Buried (Heavy Hearts Book 3), page 2
“Uh… Should we leave? If she’s about to take her clothes off again, we should probably bail.” Garrett’s words cause me to frown.
“I didn’t? Did I?” I ask Ayden, who is still staring down into my eyes.
“Once or twice.” He grins, and I pull my hand from his smug face to cover my own, the red flush heating my cheeks.
“Speak for yourself, Cole. I quite enjoy seeing Lexi naked.” Simon adds, and I peek through my fingers to see Ayden’s reaction. To my surprise, he doesn’t react the way I think he will. Apart from the way he bites the inside of his cheek, probably trying to hold back his anger, he turns to look at Simon with amusement.
“Have you forgotten what I said I’d do to you if you try to see her naked again, Hastings?” Ayden reminds Simon, un-nerving him.
“Dude. Joking! You know I’d never actually look. I already have her body memorised in my spank bank.”
Before Simon even finishes his sentence, I know what he’s going to say, so I clasp Ayden’s shoulders before he can fly across the room to dish out his wrath on Simon.
“Fuck you, Hastings! You’d better keep looking over your shoulder, arsehole!” Ayden spits, and I tighten my grip on him, gaining his attention.
“He’s just messing with you.” I smile at Ayden, “Ignore his bullshit.”
“Hey!” Simon complains, and I poke my tongue out at him, causing male laughter to fill the room. Ayden even laughs, although I can tell he’s trying to hold back. He doesn’t want Simon to think it’s okay to talk that way about me. While I don’t really mind because it’s Simon, and I’m used to it. If the roles were reversed and some bitch said that about Ayden, I would have gone psycho on her arse.
Unfortunately, laughing causes my head to hurt, reminding me why I’m here in this hospital.
“Is Muz in this hospital too?” I ask, effectively silencing the guys.
Ayden shakes his head. “No. He’s across the city at Melbourne Public.”
“So… Is he going to live?” My bottom lip quivers as I speak, and I bite it to make it stop, but it doesn’t help. That’s when tears start to flow again.
Ayden remains silent, and I think he’s not going to answer, but then I see his Adam’s apple bob before opening his mouth and shaking his head. “I’m not sure, Lex. It doesn’t look good.”
CHAPTER TWO
After Ayden delivers the news about how serious Muz’s condition is, I crumble, drowning in sobs that hurt so deep, I just want someone to reach inside my chest and rip out my heart. The pain is unbearable and something I have endured so much lately that I’m not sure I can handle the infliction anymore.
My first encounter with Muz was, well, terrifying. I still see the barrel of the gun pointed at me as he forced Ayden to snort whatever the white powder was. Thinking about that night makes my insides twist, and sickness rolls my stomach. It wasn’t long ago that I wanted to ram that gun down Muz’s throat, but somehow, along the way, I’ve grown a soft spot for him. He might act tough and threatening, but I see past the armour he wears to keep people at bay and how he manipulates them to follow his commands. He might be a massive prick, but he protected me when I found my dad in my house, and he risked his life to save Valarie and me from Mike. That has to mean there’s goodness in him, right?
At some point through all my tears, the guys join Ayden on my bed, surrounding me, so I don’t feel so alone. With their eyes fixed on me as I lay in the hospital bed, I squirm under their scrutiny, partially hating their eyes, taking in everything I do, and partially thanking a god I don’t believe in for bringing them into my life.
“You guys are my family.” My voice is soft as I bat away my tears. “I would never have gotten through any of this without each of you by my side.”
“We’re your family? Like, your brothers?” Simon smirks, his hazel eyes filled with mischief.
“Brothers don’t like seeing their sister’s naked Hastings!” Marcus spits but then realises what he said, his brown eyes shooting to me in panic.
“It’s okay, Marcus. Brothers aren’t meant to like seeing their sister naked. Mike is a sick, twisted fuck, and I’ll never think of him as my brother. A brother would never do what he did to me. A brother would protect his sister. That’s why, to me, you are all my brothers.”
Marcus’s dark eyes soften in relief, and he offers me a small smile, which I return.
“Except for Ayden. He’s not your brother.” Simon adds, wagging his brows, and I nod.
“Ayden definitely is not my brother.” I smile as Ayden lifts my hand to his lips and presses a warm kiss to the back.
As usual, my cheeks flush, and Ayden grins knowingly. Embarrassed that everyone probably saw my reaction to him, my eyes dart to the guys, who are looking everywhere else but at me, except for Jared. His eyes haven’t left me. Not once.
“Um, yeah, so that’s okay, right? That I call you my family?” I say, needing to end the brief awkwardness.
“I already have two sisters; what’s another one?” Garrett smiles. “Besides, my sisters love you. They’ve been bugging me every hour to know if you’re okay.”
“Really?” I smile, remembering how I’d helped his sisters with their homework when I went to Garrett’s for dinner last week.
“Yep. Is it okay if I take a selfie with you and send it to them?” Garrett asks, almost shyly, and I nod before glancing at Ayden. I don’t miss the tick in his jaw. His jealousy is adorable.
Sliding off the end of the bed, Garrett nudges Simon away, who had taken a seat closest to me, to sit opposite Ayden on top of the covers. Surprisingly Simon doesn’t complain in typical Simon fashion, instead opting to simply poke his tongue out at Garrett instead.
Shuffling on the bed to get into position, I smile past my cringe at the screen when Garrett holds out his phone in front of us. I quickly tug some of my wavy strands over the side of my face in an attempt to hide some of the bruising, and Garrett snaps the photo before sending it to his sister’s group chat. They instantly respond, and he shows me his screen as it fills with Yay’s and Hi Lexi’s, and I’m glad you’re okay’s. Meanwhile, I can’t get over what I saw when Garrett took the picture. I look like death itself. Besides the bruising that I’ve become accustomed to on my face, I look like something off the Walking Dead.
I try not to dwell on it too much or the fact that people actually have to look at me like this, pale as a ghost with red and purple bruising. Fuck! Is my poor face ever going to catch a break? I’ll be lucky if I’m not left with scars.
“I’ve always wanted a little sister,” Shaun butts in, breaking my self-dwelling, and Garrett takes the hint to move back to where he was sitting.
“I’m not your little sister, Shaun. I’m older than you, remember?”
“Semantics.” Shaun, the Spanish Casanova of our group, shrugs as his steel-grey eyes dance with humour.
All I can do is shake my head and grin back at him.
“You’re definitely my little sister then because I’m older than you,” Marcus adds, shooting a smug look at Shaun.
“Does this mean I have to call these dickheads my brothers? Because if that’s the case, I’m not sure I can accept you as my sister Lexi.” Simon declares, earning him a punch in the arm from Shaun, which just makes them both laugh.
I love these guys!
“How about you, Jared? You happy to think of Lexi as your sister?” Ayden’s tone is clipped, and I don’t miss the hidden challenge he is throwing Jared, who remains quiet for a moment, his eyes still locked on me. Then he shrugs.
“You know you’ve always meant more to me than just a friend, Lex. Sister sounds about right.” Jared offers me a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Okay, brother Jared.” Smirking, I shuffle down under the blankets a little more, tiredness weighing me down with every passing minute.
“Don’t call me that! It makes me sound like a monk!” Jared complains, the spark in his blue eyes getting a little brighter.
“You’re not a monk. You’re a man whore!” Simon laughs. The action nearly makes him tumble off the bed.
“You’re the man whore Hastings! I sure as shit wasn’t the one screwing the red-headed nurse, who’s old enough to be your mum, out in the parking lot last night.” Jared bites back, glaring daggers at Simon’s head.
“What?” I squeak.
“Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” Simon suggests, and the guy’s snicker.
“You’re kidding, Simon? You didn’t do that! Tell me you didn’t do that!” In shock, I sit up and let the sheets fall from me a little, sending goosebumps up my arms.
Simon shrugs. “I might have done it. A man has needs, you know, Lexi?”
“You’re not a man, Simon,” Jared says flatly, which causes Simon to shoot daggers his way.
“Weren’t you guys leaving?” Ayden pipes up, silencing the banter that I’ve grown to love.
“Yep, we were.” Marcus stands from the bed and steps up to me before leaning down to place a kiss on my forehead. “You should get some rest, Lexi.”
I nod as he pulls back, and then one by one, each of the boys gives me a hug or a forehead kiss as they say their goodbyes and leave the small hospital room.
Alone at last, Ayden lays down next to me, and I shuffle over in the bed to make room for him as we come face to face, sharing the same pillow.
“Lex. I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but it’s killing me not knowing what happened before I got to you at Valarie’s house. Will you tell me?”
I stay silent, taking in his face and the crease between his dark brows as he frowns. Needing to touch him any way I can, I slip my arm out of the blanket and lift my fingers to the crease, slowly gliding the pads of my fingers over it until it relaxes. His eyes fall shut, almost as if my touch has given him some sort of relief, and he sucks in a deep breath.
I totally get it. I feel the same way when he touches me. It’s like his touch brings me peace, safety, and security. It’s home for me.
Part of me doesn’t want to give him the details of what happened at Valarie’s house, but another part of me wants him to know all there is about me. I want him to know me like he knows no one else, and I want the same in return.
“I’ll make a deal with you.” I rasp out, my voice a little scratchy. “I’ll tell you what happened at Val’s house, if you tell me what happened after you got there and everything else up until today when I stopped being weird.”
Ayden chuckles. “You were suffering a severe concussion and short-term memory loss, Lexi. You weren’t weird.”
My brows shoot up. “I shook my arse at Officer Zimora! I’d call that weird!”
Ayden chuckles, linking his fingers with mine before turning serious.
“I was so fucking scared, Lex. I thought I’d lost you after I just got you back. I’ve never felt fear like that before.” A glassy film sheens over Ayden’s eyes before he shuts them quickly to hide his reaction.
“Don’t hide from me,” I whisper, and those stormy ocean eyes slowly open, peering at me through thick, dark lashes.
“I’m sorry. I’m acting like a fucking wuss.”
I shake my head. “No, you’re not. Don’t say that. I want to see all the parts of you, remember? Good and bad. Strong and weak. Happy and sad.”
His intense eyes roam my face, and his lips tug up on one side. “I want the same from you, beautiful.”
The endearment sends warmth through me, reminding me of how much power he has over my body and my mind. It’s not the controlling kind of power like Mike forces on me. It’s the addictive power that makes me want to give myself to Ayden. I’m helpless not to lean forward and taste his lips, desperate for the contact. Before our lips connect, my self-conscious mind rears up. Have I even brushed my teeth lately? Mortified, I pull back and slap my hand over my mouth.
Ayden’s eyes shoot open, and he frowns. “Lex? What’s wrong?”
“When was the last time I brushed my teeth?” I murmur from behind my hand.
Ayden’s frown disappears before he chuckles, his smile reaching his dimples.
“This morning. I brought you some toiletries from the supermarket down the road. You’ve kept up with your daily hygiene, don’t worry.”
“I have?” I ask, still hiding my mouth behind my hand.
Again, Ayden chuckles and reaches out to draw my hand away. “Yes, you have. There may have been some arse shaking involved, but you’ve remained clean.”
“Smart arse.” I feign anger and give Ayden’s shoulder a shove before he grabs my hand and re-links our fingers.
“I will always look after you, Lexi. Make no mistake about that.” All the humour vanishes from his face, and his eyes do their thing, trying to glimpse into my soul.
I believe his words. A few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have, though. I didn’t want to let myself believe that I deserved someone like him. Now I know I can’t fight the pull we have on each other. This isn’t some high school crush. This is real. This is something that will last. That is, if I can stay alive for long enough.
“I know,” I whisper in response, and his straight white teeth make another appearance as he smiles again.
“Good. Now tell me what happened. And don’t leave anything out, no matter how I react.” Ayden urges, and my nerves kick in.
“Are you sure?” I ask, and when he nods, I take a deep breath before diving into my memories.
“The front door of Val’s house was wide open, so I went in. The house was quiet. I remember looking around quickly as I walked to the back of her house. I could hear her crying, and I didn’t stop to think about the danger I might be in. I just had to get to her. It’s dumb now when I think about it. Why the fuck would I go inside alone?” I shake my head at my stupidity.
“Because you care about Val. You wanted to help her.” Ayden’s thumb runs up the side of mine as we keep our fingers locked together.
“I guess.” I shrug. “I found Val in the kitchen, tied to a chair. She… she only had on a pair of knickers.” My lip quivers as I recall her small, innocent body bound naked to the chair. “I ran to her. I pulled the fabric he used to gag her out of her mouth.” I squint, trying to remember correctly, and then nod. “Yep. I pulled it free right before Mike ripped me back by my hair.”
Ayden’s sharp intake of air distracts me from my memory, and I see his struggle to control his emotions. I haven’t even begun to get to the bad stuff yet. Maybe this is a bad idea?
“Keep going,” Ayden urges quietly.
My eyes dance between his for a few beats as I consider if I should tell him the rest. I can see how much he wants to know, needs to know. So, I continue.
“I think I hit the island bench from the force when he ripped me away from Val. Things get fuzzy after that. I must have hit my head. I can’t remember where it hurt. All over, I think. I remember Mike’s face, though, and the scratches down his cheek caused by fingernails. Val’s fingernails.” Tears blur my vision, and nausea rolls through me again. “Fuck Ayden, I don’t know what he did to her before I got there, but I do know she fought back, hard. That poor little thing. She must have been terrified.”
I can’t control the tears now. I can deal with the shit Mike does to me, but not Val. She was a sweet, innocent twelve-year-old girl that wanted to be a spy. Now she has to deal with memories that will likely haunt her forever.
Ayden slips his hands from mine and uses his thumbs to wipe away the tears as they fall before pulling me into the crook of his neck and wrapping me in his arms.
“Shhhh,” Ayden whispers. “You got to her, Lexi. You stopped things from getting worse. Val’s a strong little girl. She will get through this.”
I want to believe him, but I can’t. I saw it myself earlier when I was in her room. The Valarie I used to know is gone. She will never be the same, and she may never get over this.
Knowing Ayden’s scent will work its magic and calm me down, I suck in a slow breath and enjoy the instant comfort it brings. It’s crazy how a smell can do that.
When I get control of my tears again, I continue.
“Mike told me we had unfinished business and that Val was there to watch what he does to me, so she knew what was to come for her. Then he said Val and I would swap places, and I would watch him break her in; I kind of went crazy after he said that.” My brows pull together, recalling what happened.
“How so?” Ayden asks quietly, pulling me back from the crook of his neck so he can see my face again.
“Well, instead of running from him, I ran at him. I turned into some sort of crazed animal and leapt on him before head-butting him.” My eyes widen as the memory induces pain in the front of my skull.
“Holy shit, really?” Ayden’s voice rises in pitch.
I nod. “What the fuck was I thinking? I practically knocked the both of us out, and that’s when he fell back and knocked Val’s chair over, which is when she hit her head and passed out.” I gag and close my eyes in an attempt to control my breathing. “The… the sound of her head hitting the floor,” my eyes fly open, and I shift back to meet Ayden’s concerned gaze, “I’ll never forget that sickening sound.”
Tears stream down the side of my face again, coming to rest in a wet patch on the pillow Ayden and I share. “The fight between Mike and me was on after that. He choked me, I clawed at him, and then punched him in the dick.” I grin, “That was kind of satisfying.”
Ayden smiles, “Good girl.” His warm lips kiss my forehead before he pulls back to take me in.
“I managed to get a knife before Mike threw me into the fridge, and when he came at me, I sliced his arm open.”
“That must have been why they found his blood at the scene. They said there was a fair bit of his blood. They found it in Val’s backyard and on her back fence. They think he fled over it right before the cops got there.” Ayden frowns as he puts the pieces together. “What happened after you cut his arm?”
