I got into the driver’s seat wearing a frown. As I started the car, I glanced at Jaz, finding her eyes were on me. She opened her mouth, maybe to ask what I was doing here, but she quickly shut it, moving to hold a hand over her face.
“If you feel like throwing up again, do me a favor and tell me. Roll down the window, something,” I said, putting the car into gear. Vomit was the last thing I wanted in this vehicle; as awful as it was, I already knew my shoes reeked of it. I’d probably have to throw them out.
Five minutes into the drive, I wondered just where the hell I was going. I couldn’t drop her off at the Fitzpatrick’s house. She wasn’t well enough to walk up to the house herself, and there was no way any guard at the gate would let me in with a half-conscious Jaz. Plus, I didn’t want to risk Oliver seeing me.
Jaz wanted me to look into him, along with the Scotts. The Scotts had been in this town longer than most families, their property one of the biggest and most secure. She and I needed to talk about why she was so interested in them, but not tonight. Tonight, I needed to get her better.
Fuck.
The one place I drove to was not the place I should’ve, but I really didn’t see any other options at this point.
I took her to my apartment building, where she’d sleep off whatever was in her system. Where she would promptly leave the moment she was better. I’d drop her off down the street from the Fitzpatrick’s house.
Yet another thing I had to grill her on was why she lived there. Why would she want me to investigate the man whose roof she lived under? Did she not trust him? Had he done something? Were Zane and Thorn back and hiding out? And then, of course, that left Celeste.
I had to find out the truth.
I parked as close to the side door of the building as I could, hurrying out and around to help Jaz out of the car. If someone saw me with her, they might get the wrong idea, so I prayed we wouldn’t run into anyone. My apartment building was far from the nicest in town; in fact, I’d go so far as to say, since it sat in the heart of the city, it was one of the worst buildings around. Older, its insides needing an update. It’s what kept it affordable though, so I couldn’t complain too much about it.
Fortunately for me, luck was on my side. Jaz and I encountered no one as we made it to the elevator and headed to my apartment. I kept an arm slung around her waist as I reached for my keys and unlocked the door. I helped her inside, and then I flicked every single lock I’d installed. No more random rich boys waiting for me in my living room.
Yeah, the one time was bad enough.
I brought her to the bathroom, letting her go to close the lid on the toilet and instructing her, “Sit.”
Jaz sat with no complaints, though I had to say, she’d looked better. Now that I was able to see her in the light, I noticed her makeup had smeared from whatever liquid had soaked her face and chest. The feathers stuck to her dress haphazardly, ruining the garment’s fabric. I was sure the dress was salvageable, but all those feathers would need to be picked off, and then the dress heavily washed. But maybe dresses like that you couldn’t wash like other clothes.
If that thing was hand wash only, I’d say just throw it out. I didn’t have the patience for shit like that.
I left her, heading into the hall. The dress needed to dry, at the very least. And I was pretty sure I’d spotted a few flecks of vomit on its chest from when she upchucked on my shoes. Speaking of which…
I took off my shoes, went into the kitchen and threw them in the trash. Then I went to my bedroom, finding some old clothes I didn’t wear anymore. Having her return home in a soiled dress or a stranger’s clothes would be up to her. I didn’t care if she’d get in trouble, but my conscience would be clear because I’d kept her from getting into too much trouble tonight.
I shouldn’t have, but I did, and now it was too late to take it back. It wasn’t like I could throw her over my shoulder, drag her back to my car, and drop her off at that house. No, we’d passed the point of no return now, so I had to learn to make do, as would she.
Jaz should be grateful to me for my interference. Hell, I’d basically saved her. I’d seen guys in the house as well, and I knew what was on their minds, especially when they spotted a girl so incapacitated she couldn’t even speak right.
Once I had an old t-shirt and a pair of sweats in my hands, I returned to the bathroom, finding that she was working to take off her boots. Her fingers couldn’t hold the zipper properly, and I stood there for a moment, watching her fumble and try.
It was the weirdest thing, watching her attempt to do something so simple. A part of me wanted to laugh. Another part of me wanted to get annoyed and walk away…and yet, a teeny, tiny part of me wanted to help her.
Goddamn it. I shouldn’t want to help her at all. She was a job, not my problem to solve, not my ward to keep an eye on. She was nothing to me.
But, damn it all to hell, I moved closer, set the clothes on the bathroom counter, and knelt in front of her, swatting her hands away. “I’ll help you,” I growled out, “as long as you don’t throw up on me again.”
“I won’t,” she whispered a soft promise, blinking those warm, amber eyes at me.
I kept any following remarks to myself, because there was no way she could ever promise something like that. When you had to vomit, you had to vomit. There was no magical button to push and make the urge disappear.
My hands went to grip her left foot, and I held onto her ankle as I reached for the zipper, slowly pulling the boot off her foot and setting it aside. The same thing with the other boot. I got to my feet, gesturing to the clothes I’d put on the vanity. “You can change into these if you want. You will not sit on any couch of mine while wearing a dress full of feathers and, what I’m guessing, alcohol.” If this girl wanted to stay in the bathroom until she felt better, that was on her.
I turned around to leave, but I froze the moment I felt her hand grab my arm, her fingers lightly curling around it. My feet immediately stopped, and I turned my head to stare at the hand as if it was some alien thing.
I never wanted to touch this girl, but tonight, apparently all of my rules were thrown out of the window when I realized what dire straits she was in.
Stupid. It was fucking stupid, and I knew in the end I would probably regret what I did tonight. I was no angel, saving her was not my priority. I really should’ve just let her lie in her own bed, a bed of her making. I bet no one made her go to that party. Whoever had picked her up had lied to her, feeding her what she wanted to hear, and she believed him. She wanted to believe him.
Like I said: stupid.
I was about to hiss out a don’t touch me, but the moment our eyes met, my annoyance faded and instead I felt…a strange thing. Pity. Whatever was left of my heart hurt for this girl the moment I met those big brown eyes. Being lied to wasn’t fun. Being thrown to the wolves wasn’t, either.
Her breathing was hard, as if it was difficult for her to keep a steady rhythm in her lungs. Her feet, covered in tights, were flat on the floor as she slowly stood, her hand still on my arm. I didn’t turn to face her; couldn’t say why, but I was almost fearful of what I thought she’d say next.
“Can you…” Jaz blinked, her eyes like chocolate diamonds, sparkling in the fluorescent light. “Can you help me?”