Page 59 of Echoes of Desire
“Wait,” Raven’s panicked voice causes us both to freeze. I’m looking around for danger, but she shakes her head. “I already see too many faces,” she says, tears flowing down her face. “I’m going to lose you. I won’t be able to see you. There’s too many faces here.”
Blaze turns and grabs something from the truck. It’s the hats we bought for Raven to find us if we’re in a crowded location.
“We’re going to wear these, sweetheart,” he tells her as we place them on our heads. “We won’t take them off for any reason.”
“Thank you,” she sighs. “They even have your names on the side. So sweet. I love you both so much. I’m okay now. Let’s go.”
We’re both momentarily frozen as we take in her words.
Did she mean the type of love that we have for her?
“We’ll come back to it once we’re home,” Blaze says as we watch her walk to the porch. “Let’s go.
“Brother, when we get Knox back and if Taylor doesn’t make it…”
I leave the rest unsaid. He knows what will happen. We’ll lose Knox. He won’t want to push forward without his Papa.
“Update,” Blaze says as we enter the house.
It’s chaos. People are everywhere.
“Taylor’s going to be fine,” Doc says. “He’s already awake and threatening Ghost.”
“Who is that?” Raven asks. “I’ve never heard that accent. I thought I met everyone.”
“That’s Doc, baby,” I explain. “He’s one of Venom’s alters.”
“Oh,” she says. “That was real?”
“Nice to meet you,” Doc says. “Maybe one day, when it isn’t a war zone, we can sit down, and you can tell me all about your face blindness. So interesting. Well, Venom’s pushing tofront. Get Taylor to a hospital.”
“I swear, Reynolds,” Taylor yells. “I love you, brother. But if you don’t get out of my fucking way, I’m going to kill you.”
“You just got shot, man,” Reynolds says. “It only just missed your heart. You’re going to the fucking hospital.”
“What if it was Del? Or one of your kids? Damnit, Reynolds, I have to find him.”
“We will,” I say as we enter the room. “Trust us to do this, brother. If you die because we didn’t make you go to the hospital, Knox will never forgive us. Hell, we would never forgive us.”
“Take a deep breath,” Blaze says. “And tell us everything you know.”
“Raven,” he says instead. “I know you’re not a Little, but would you care to come cuddle with me? I need to calm down, and you’re scared. If you allow me to comfort you, I think that will help comfort me, as well.”
“He’s a Daddy Dom, baby,” I explain when she looks up at me. “He has a drive to care for people. And sometimes, Daddy’s need to be cared for. Right now, his Little isn’t here to do that. Don’t feel pressured. Do what feels comfort…”
Raven rushes forward, only slowing when reaches the couch that Taylor’s sitting on.
“How do you want your cuddle?” she asks softly.
He stands and pulls her into his arms. Not even flinching at the pain it must have caused him.
“We’re not getting her back for a while,” Blaze says softly.
When Taylor sighs and visibly relaxes, I decide he can hold onto her until we get Knox back.
“Taylor,” Blaze says gently, stepping closer. “We need to know what happened. Every detail.”
“Okay,” Taylor says, sitting on the couch and pulling our woman onto his lap. Raven simply lays her head gently on the side of his chest that didn’t have a bullet in it.