Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Jaxon

“ F uck, baby,” a familiar male voice said softly. Long, thick fingers combed through my hair. An embarrassing whimper slipped up my aching, sore throat. “He’s burning up, Eros.”

I slowly opened my eyes, my head hurting so badly, another tiny whimper of pain slipped past my lips before I could stop it. Zeppelin was sitting on the bed beside me, his fingers combing through my hair. Concern and sadness lingered in his dark gaze as he drank me in.

“What—” I croaked, then winced. Talking hurt . My throat was so fucking sore, even the mere act of swallowing made me want to claw my fucking throat out.

“Easy,” Zeppelin said softly, leaning over to brush his lips to my forehead. His lips felt so cool against my hot skin, and I missed him the moment he pulled back. Eros appeared beside him and began to sponge my hot skin with a cool rag. I shivered when he moved the blanket to reach my neck and collarbone. “You’re sick as fuck, baby. What did you do to yourself?” Zeppelin asked, stroking his thumb over my cheek.

Why were they here? How the hell did they even find me? Why was Zeppelin here? Him of all people? I thought he hated me for what I’d done.

I was so confused. And my head hurt too damn much to try to figure out what was going on.

“How…” I rasped, closing my eyes as Zeppelin fixed the blankets piled on top of me. Where had all these blankets come from? What the fuck was even happening right now?

“You used Spencer’s debit card to pay for your hotel instead of your own. He was concerned, and he called me,” Eros gently explained, his voice sounding like I was hearing him from underwater. Why were my ears so stuffy?

Had I used his debit card? Fuck, I didn’t even remember getting this hotel. Was I that drunk still? The last thing I truly remembered was getting fucking wasted in front of Penelope’s headstone. When had I left the cemetery?

“We jumped on the next flight here,” Zeppelin told me. “I know you’re confused,” he said when I looked at him, my brows furrowing, “but for now, please just rest. Get some sleep. You’re really sick, Jax baby. Your fever is almost high enough to take you to the emergency room. Eros had to talk me off the fucking ledge when we got here.”

I tried clearing my throat, only to groan in pain. Zeppelin got off the bed just as Eros laid down beside me and pulled me into his arms, squeezing me to his warm body. I sank into him, letting him heat me up in a way all these blankets that were piled on top of me could never hope of doing. He rested his chin on the top of my head and stroked his hands up and down my back, soothing me to sleep.

“I love you,” Eros whispered. I tried blinking my eyes open, but they weren’t working. “I know us showing up here is confusing as fuck for you, but I love you. We both do. So, for now, please let us take care of you, and we’ll talk once you’re better and a little more coherent, okay?”

I nodded, breathing in the scent of him—something spicy with a hint of lavender. Zeppelin leaned over, the bed dipping behind me where his hands were pressing into the mattress, and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I love you,” he told me quietly. “And I’m so, so, so fucking sorry, Jax baby.” His apology feathered over my skin, soothing something deep inside my chest that’d been burning me for days now. “I’m going to get you some medication and food. Let Eros take care of you. Please .”

I nodded since talking hurt too much. He brushed another kiss to my skin—this time to the shell of my ear. A moment later, I heard the hotel room door open and quietly click shut. Eros squeezed me to him. “Get some sleep,” Eros softly told me. “When you wake up again, we’ll get some medicine in you, as well as some food, and then, we’ll see if you can manage a shower. You smell like a liquor store.”

My lips quirked in amusement. I did remember drinking two liters of cheap Vodka. I could still taste it in my mouth, which wasn’t all that pleasant. But there was no way I was making it out of bed to even try to remedy that issue.

Eros shivered when I slid my palm beneath his shirt, sliding it over his flat stomach and the blonde hair that I knew trailed from his belly button and disappeared beneath his jeans. I wanted to be skin-to-skin with him. Fucking needed it. I felt like shit, and he was the only thing making me feel even somewhat better at the moment.

Eros, somehow sensing what I needed, sat up and pulled his t-shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor. He unbuttoned his jeans and shucked them off with his boxers before sliding beneath the heavy blankets with me again, molding our fronts together. I shivered when his hard cock brushed against my belly, but we ignored it. Wasn’t like I could get my body to cooperate anyway. I felt like death.

I sank back into his hold, burrowing my head beneath the warm blankets to nuzzle against his chest. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he clutched me to him even tighter.

“I love you so, so fucking much, Jaxon,” he whispered. “And this shit will be put to rights.” He stroked his hand down my bare spine. “I’m not fucking losing you.”