Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Rico

A nurak watched with dark eyes glimmering with fright as I set a first aid kit on my bed. He was still naked, though he didn’t even seem to notice—probably was so used to it that it was normal for him. And I’d been so focused on getting him out of that damn house and to my place where he’d be safe that I hadn’t even bothered giving him my shirt to wear. When I’d gotten him home, I’d just wanted to get the splinters out of his hands and knees, clean his wounds, and get him into a shower so he could get clean.

“What’s that?” he finally asked, his voice timid and small.

“A first aid kit,” I told him as I opened it up, revealing bandages, antiseptic spray, ointment, gauze, tape, tweezers, numbing spray, and a whole bunch of other shit that I would, unfortunately, probably need for him tonight.

It just made me even more furious on his behalf and made me angry with myself that I hadn’t taken my time torturing everyone in that house.

He frowned like he didn’t understand. “Why?”

I looked up at him from my crouched position, my brows furrowing. “What do you mean why , perrito ? You’re injured. You have splinters in your hands and knees. I need to get them out and clean your wounds.”

He shrugged like he still didn’t understand. “I…” He pursed his lips for a moment. “But this is normal.”

A low growl rumbled from my chest. I cupped his cheek, stroking my thumb over his soft skin. “Not anymore, it’s not, perrito . From now on, I’m going to take care of you. Real good care of you. Every injury you receive, I’ll doctor up. Understand?”

He blinked, then nodded. “Okay,” he said softly.

I grabbed his wrists and flipped his hands over to reveal his bruised, bloody palms. I sprayed numbing spray on his palms, giving it a minute to kick in before I grabbed the tweezers and set to work pulling every single splinter from his precious hands. When I was done, I did the same to his knees. He sat quiet and still, not even making a sound as I cleaned his wounds. And I knew it had to hurt. It just showed how brave and resilient he was.

“Alright,” I said, standing to my full height and helping him from the bed. “You need a shower, perrito . You can use anything in the shower, and you can take as long as you want.”

His eyes brightened, and something in my soul cracked. “Really?” The excitement in his voice just about did me in. Fuck, I couldn’t wait for these kinds of things to become normal for him. When he wouldn’t need my orders to shower. When he wouldn’t feel the need to have my permission to take extra long showers or even bubble baths.

I wanted the life I was going to provide him to become his normal .

“Yes, really,” I promised him. “Unless we have something planned, you can always take as long as you want in the shower.”

His eyes got all misty, but this time, he didn’t burst into tears on me. I’d damn near had a panic attack at the sight of his tears when I’d promised him he would always be safe with me. I hadn’t known what to do. For every tear I’d frantically wiped away, ten more fell. And it’d left me feeling even more unhinged.

Even though it’d been dangerous as fuck, I’d driven home with him straddling my thighs and cuddled up to me because it was the only way he’d calmed down.

Anurak was beautiful when he cried, but damn, his tears made me murderous, even if they were happy, relieved ones. Because he shouldn’t have been so relieved over safety to begin with. Safety should’ve always been something my sweet pup always had.

“I’ll grab you some of my clothes to wear while you shower. They might be a bit big, but that’s okay. We’ll get you some clothes that fit you tomorrow, okay?” I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and I didn’t miss the shiver that rolled down his spine at my affection, nor the way his body swayed toward me just the tiniest bit. “Go on and hop into the shower, perrito . When you get out, come join me in bed. You need rest.”

He nodded. “Okay.” Surprising the fuck out of me, he leaned up on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to my cheek before disappearing into the bathroom, flipping the light on. My heart did a funny little swoop that somehow made me lightheaded, and it took me a moment to regain my bearings.

Dipping into the closet, I grabbed one of my black t-shirts and a pair of my boxer briefs, heading to the bathroom with them clutched in my grasp. When I walked into the bathroom, Anurak was just standing under the multiple shower heads, a smile on his sweet face as the hot water ran over his body. Keeping extra quiet, I set the clothes on the counter, not wanting to startle him. I wanted him to enjoy this. His first night of freedom. The first hot shower without anyone yelling at him to hurry up.

After slipping out of the bathroom, I changed into a pair of sweats, forgoing a shirt, and slid into bed, bracing my back against the headboard. I was answering my twelfth email when Anurak stepped out of the bathroom wearing my clothes, his hair damp and sticking up in all directions.

“Come here, perrito ,” I murmured, pulling back the blankets. He quickly scurried to the bed on his scrawny legs and curled up beside me, resting his cold, damp head on my chest. Locking my phone, I set it down beside me and wrapped my arm around him, holding him close to me. “Go on to sleep,” I said softly. “When you wake up in the morning, we’ll have pancakes, eggs, and bacon.”

“Thank you,” he said softly.

I frowned, reaching up to rake my fingers through his wet hair. “What for, perrito ?”

“For saving me,” he said quietly. He pressed a kiss to my chest, and my muscles clenched in response before releasing and relaxing me. “I think I’m going to really like living with you, Rico.”

My heart clenched in my chest. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, squeezing my arm around him tighter when he shivered.

“I’m going to really like living with you, too, Anurak,” I said softly.