Guarding Grace

Chapter Ten

    Grace lay in the bed staring at the ceiling trying to work out why Dark Annie would want to hurt Ryder, a nobody. He was nothing more than an errand boy for MAdame Genesis.
    Grace sat up, Madame Genesis! She knew that the brothel owner would have answers if no one else did. She knew very little of her, only that she kept those who she deemed important close to her. Binding them to her by plying them with drugs, which meant that Ryder was important to her. But why was an errand boy important to the richest brothel owner in the city?
    Grace sat on the edge of the bed, trying to create a plan to sneak out to see Madame Genesis without Hunter or Ryder knowing. She needed to get to Red Light and back quickly and quietly. No one could know.
    Grace jumped as her door opened, Ryder walked in and sat beside her on the bed. "You weren't there when I woke up." His eyes watching the floor, "I thought you had left. You've always been there when I woke up."
    Grace looked over at Ryder, "I was asleep. I'm sorry. I just can't believe that I poisoned you. I-"
    Ryder grabbed her hand, "Never willingly and never knowingly. Understand?" Still watching the floor, he continued, "I don't think you could ever purposely hurt anyone. You're too pure." She watched a smile cross his face fleetingly. "You're a true angel."
    Grace shook her head, "If I was an angel I would have known what was in those powders." She felt him squeeze her hand, "I still don't know."
    Ryder's shoulders rose in a shrug, "Doesn't matter." He turned to her and laughed, "You look like hell." He wrapped his arm around her waist laying backwards, "Lay with me, you need more sleep."
    Grace allowed herself to be pulled down into Ryder's arms, turning towards him she buried her face into his chest. She stayed quiet, begging the tears to not fall, soon she felt his breathing even out and deepen.
    When she was sure he was asleep, she let the tears fall. Crying silently, she heard the door open again, she was scared to look and see Hunter's disappointment. She buried her face deeper into Ryder's shirt in hopes that Hunter would leave. But instead she felt the bed dip down at her back and an arm wrap around her, Hunter's breath on her ear as he whispered, "You didn't do it on purpose puppy. No tears about it. Get some rest, it'll be a while before we go anywhere."
    Grace nodded as she listened to both men's breathing. Hunter's heat at her back and Ryder's ice at her chest, Grace found herself drifting off to sleep.

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    Grace woke up several hours later with her face pressed against Ryder's chest, she tried to roll over and found herself plastered against Hunter's chest. Blowing her hair out of her face, she tried to wiggle out of the sandwich she found herself in. "Be still." Hunter's gruff voice commanded her, his arm tightening around her waist.
    She felt Ryder shift slightly, his breathing shallow. Hunter's eyes shot open and he reached for Ryder's shoulder, Grace gently slapped his hand. She rubbed Ryder's chest making soft shushing sounds. "It's ok. You're ok." Ryder's breathing deepened and evened out again. Quietly she admonished Hunter, "You don't wake someone up from a nightmare. You don't know what they are seeing."
    Hunter rolled his eyes, "So you aren't completely lost."
    Grace rolled over and slapped his chest, "I know a lot more than you think I do."
    A deep chuckle sounded in his chest, "Never claimed you didn't know anything, just saying you are always lost."
    Grace sighed and closed her eyes, Hunter's grip on her waist tightened again. She knew she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She rested her head on Hunter's chest, listening to his breathing.  Soon Hunter's breathing was in time with Ryder's and she knew that they were both in a deep sleep, lazily she wondered if their hearts beat in the same rhythm as well.
    That was the last thought she had as she drifted off to sleep once again.