Assassin's Menace: Assassin's Magic 2.5 by Everly Frost

Author:Everly Frost [Frost, Everly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Published: 2019-06-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

My belongings arrive that evening—all two boxes of them. One contains my clothing. The other is filled with books. If I had left Boston by myself, I would have been forced to leave my books behind.

After my shower, I search for the linen cupboard, determined to make up the spare bed to sleep in it. I drag my boxes into the spare room. Then I finish changing the sheets, smoothing out the surface.

“Grace?” Cain’s call is short, sharp, an urgent edge to it that I haven’t heard before.

I shoot upright, calling back, “I’m in here.”

He appears in the doorway, dressed only in boxer shorts, water dripping from his hair and down his bare chest as if he didn’t stop to dry himself properly.

I brace, preparing for a disaster or an attack. “What’s wrong?”

“It was quiet. You weren’t in the living room, so I thought…” He inhales. Stops speaking. Folds his arms across his chest and then unfolds them.

I study him with surprise. “You thought I left without telling you.”

“It’s possible.”

I draw myself upright, wanting to ease his worry but not sure how. “Cain … I can’t stay here forever, but I won’t ghost on you.”

He rolls his shoulders as if he’s easing the tension out of them. Then he studies the turned-down bed. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to sleep.”

“In here?”

I turn away from him to plump the pillow, happy with how the bed turned out. “Uh-huh.”

There’s a pause behind me. Then … “No.”

“Huh?” My question ends up muffled against his chest as he appears beside me and picks me up, easily hoisting me into his arms, hooking my legs around his waist while I’m still holding the pillow. I end up startled, frozen, the pillow wedged against his side, and as close to him as I was this morning.

His arms tighten, his voice gruff in my ears. “You should sleep in my room so that I’m close by if something happens. I don’t want to lose anyone else I care about.”

It hits me that he’s talking about losing Parker. He hasn’t spoken about her all day. My hurt at losing her friendship is nothing compared to his. He has so much more to lose if she doesn’t forgive him for who he is.

It’s difficult for me to pull back to see his face without making it seem like I’m trying to get free when really … I’m more comfortable like this than I ever expected to be.

I rest my head against his shoulder, dropping the pillow so I can wrap my arms around him. His big chest rises and falls as he inhales and exhales as if he’s measuring his breathing.

I say, “I promise I’m not going anywhere without telling you. Parker was upset, but you’re her brother and she loves you more than anything. She won’t be angry forever.”

He presses his cheek to mine, a rough whisper. “I hope so.”

Despite scooping me up, he hasn’t moved. He has never dragged me anywhere without my permission and his stillness tells me he won’t force me to sleep anywhere I don’t want to.

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