Restraint (The Revelation Series Book 2) (29 page)

The cool liquid feels amazing on my dry throat.
“Drink it all, siren,” Asher says softly.

When I’ve had enough, I
pull my lips away. His hand guides my head back to rest on the luxurious down pillows.

“Why don’t ye get
sum rest, lad? I’ll wash and clean up da lass,” Fiona’s instructs.

“I wil
l not leave her,” Asher answers in a rough tone.

Feeling his eyes on me, I look over to him. I reach my hand
to his cheek. The stubble scratches my palm as he leans into it, closing his eyes.

We stay like
this the entire time Fiona cleans the cell grime from my body and redresses me in fresh clothing. Once she’s done, she pats my hand gingerly before leaving the chamber.

Asher
moves next to me on the bed, placing a cold compress over my engorged eyes. Then with great care, he cleans and bandages my cuts and bruises, kissing each one tenderly.

Once done, he
scoops me up and readjusts our bodies so he can lie next to me. Never letting go of my hand, he watches me with a concerned expression. “I’m so fucking sorry, siren,” he admits in a pained voice.

I want to reassure him and tell him it’s not his fault.
But my body isn’t cooperating, my throat’s too sore and I’m so tired. Instead, I just close my eyes and drift into a peaceful sleep.

My eyes open to a dark room.
Forgetting where I am for a moment, I begin to panic before strong hands wrap around me, and Asher’s deep voice penetrates the fear. “You’re safe. I’m here.”

“How long have I been sleeping?”
I ask him, my voice groggy.

“
A day or so. We’re keeping the room dark to help your eyes,” he says, trying to explain.

Feeling less sore and stiff, I turn on my side so I’m face-to-face with him. “How long was I with Deacon?”
I ask, noting he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. The soft glow calms my frayed nerves.

Asher
picks up a loose strand of my hair and begins to play with it. “A few days.” His face registers anguish.

I exhale my relief. “It felt like months
,” I say as I watch Asher, watching me.

“Eve, aside
from the exterior injuries, did…” His voice trails off before he finds it again. “Did he hurt you anywhere else?” he asks in a soft tone, hardly breathing.

My throat squeezes at the
realization of what he’s asking. I begin to tremble at the thought of what Deacon could have done. “No. Would it have changed anything if he had?” I frown.

Asher’s hand
stills, dropping the piece of hair. “Never,” he says in a soothing and firm tone. His fingertips brush away a tear from my cheek. “I promise you there will be no mercy for him. Only death.”   

I gaze into his eyes.
“How did he get into the flat?” My voice cracks slightly.

Asher sighs
. He seems exhausted. “We don’t know. Keegan and Abby are still trying to figure that out. We’ll be staying here in Wiltshire until we do though. It’s more secure and Fiona has offered the extra security of the Pishyakan clowder.” The statement was meant to be reassuring, but I don’t feel at ease. “What we do know is that McKenna was ambushed and we got there a second too late.” His tone is solemn.

Having had enough of the intensity
, I put on a serious face. “Can I ask you for something?”

Asher sits up and stares
down at me. “I will give you anything in the world you want.”

“Could I have a cheeseburger with bacon and tons of fries? I’m starving.”

A small smile appears on his lips. “It’s yours, siren.” The answer is absolute as he places a small kiss on top of my head. “Feel up to heading to the kitchen?”

I take a quick stock
of how I feel. My eyes are no longer swollen, my body isn’t sore it’s just slightly aching. Overall, I feel a thousand times better than I did. “Yep, I feel much better.” I force a small smile when I see doubt cross his face.

“Okay. But we’ll take it slow
.” Asher reaches out his hand and I take it, allowing him to help me off the bed. As soon as I stand, I feel dizzy and wobbly. It’s probably just because I haven’t eaten in a few days and I’m dehydrated.

Asher bends down and scoops me up. “Ash, I can walk. This is a little much.”

He sighs. “Let me take care of you.” I hold his gaze, and all I see is torment. He’s blaming himself and I know he needs this to help him work through those feelings.

“Well, what are you waiting for then? I’m starving here
,” I announce as my stomach growls.

Asher chuc
kles. “Then let’s get you fed.”

2
0
Divine Intervention

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted you more than
I do right this minute.” Asher growls as he watches me down my second bacon cheeseburger and third helping of fries. Amusement is plastered all over his face.

I smile around
my straw before swallowing my beverage. “Really? Out of all the things we’ve done recently, you’re picking this as the number one hottest?” Disbelief lines my question.

Giving
me his signature sexy smile, he drops his tone. “Well, maybe not THE number one, but I’m not going to lie to you, it is pretty fucking sexy, siren.” Shivers run down my spine at the sound of his voice as the butterflies take flight.

He leans over the island and darts his tongue out, gently licking away some of the ketchup on the corner of my mouth before brushing his lips over mine. My body naturally leans into his as he smirks at me.
“I can’t believe you didn’t have a boyfriend,” he throws out offhandedly as he returns to his seat across from me.

I snort. “It’s not like you’re the first boy I’ve ever kissed
, Asher,” I say, watching him watch me. He stands in one smooth, abrupt motion then moves around the room as if he’s on a mission, opening and closing drawers until he finds what he’s looking for. When he returns, he places a notebook and pen on the island and slides it over to me. I raise my brows in question.

“Write down the names of all the other
s on a piece of paper,” he responds with a serious tone.

I roll my eyes. “Why?” I ask in a suspicious
pitch.

Asher leans in
, placing his elbows on the granite and giving me a very stern expression. “I’m going to end their existence,” he explains with a shrug.

I muffle a giggle. “Seriously, you can’t do that. Besides, it’s not like I’m the only girl you’ve ever been with. You forget I
’ve met Morgana,” I retort, unsuccessful at keeping the jealousy out of my voice.

He gives me a crooked smile. “
Don’t be envious, siren. She was a distraction from the mundane, as were all the others. They were available to satisfy physical needs, if you will. It was uncomplicated.”

I try not
to cringe or throw up my burger on him. “How romantic of you,” I say with sarcasm.

His eyes lock
onto mine. “You’re it for me, siren.”
Damn him.

I attempt to control the girlie
desire to jump over the counter and plaster myself against his body. Instead, I grab a handful of fries.

“Did you get the package I left for you from Kingsley
College before all this happened?” he asks, observing me shove fries into my mouth with an unhealthy fixation.

I bob my head while
caressing each fry with my tongue before chewing it, just to tease him. “I did. It was basically the letter formally granting me a two-month bereavement leave for Aria.” My voice trails off for a moment before I catch myself. “It’s conditional. I need to keep up with my spring semester classes online and physically return to class with the rest of the student body in March, after spring break.”

Still watching my mouth with fascination
, Asher clears his throat before flipping his eyes up to mine. “When does spring semester start?” I’ll give him credit. He’s making an effort to focus on me.

“Next week
,” I say, twisting my lips around my straw and sucking the liquid a little firmer than I normally would. A drop of liquid begins to slide down the straw so I decide to torture him some more and lick it with my tongue. Asher hisses in a breath.

“By the grace, don’t you two ever stop?” Callan feigns annoyance as he comes in with his apron on
. This one says:
I rub my meat for two minutes.
Then in smaller type:
But enough about my grilling secrets.
A loud laugh escapes my mouth and I almost choke on my fries. He looks down at his apron and gives me a mega toothy grin.

“I couldn’t sleep and when I can’t sleep, I bake.” He shr
ugs as he pulls cookie ingredients from the pantry.

“
That’s our cue, siren,” Asher announces, snagging some of my fries and lacing his fingers with mine before tugging me off the chair and into his strong arms.

I go to ask Callan if he wants any help but Asher widens his eyes and shakes his head in
slow motion.

“Good night
, Callan,” I throw over my shoulder as Asher pushes me out of the kitchen. “Are you going to tell me what that was about?” I grill Asher as soon as we’re in the upstairs hallway.

“
There’s only one reason Callan can’t sleep and that’s from lack of relations with Abby. It’s best not to get involved. One year, they got into a huge fight and it was literally three months of cookies and entering baking contests,” he admits with quiet laughter.

We stop in front of our doors. “
Eww, Ash, way too much information. Not to mention, I will NEVER be able to eat another one of his cookies again, at least with a serious expression. Or any of his baked goods for that matter,” I say with a scrunched face and he laughs loudly.

I just
watch him, soaking in his relaxed demeanor and sparkling eyes. I wish he were like this all the time, content and stress-free.

Asher just smirks and bites his lip. “Your room or mine?” he asks with a no nonsense air.

“Huh?”

He moves forward, pressing me into the wall
. He leans in and drops his voice an octave. “Your room or mine tonight?”

“Mine?”
It comes out more of a question than answer.

The right side of his mouth tilts up. “Good choice.” With that
, he backs away and grabs my hand, steering us into my room. Inside, he leads me straight to the bathroom. Without saying anything, Asher prepares my toothbrush and his, loading both with toothpaste. As we brush, he hands me my floss and mouthwash. I smile at his gestures.

Once done, he shuts the light and directs me towards the bed, guiding me into it
and tucking me into his side. Shocking but even after all the sleep I’ve had, I’m still exhausted. “See you in the morning light, siren,” he says while drawing random patterns on my lower back with the tips of his fingers. I try not to focus on the crazy way my body stirs at his touch and close my eyes.

The brightness from the room is shining through my eyelids
, forcing me to open them. I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes to find Michael positioned at the end of the bed. He’s looking very pissed off. The archangel is standing at his full height, shoulders back, arms crossed, staring down at the bed where Asher and I are, sleeping together.
Crap.

It’s at this realization I notice the light in the room
isn’t just from the morning sun peeking through the curtains. It’s emanating from the warrior of Heaven himself.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
The muscle in Michael’s jaw is thrumming as a result of how hard he’s clenching his teeth.

I shake Asher in an attempt to wake him. He
moans and grabs at me to pull me back down. “If you want to touch me, siren, there is a place lower that is completely awake.”
Oh. My. God.
 

My entire face turns crimson as I pray to God to end my misery. “Asher
,” I say in a deep voice and elbow him in the stomach. That gets him to sit straight up. “What the he—” He stops as soon as he sees Michael.

“
This is certainly an interesting turn of events, Mr. St. Michael. Is it standard practice for you to sleep with all of your charges after saving them from a kidnapping?” the archangel asks, staring daggers at Asher.

“Well
, Michael, since all of my previous charges have been male, no. It’s not typical.”

I drop my head in my hands and groan. “It’
s not what it looks like,” I say weakly.

“I disagree
, Eve. I do believe it is EXACTLY what it looks like. This is the second time I have caught you both scantily dressed and in a less than approrpiate position,” Michael lectures in a paternal tone. “Allowing your entrance into the Eternal Forest was not an open invitation for continued developments. You both have fifteen minutes to make yourselves presentable and join the rest of the protectors downstairs. Once again, we will discuss your conduct when you are fit to be seen.” He turns and storms out of the room.