Fractured (Lucian & Lia #2)(17)
Lucian settles me in one side of the Mercedes, closing the door carefully behind me before walking around to the other door and getting in. He surprises me by pulling me onto his lap and belting us both in together. “Okay?” he asks, looking at me searchingly.
“Yes,” I answer honestly, glad to be in his arms where the rest of the world always seems to fall away.
He releases a breath before easing me closer, until my head is tucked under his chin. “I’m so happy to be taking you home.”
I rub his arm, attempting to comfort him. “I know it was hard for you to be at the hospital for so long. Thank you for staying.”
He pulls back, taking my chin in his hand to stare into my eyes. “That’s not what I meant. I…f*ck, baby, when I found you, I was afraid I’d lost you. The fact that you’re here now…” He doesn’t seem to know how to finish his sentence, but he’s said enough to give me some measure of peace. I understand what he was trying to say, because when I had been completely at the mercy of my stepfather, I had felt anguish that I’d never see Lucian again, never feel his arms around me, and never get the chance to see if someday we could have been more. I had mourned the loss of him as my body was pummeled. The fact that he now cradles me gently in his arms as if I am precious to him seems surreal.
We don’t speak for the rest of the drive, both seemingly lost in our own thoughts. One thing I both love and hate at times about him is that he never feels the need to fill the silence. I know he has a mind that is seldom at rest, and I long to hear his thoughts, but sometimes, like today, relaxing into a peaceful silence is its own kind of comfort.
Lucian insists on carrying me from the car and into his apartment. I do not bother to protest when he walks through the living area and straight to the bedroom, sitting me down on the bed; my body is still weak from both the trauma and the battering it sustained. I am more than happy to let him take off my shoes and tuck me under the covers. “This feels so good,” I murmur drowsily as I snuggle deeper into the soft bedding.
He drops a kiss on my temple before standing. “I’m going to go through some emails for a bit if you’re okay alone?”
“I’m fine,” I mumble in reply, already starting to doze.
“I’m just down the hall in my office. Call out if you need me. Lia?”
Apparently, my nod wasn’t sufficient, and he needs my verbal agreement before he will leave. “K…in your office,” I repeat to appease him. When he walks out of the room, I have to fight the sudden urge to call him back. Knowing Lucian watched over me was the only way I was able to rest easy in the hospital. I knew that, true to his word, he would kill anyone who tried to hurt me again. I’m home now, though; Lucian has become that for me. If I know nothing else, I know I’m safe within these walls with him standing guard. As I start to drift away, I wonder how I’ll ever make myself leave the security of this apartment again.
Lucian
I drop into my leather office chair, running my hand through my hair. It feels so f*cking good to be home again, and the fact that Lia’s back in my bed is enough to bring me to my knees. For agonizing hours after I found her, I was afraid we’d never be here together again. Truthfully, I don’t know if I would have ever walked back through the door to this place if she had died. This might be my home on paper, but Lia now owns every square inch of it. There isn’t a room, nook, or corner I don’t feel her presence in. Maybe it stems from the fact that I’ve never had another woman here romantically. It scares the hell out of me to even try to analyze why I can’t imagine wanting her to leave…ever. Whatever the reason, I finally feel as if I can breathe again.
Even though I want nothing more than to go crawl into bed with Lia and feel her against me, I have business that needs to be dealt with. Aidan and Cindy have done a good job at handling the day-to-day operations at Quinn Software, but I cannot be away from the helm forever. There are always decisions to be made that are solely my responsibility.
I have been returning emails for an hour when the doorbell rings. “Fuck,” I hiss, hoping the sound doesn’t wake Lia. I can’t imagine who it could be since everyone I know would call before they dropped by. When I look through the peephole, I squint in surprise. I recognize the face; after all, I purchased this apartment from his company. It also explains why he made it to my apartment without my okay; I guess his employees don’t say no to the boss. Opening the door, I stand with my arms crossed, saying simply, “Jacks.”
“Quinn,” he answers back in kind, appearing amused by my resigned expression. I know it is obvious to him that his visit is no surprise to me. I’d known from the moment Max and I talked that he’d make an appearance at some point; I’m only surprised it has taken him this long. We hold a bit of a stare-off/male-pissing contest before I finally move aside and motion him into my apartment. There is no way he’s going to go away easily, and I’d rather get this over with while Lia is asleep.
He stands in the foyer, waiting until I close the door and motion him to follow me to my office. When he sits in the chair I’ve indicated in front of my desk, I take a moment to study him. Maybe I’m prejudiced by the information I have, but damn, he does look like Lia. Their hair and coloring are almost the same, but it’s the eyes that really give me pause. His eyes are the same brilliant blue as Lia’s. I realize that half of the people in the world probably have blue eyes, but there is just something about Lia and Lee’s eyes, which look almost identical. I scrub a hand over my forehead thinking that maybe I’m just seeing things that aren’t even there. I have a feeling Lee knows for sure one way or the other, so my curiosity has me asking, “So, what can I do for you?”