them, she knew the tune. She figured out not only that song but the next, and the next, making a game of it, before Ryan came back. The plastic bag crinkled, the items within rattling as they settled on the leather passenger seat. Ryan got in and dug through it, handing back a few packages of wipes. “Here, take the bag for the dirty ones.” He fished out a plastic drink and handed it to her over the seat. “Water. You need it.” Another one crinkled as it went in his drink holder.
“Thank you.” Taking what he offered, she tore into the wipes without touching her water.
Becca cleaned Michael up using all of the packages of wipes, the last few sheets to clean her pink tinted fingers before she was done. Ryan cracked a window to help dissipate the strong baby powder smell, replacing it with fresh desert air. Los Angeles and its city scents were in their rearview mirrors. Resting a hand on Michael’s chest, Becca couldn’t find the comfort she sought.
“Kinda weird, isn’t it?” Ryan’s low voice reached her ears bringing her head up. “Them not having a heartbeat. It’s different.”
“Yeah.”
There was a long silence again before Becca felt like talking. When she did, it was quiet, knowing Ryan could hear her even over the sound of the wind rushing through the window. “Sometimes I miss the normal stuff; the heartbeat, the breathing, him being warm all the time. The sort of stuff you don’t realize you count on to tell if a guy’s mad or happy or whatever.” Her fingers splayed over his heart, waiting for the impossible. “If I could feel his heart, I’d know he was going to wake up.” Pain filled her voice and she met Ryan’s eyes in the mirror. “What if he doesn’t wake up? Can vampires suffer brain damage?”
He laughed, a short bark. “He’s still got his head and nobody set him on fire; this is nothing.” Then, gently, he added, “He’s strong, Becca. Whatever happened won’t cause any permanent damage. It looks worse than it is, trust me.”
They exchanged another look in the rearview and Becca gave a tight lipped smile before falling back into her own thoughts. Neither spoke another word until they returned to the ill-fit manor house in the desert. Upon arrival Ryan grabbed Michael and swung him over his shoulder, carried him up, and lay him on his bed. Becca moved alongside him and worked at his shoes while Ryan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
“You’re good for him, Bec.”
Part of her wanted to break at hearing that, but she kept at her task, setting his shoes beside the bed one at a time.
“Seriously, whatever happened out there, you can’t beat yourself up over it. Mike made a bad call trying to take you on the run, especially if he’s sick. But it’s good to see him alive like he is with you. I’ve never seen him like this before.” He snorted. “He’s sure as shit a lot more pleasant with you around even if he is all overprotective vamp sometimes.”
At that even Becca had to smile. “And you aren’t all territorial wolf sometimes?” She twisted her neck to catch Ryan grinning back. “I’m sorry about you and Gabs, Ryan. And I’m sorry tonight ended before you could, uh, get whatever you needed.” She eased her butt down next to Michael’s hip.
His grin faded and Ryan pushed off from the wall, dropping his arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“I know you’ll be fine. I wish you’d be happy.” She watched the pain flash in his eyes before he smiled and turned to leave.
“I’m going to check in with the admiral. I’ll let you know if you need to come down.”
She watched the door close behind him and turned back to Michael’s prone body, pulling the blanket from the foot of the bed over him. Trotting to her room, Becca changed into a pair of black sleep shorts and grey tee. If the admiral needed her tonight she could always throw her cargos on and head down. For
“Thank you.” Taking what he offered, she tore into the wipes without touching her water.
Becca cleaned Michael up using all of the packages of wipes, the last few sheets to clean her pink tinted fingers before she was done. Ryan cracked a window to help dissipate the strong baby powder smell, replacing it with fresh desert air. Los Angeles and its city scents were in their rearview mirrors. Resting a hand on Michael’s chest, Becca couldn’t find the comfort she sought.
“Kinda weird, isn’t it?” Ryan’s low voice reached her ears bringing her head up. “Them not having a heartbeat. It’s different.”
“Yeah.”
There was a long silence again before Becca felt like talking. When she did, it was quiet, knowing Ryan could hear her even over the sound of the wind rushing through the window. “Sometimes I miss the normal stuff; the heartbeat, the breathing, him being warm all the time. The sort of stuff you don’t realize you count on to tell if a guy’s mad or happy or whatever.” Her fingers splayed over his heart, waiting for the impossible. “If I could feel his heart, I’d know he was going to wake up.” Pain filled her voice and she met Ryan’s eyes in the mirror. “What if he doesn’t wake up? Can vampires suffer brain damage?”
He laughed, a short bark. “He’s still got his head and nobody set him on fire; this is nothing.” Then, gently, he added, “He’s strong, Becca. Whatever happened won’t cause any permanent damage. It looks worse than it is, trust me.”
They exchanged another look in the rearview and Becca gave a tight lipped smile before falling back into her own thoughts. Neither spoke another word until they returned to the ill-fit manor house in the desert. Upon arrival Ryan grabbed Michael and swung him over his shoulder, carried him up, and lay him on his bed. Becca moved alongside him and worked at his shoes while Ryan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
“You’re good for him, Bec.”
Part of her wanted to break at hearing that, but she kept at her task, setting his shoes beside the bed one at a time.
“Seriously, whatever happened out there, you can’t beat yourself up over it. Mike made a bad call trying to take you on the run, especially if he’s sick. But it’s good to see him alive like he is with you. I’ve never seen him like this before.” He snorted. “He’s sure as shit a lot more pleasant with you around even if he is all overprotective vamp sometimes.”
At that even Becca had to smile. “And you aren’t all territorial wolf sometimes?” She twisted her neck to catch Ryan grinning back. “I’m sorry about you and Gabs, Ryan. And I’m sorry tonight ended before you could, uh, get whatever you needed.” She eased her butt down next to Michael’s hip.
His grin faded and Ryan pushed off from the wall, dropping his arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“I know you’ll be fine. I wish you’d be happy.” She watched the pain flash in his eyes before he smiled and turned to leave.
“I’m going to check in with the admiral. I’ll let you know if you need to come down.”
She watched the door close behind him and turned back to Michael’s prone body, pulling the blanket from the foot of the bed over him. Trotting to her room, Becca changed into a pair of black sleep shorts and grey tee. If the admiral needed her tonight she could always throw her cargos on and head down. For
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