"Good for you, my sister. That is... very good."
With a final smile of reassurance, Payne got to her feet and took her leave of the female. As she walked back to the quarters, she found herself rubbing that ache that had formed in the center of her chest.
Wrath couldn't get here fast enough, as far as she was concerned.
Chapter Thirty-three
Xhex woke up to John Matthew's scent.
That and fresh coffee.
As her lids lifted, her eyes found him in the dim recovery room. He was back in the chair he'd started out in, his torso twisted around as he poured coffee out of a dark green thermos into a mug. He'd put his leathers and his T-shirt on again, but his feet were bare.
When he turned toward her, he froze, his brows shooting up. And even though the java had been on the way to his mouth, he immediately put it out for her to take.
Man, didn't that just sum him up in a nutshell.
"No, please," she said. "It's yours."
He paused as if considering whether or not to argue the point. But then he put the porcelain rim to his lips and sipped.
Feeling a little more steady, Xhex threw off the covers and slid her legs out from under. As she stood up, her towel fell from her and she heard John take a hissing breath.
"Oh, sorry," she muttered, bending down and snagging the terry cloth.
She didn't blame him for not wanting a gander at the scar that was still healing across her lower belly. Not exactly what you needed to see right before you ate your breakfast.
Wrapping herself up, she padded into the loo, used the facilities, and washed her face. Her body was rebounding well, her collection of bruises disappearing, her legs feeling stronger under her weight. And thanks to the rest and her feeding from him, her aches were no longer outright painful, but more just a series of vague discomforts.
When she came out from the bathroom, she said, "You think I can borrow some clothes from someone?"
John nodded, but motioned to the bed. Clearly he wanted her to eat first and she was on board with that plan.
"Thanks," she said, tightening the towel around her br**sts. "What you got in there?"
As she sat down, he offered her a variety of things, and she took the turkey sandwich because the need for protein was a craving she couldn't turn down. From his chair, John watched her eat the thing, just drinking his coffee, and the second she was finished, he brought out a Danish that proved too tempting.
The combination of cherry and sweet glaze made her jones for some coffee. And what do you know, John was right there with a mug, as if he were reading her mind.
She polished off a second Danish and a bagel. And a glass of OJ. And two cups of coffee.
And it was funny. The silence of him had a bizarre effect on her. Normally, she was the quiet one in situations, preferring to keep her own council and not share her thoughts on anything. But with John's mute presence, she felt curiously compelled to talk.
"I'm stuffed," she said, lying back against the pillows. As he cocked a brow and lifted the last Danish, she shook her head. "God... no. I couldn't manage another thing."
And it was only then that he began to eat.
"You waited for me?" she said, frowning. When he ducked her gaze and shrugged, she cursed softly. "You didn't have to."
Another shrug.
As she watched him, she murmured, "You have beautiful table manners."
His blush was the color of Valentine's Day and she had to tell her heart to calm the f**k down as it started to beat fast.
Then again, maybe she was having palpitations because she'd just thrown close to two thousand calories into her empty gut.
Or not. When John started to lick the frosting from his fingertips, she caught sight of his tongue and for a moment, she felt a stirring in her body--
Memories of Lash crushed the fragile bloom between her legs, the images taking her back to that bedroom, back to him on top of her, forcing her legs apart with his hard hands--
"Oh, f**k..." Lunging off the bed, she scrambled to the toilet and just barely made it in time.
It all came up. The two Danishes. The coffee. That turkey sandwich. Complete evac of everything she'd eaten.
As she heaved, she didn't feel the vomiting. She felt Lash's awful mitts on her skin... his body inside of hers, pounding away--
Annnnd there was the orange juice.
Oh, God... how had she gone through that with the bastard time and time again? The fists and the struggle and the biting... then the brutal sex.
Over and over and over... and then the aftermath. Washing him off of her. Out of her.
Fuck--
Another wave of heaving cut off her thoughts and though she hated throwing up, the shutdown on her brain was a relief. It was almost as if her body was trying to physically exorcise the trauma, just blow it out so that she could start over.
A reboot through booting, so to speak.
When the worst of the vomiting finished off, she sank onto her heels and rested her clammy forehead on her arm. As her breath sawed up and down her throat, her gag reflex quivered like it was considering getting organized again.
Nothing else in there, she told the damn thing. Not unless it wanted to try spring-loading her lungs.
Shit, she hated this part. Right after you'd been through hell, your mind and your environment were full of land mines and you never knew what could set off an explosion. Sure, over time, it faded, but the initial salvo back into "regular life" was a bitch and a half.
She lifted her head and hit the flusher.
As a cool washcloth brushed against her hand, she jumped, but it was just John, nothing for her to be frightened of.
And man, he had the only thing she really wanted at that moment: that clean, damp, cold washcloth was a godsend.
Burying her face in it, she shuddered in relief. "I'm sorry about that food. It was really good going down."
Time for Doc Jane.
As Xhex sat sprawled naked on the floor in front of the toilet, John kept one eye on her and the other on the phone as he texted.
The second he hit send, he tossed the cell up onto the counter and pulled a fresh towel down from the stack next to the sink.
He wanted to give Xhex some modesty, but he was also having a hard time looking at how her spine threatened to break through the skin of her back. Wrapping her up, he let his hands linger on her shoulders.
He wanted to pull her into his chest, but he didn't know if she'd be into getting that clo--
Xhex eased back flush against him and arranged the towel, crossing the two halves over her front. "Let me guess. You hit up the good doctor."
Moving himself around, he set his palms on the floor to support his torso and put his knees up so she was cradled on all sides by him. Not bad, he thought. The loo wasn't right in her face, but if she needed it, all she had to do was sit up straight.
"I'm not sick," she said, her voice hoarse. "From the operation or anything. Just ate too fast."
Maybe, he thought. But then, there was no harm in Doc Jane's checking her over. Besides, they needed clearance before they went out tonight, assuming that was even possible now.
"Xhex? John?"
John whistled at the sound of the doctor's voice, and a moment later Vishous's female put her head into the bathroom.
"A party? And I didn't get invited," she said, coming in.
"Well, technically, I think you were," Xhex muttered. "I'm okay."
Jane knelt down and though her smile was warm, her eyes were sharp as they went over Xhex's face. "What's going on here?"
"I got sick after I ate."
"Mind if I take your temperature?"
"I'd prefer not to have anything near the back of my throat right now, if you don't mind."
Jane took a white instrument out of her bag. "I can do it by your ear."
John was shocked when Xhex's hand found his and squeezed hard as if she needed some support. To let her know he was there for whatever she needed, he squeezed back, and the instant he did, her shoulders eased up and she relaxed again.
"Knock yourself out, Doc."
Xhex tilted her head and what do you know, it ended up right on his shoulder. So he really couldn't help but put his cheek on the downy soft curls and breathe in deep.
As far as he was concerned, the good doctor worked much too quickly. Just in, a beep, and she was pulling back--which meant Xhex put her head up again.
"No fever. Would you mind if I looked at your incision?"
Xhex pulled a reveal, parting the towel and exposing her belly and the stripe that ran across her lower abdomen.