down on the edge of the mattress, her shoulders slumping over slightly. “I’m never going to see my mom again.”
I walk up to her, grabbing her chin and tilting it toward me. “Yes, you will. Once shit is settled down, you will. It might be a month, it might be a year. We’ll never know. But, we have to keep moving. If you want to see your mom again, we have to.”
She stares at me, her eyes glossy with tears before she gives me a simple nod.
I nod back at her. “I’m going to meet the guy, grab a rental car, and I’ll come back to get you guys.”
Lakyn shoots to a stand, her eyes widening in concern. “You’re leaving? Can I go with you?”
I shake my head, grabbing onto her shoulders, and give her a squeeze. My eyes go over her shoulder to Archer, and he gives me a nod as he walks up to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. “No, Lakyn. You can’t. You stand out like a fucking Christmas light.”
She frowns at me, her lips pinching in irritation. “What the hell does that mean?”
I roll my eyes as I back up toward the door. “It means the world is looking for you, and you’re too pretty not to be noticed.”
A pink hue covers her cheeks as Archer pulls her toward the bed. He shoves her down, laying his head back on the pillow. He pulls her legs up, laying them over his lap as he grabs onto her bare feet.
I ignore the possessive side of me that wants to rip his hands from his wrists. “I’ll be back.”
“We’ll be here,” Archer grumbles, tightening his grip on Lakyn’s feet when she attempts to yank them away.
Spinning on my feet, I walk out of the small motel room, out into the blistering cold.
Our new home.
I keep my head tilted toward the ground as I slip out of the cab, slipping the driver some money before making my way to the apartment building.
Last stop.