I needed to hear her voice, and then I’d know without a shadow of a doubt.
She was beautiful nonetheless, with dark, almost black hair that hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She was tiny, would be in comparison to standing next to me. Her body was womanly, with curves I could make out underneath her jeans and T-shirt.
She lifted her head and stopped as soon as our gazes met. I swore she held her breath. I know I did. She was gorgeous, with eyes so blue they were like sapphires. And the contrast abasing her dark hair and alabaster skin was unlike anything I ever encountered in my life.
Maybe I died, and she was the angel waiting to take me to wherever the fuck I deserved to go.
This was the first time I was looking at her with a clear head and vision. The times before, she’d been blurry, since I was unable to focus, hanging onto the things like her scent and touch, the sound of her. But God, I never anticipated this was what she looked like.
I’d never seen a person so painfully beautiful.
“You’re up,” she whispered, almost as if to herself. She looked to the door, and I knew she was either going to bolt or go get someone else.
“Please, don’t go.” I don’t know why I said that. The words tumbled out before I could stop them. I never begged for anything, but hell, I’d done that right now. “Please, come here.” I needed her to be closer. I wanted some alone time with her so I could really examine her, so I could have this moment without my brothers and their women coming in.
“They’ll want to know you’re up,” she said a little louder this time, but still soft enough only I could probably hear. “They’ve been so worried.”
I bet they had, and I didn’t want to make them worry anymore, but I needed this moment to be just us. I needed this right now.
She stepped closer before I could tell her that, and with each step she came to me, the more this excited energy and anticipation thrummed through my veins.
I held my breath the closer she got, and when she was only a foot from the bed, I actually reached out for her. “You can’t be real,” I said under my breath. Fuck, I hadn’t meant to say that out loud, and judging by the widening of her eyes and the little tilt of her mouth, she hadn’t expected that to come out of me either.
“What’s your name?” I asked, still holding my hand out, praying to whoever would listen that she’d slip hers in mine and let me touch her.
She swallowed, and I found the motion of her slender throat working so damn feminine. “Zoey,” she whispered, and I could sense her nervousness, practically see it coming from her in waves.
Zoey. Zoey. Zoey.
I played her name over and over in my head, knowing I’d never get enough.
“Zoey.” It sounded good rolling off my tongue. “Come closer.” She probably thought I was a fucking lunatic. I didn’t care though, as long as she gave me what I desperately needed. She looked down at my hand, and I held my breath again as I watched her lift hers and put it in mine.
And there it was. Her touch. I had the feeling of her ingrained in my memory, in my fucking body for the rest of my damn life and even after that.
This had to be the most bizarre, incredible moment of my life, and I couldn’t even place why. We didn’t know each other—well, I knew nothing about her. Why was she here? I prayed like hell she wasn’t Frankie’s girl. I knew he hadn’t been with a woman in a helluva long fucking time, because he was hung up on some female from his past. But maybe he caved? Damn, I certainly would if Zoey was in my life.
And the thought of my twin having her… would not happen.
I almost died, wasn’t a good man in the normal sense of being a law-abiding citizen, and have gone through a lot of shit in my life, but having Zoey here, her hand in mine, everything seemed… right.
I used a little bit of force and pulled her forward even more until she was now sitting on the edge of the bed. And then I inhaled deeply, taking in her scent that I’d become addicted to.
God, yes. There it was, sweet and clean, like a hint of cotton candy with clean laundry.
I said nothing. I couldn’t even find any words in this moment.
I was speechless as I stared into her bright blue eyes. I could tell she was nervous, could feel the tension as she held my hand. I found myself stroking my thumb back and forth over her skin. She was so soft.
I finally snapped out of whatever trance I was in, cleared my throat, and reluctantly pulled my hand from her so I could brace my palms on the mattress and push myself up a bit. The motion jarred my body, and I hissed, clenching my teeth but finally getting myself propped up against the headboard.
Zoey had this concerned expression on her face, her eyes wide as she worried her bottom lip with her straight white teeth. I could see her hands were outstretched slightly, as if she meant to help me or maybe stop me.
“Please be careful,” she said with so much genuine concern it had my gut twisting. “I really should get someone.”
I shook my head slowly and placed my hand on her forearm. She was so tense under my touch, and I hated it. “In a minute.” She nodded after a second and visibly relaxed but only marginally. “Who are you? Where’d you come from?” I finally asked, my voice so fucking hoarse from not speaking for… however long I’d been out. I had a lot of fucking questions, but nothing was more important than finding out more about Zoey. “Are you and Frankie...?” I trailed off, because saying the words was like acid on my tongue. And even then, I had to grit those four words out through clenched teeth.
I loved my brother—my twin—but the very thought of him and Zoey together… not gonna happen.
She shook her head then glanced at her lap for a second before drawing her eyes back up to mine. I saw a flash of anger in her blue eyes, and instantly I wanted to beat whoever’s ass had put it there. “I was in the alley the night you got shot.” She swallowed, and I saw that anger dissipate a little. “I saw you get shot... and your twin saw me.”
Shit. I knew where this was going before she even finished. “He took you, didn’t he?” She knitted her brows as if confused that I already figured it out. But she didn’t know my brothers. She’d seen too much, and that meant she was a liability. And on top of it, I’d been shot, probably bleeding the fuck out, and Frankie most likely wigged out. He was as easygoing as they came and sure as shit didn’t hurt or kidnap women. But under pressure?
Fuck.
I straightened, my muscles tightening. “He didn’t... he didn’t hurt you, right?”
She furrowed her brows again and slowly shook her head. “No. I would have done some damage if he tried.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. This girl had fire in her veins.
Mine.
That one word bounced around in my head, and as fucking insane as it was to claim ownership of a female, especially one I literally just met, it still seemed pretty fucking right.
“So Frankie kidnapped you, and he’s keeping you here against your will?” Just my fucking luck that this woman—this angel— was here against her will. Yet despite no doubt hating everyone in this fucking house, here she sat beside me on the bed, letting me touch her hand, memories of her singing to me, of her comforting me, so damn real it tightened my chest.