Rubi nodded and made himself scarce.
That left me with an unconscious Russian mobster, a dog, and a man I didn’t think I could love any more than I did right now.
Locke was still in wet clothes. We both were, but heeding Rubi’s warning, I knew the chances of coaxing him away to rectify that were slim.
His hair was shorter than Nash’s, but since the summer when I’d cut it to help Ivy feel better about the botch-job her crazy ma had done on her, it had grown out enough that it had a slight wave when it was damp.
I ran my fingers through it, picking out twigs. “You look worse than Folk and Alexei did when they came home.”
Locke hummed. “Bet I don’t feel as bad.”
“How do you feel?”
He cracked an eye. “Like I could sleep for a thousand years and it wouldn’t be enough—fuck, I need to call my brother.”
“Now?”
Locke blew out a breath. “No. I can text him, though. Where did I put that fuckin’ phone?”
He moved to sit up again.
I pressed a hand to his chest. “Stay. I’ll find it.”
“Stay, queenie? Thought you said I wasn’t a dog?”
It felt so good to hear him call me that again. My eyes burned as I searched the floor for Locke’s phone.
I found it by my knee and handed it over with a sniff. “Willow might be asleep. She was up all night.”
“You’ve been talking to her?”
“Every day. Nash too. She thinks you went away with Dodger.”
“Who?”
“Exactly. I was worried she’d drive over here and catch me out if I said anyone real.”
“Aw, fuck. Now she’s going to ask me a hundred questions about this random dude she’s never heard of before.”
“I know. That’s why I was vague about him, so you can invent a whole new person.”
Locke stared, and I found myself longing for the crooked grin that made his eyes crinkle. I knew he was so far beyond tired I couldn’t think of a word to describe it, but how was it possible that my prayers had been answered, and yet I still missed him so much?
He was too wrecked to type out text messages.
I did it for him, then persuaded him to drink his tea and lean on me while I rubbed the base of his neck. “Sleep if you want. Decoy will be back soon. We can look after Viktor until Folk gets here.”
Locke heaved a soft sigh against my shoulder. “It’s not that. Viktor’s going to be okay.”
“Then what is it?” I eased back to find his gaze. “Why won’t you let us take care of you?”
Locke raised his hand to my face, brushing my wet straggly hair back with the barest sweep of his finger. “I love you. And Nash too. The whole time I’ve been gone, I couldn’t stop thinking about you both.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Locke shivered, how cold and wet he was beginning to show. “It’s not a bad thing. Loving you is the best version of me I’ve ever been, but... I did some horrible fuckin’ shit to make it home, and I don’t know how I’m ever going to sleep on that.”
“Because you have blood on your hands?”