Devoured Read online

  “What isn’t dead?”

  Tess tried to think how to explain.

  “Chivalry. It’s uh…an Earth concept. The idea that a man should treat a lady with respect and do little things like…like opening her door, carrying her luggage…stuff like that.” She could feel her cheeks getting warm. “It’s silly, really—I was just thinking that you seem to be a natural at it.”

  “Thank you,” he said, lifting her heavy duffel out of the back seat. “But I’m just doing what any male would do for any female.”

  “Uh…sure.” Tess nodded, thinking of how Pierce had never done any of those things. Then again, it wasn’t like they had traveled much. Her ex had liked keeping her locked away too much to indulge in any weekend getaways.

  She winced as she took a few steps for the first time in several hours. The last stop they had made was at a gas station to fill up Uncle Jackson’s fuel guzzling Ford and she had stiffened up considerably since then.

  “Tess…” Garron’s deep voice sounded so worried she looked around at him.

  “What? Is everything okay?”

  “No. Your back…” He gestured, concern written all over his face. “It looks worse—much worse.”

  Tess tried to look over her shoulder with very little success. She couldn’t see much but some dried blood and the motion really hurt her back and neck. The pain went nicely with the knot of tension she could feel growing in her gut. She knew her back looked bad—how could it not? It felt like raw hamburger. But it wasn’t like he had to point it out all over again.

  “I’m not surprised,” she said grimly. “This kind of thing gets worse before it gets better. Sorry if it grosses you out—I’ll deal with it once we get in the room. In the mean time here—give me my sweater out of the duffel.”

  She shrugged carefully into the black sweater. It wasn’t very comfortable but at least it covered the bloody blotches on the back of her shirt. It also covered her breasts which was good—she felt more exposed now that she was standing out in the cold night air.

  “It’s not that it makes me feel ill, at least, not for the reason you seem to think.” His voice was hoarse. “You talk as though you’re used to it—to this level of brutality. I just…I don’t see how that bastard could have…”

  “He beat me with his belt, all right?” Tess snapped. “The buckle end, which was a first. But it was not the first time he came after me. So yes, I know what to expect. Can we please go get the hotel room now?”

  She knew she sounded defensive but she couldn’t help it. The big Kindred didn’t seem to be the “blame the victim” kind of guy, but his words reminded her of people she’d met who were. “Well why did you go back to him? What were you thinking? Did you really believe him when he said he’d changed?”

  You couldn’t explain to people like that how trapped you felt—how isolated you were once you’d been cut off from your friends and family, uprooted and moved halfway across the country to a town you didn’t know, where you weren’t allowed to finish school or have any kind of decent job. Not in a way they would understand, anyway.

  “I’m sorry,” Garron said in a low voice. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “No, I’m sorry.” Tess sighed. “It just hurts like hell and I’m really tired and cranky right now. I left Pierce months ago and I guess I thought…thought this part of my life was over.” She motioned at her back. “Guess I was wrong.”

  “No.” His eyes flashed. “You were right. Didn’t I tell you he’ll never touch you again?”

  Sure—for as long as you want to hang around. Until your guilt runs out or you decide you were dreaming about somebody else and you want to go back to the Mother Ship.

  Tess didn’t say any of it out loud. She simply nodded and gave him a tight smile.

  “Forget about me for a minute—how are your hands?” she said as lightly as she could, trying to change the subject.

  “Better.” He held them out, palms up, and she was surprised to see that the abrasions he’d gotten while yanking the anti-theft mesh out of the window were almost healed.

  “Amazing!” The nurse in her wanted to examine them more closely. She took one of his hands between her own, much smaller ones, and looked at it closely. “How is this possible?”

  He shrugged. “Kindred heal more quickly than humans.”

  “Well, that’s…oh!” A wave of dizziness hit her, causing her to grip his hand for support.

  “Tess? Are you all right?” Garron sounded really concerned. He reached out to support her with his other hand as well but she shook her head and stepped back. Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight even though it made her back feel like someone had set it on fire.

  “Fine—I’m fine. Just really tired. Come on, let’s get a room.”

  Garron looked like he wanted to say more. Instead, he followed her wordlessly into the hotel lobby where a sleepy night clerk agreed to let them have a king single room even though it was nearly four thirty in the morning. They rode silently in the elevator up to the third floor and found their room.

  Tess opened the door with the keycard since Garron was carrying her duffel. He followed her into the room, but when he tried to follow her into the bathroom, she drew the line.

  “No,” she said firmly, keeping a hand on the knob. “This is a private place. See the toilet and shower? People get naked in this room and I’m not about to get naked in front of you. I mean, just because you saw me with my towel half off earlier…” He didn’t just see you—he held you…felt you pressed against him, whispered a little voice in her head. She felt her cheeks getting red. “I just…I need a little time to myself, okay?”

  “I know why you want time to yourself.” Garron frowned. “And it’s not all about modesty. You’re going to try to see to your back—but you can’t treat injuries like that alone.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Tess shifted uncomfortably. “Honestly, I’m a nurse—or I was almost one, anyway. I’ve got my LPN, just not my RN. Anyway, the point is, I can manage.”

  “No, you can’t.” His deep voice was stern. “And you’re not going to try. Take some time to bathe if that’s what you want to do. After that, come out and let me help you.”

  Tess set her jaw. She wasn’t going to have him helping her—not after the way he’d freaked out about her back earlier. Also, even though he had seen her half naked before, she didn’t intend to repeat the performance. She had too many big-girl body issues to go prancing around in the nude—especially in front of a guy like Garron who was in perfect shape and looked like he’d stepped off the front cover of Men’s Health.

  “I don’t think so,” she said shortly.

  “I do.” He looked at her, his jewel-toned eyes blazing into hers.

  “I don’t really care what you think.” She was aware that it sounded childish but she didn’t care. She hated feeling like a victim and she’d had enough of men telling her what to do.

  “Tess—”

  “I’ll be out in a little while. Don’t worry, I won’t use all the hot water.”

  She shut the door firmly in his face and then took a deep breath and pressed her forehead against the door. Why was she being so bitchy to him? He was just trying to help, after all.

  But I don’t want to need help. I don’t like feeling this way—wounded…cornered…vulnerable. Indeed, she’d liked it a whole lot better back when he thought she wasn’t real—when she was just an artificial girl without any real problems or personality. At least then he hadn’t looked at her with pity in those gorgeous eyes of his. At least he hadn’t been horrified by what had happened to her.

  Tess sighed and took off her sweater and yoga pants—though she kept on her panties—and started to pull off her shirt. Or tried to, anyway—but the shirt wouldn’t come off.

  The pink cotton t-shirt was stuck to the skin of her back. Indeed, the fabric seemed to have bonded to the places where Pierce’s buckle had cut her especially deep.

  Tess gave a low hiss of pa