Absolution | +18

Chapter 34

Val

Silas silently carries me out, his arms holding me securely as if I weigh nothing, while I clutch Pepper close to my chest. I notice the driver's side door of his car is still open, like he didn't waste a second getting to me. The realization stirs something in me—a mix of gratitude and something more complicated. He gently places me in the passenger seat, but before stepping back, he pauses. His eyes meet Pepper's, and for a split second, I think he's about to say something, but then he doesn't. Instead, he shuts the door and walks around to the driver's seat.

The drive back is wordless. I stare out the window, watching the blurred city lights as we pass, trying to distract myself from the whirl of thoughts circling my mind. Silas's hand suddenly rests on my thigh, and I flinch, startled by the warmth of his touch. It's only then I realize I've been shaking, my knee bouncing uncontrollably from anxiety. I freeze, swallowing down the panic, and focus on the weight of his hand, trying to let it ground me.

When we pull up to his building, Silas is already out of the car, grabbing my bag and swiftly coming around to pick me up again, as if I'm too fragile to walk. My arms wrap tighter around Pepper, her soft fur brushing against my cheek. We move through the lobby in silence, the click of his boots on the floor echoing with each step. I don't make a sound, too lost in my own head to form words.

Inside his apartment, he sets me down on the bed in the guest room and places my bag next to me. The exhaustion from the night hits me all at once, but beneath that is something worse—a feeling of filth, like my skin is crawling. I look down at the floor, gripping my arms tightly, trying to keep it together. My breathing quickens as I feel the weight of the night's events suffocating me.

Without a word, Silas walks out of the room. I sit there, staring at the floor, and pull off my shoes. I feel disgusting—inside and out. But when he returns, he doesn't speak. He picks me up again, effortlessly, and carries me through the living room, past the shadows of his apartment, and into his bathroom.

The sight makes me pause—a huge white bathtub filled with warm bubbles, steam rising in the air. It's the kind of thing I would have found peaceful, under different circumstances. Silas sets me down gently, his hands pausing over my clothes, his eyes meeting mine. It's a silent question, and I give him a small nod.

His hands are surprisingly careful as he undresses me, peeling off my torn shirt and ripped skirt, followed by his jacket. His eyes sweep over me, but they aren't filled with lust—they're more intent, focused. Admiring, but also protective. But when he sees the ripped stitches on my side, his expression hardens. His jaw clenches, and I follow his gaze down to my injury. No wonder I've been hurting so badly—tonight's chaos must have torn the stitches open.

His voice is low, filled with barely restrained anger. "I wish that fucker was alive so I could kill him again."

I shiver at the intensity of his words but can't help the question that follows. "Will you get in trouble for what you did?"

Silas shakes his head, his eyes dark and unwavering. "No. I've got it handled."

He shifts his gaze toward the bathtub, and I know he's about to lift me in, but something stops me. I look him over, from his bloodstained clothes to his tired, fierce expression. His hands, still smeared with Sam's blood. I don't want to be in the water alone, not tonight. Not after everything.

"Can you... get in with me?" My voice is small, but the request is filled with more need than I care to admit.

For a moment, Silas just stares at me, but then a slight smirk crosses his face, and he nods. Slowly, he starts to undress, pulling off his shirt, his boots, his jeans. I've seen him shirtless before, but never like this—never with the quiet intimacy of the moment hanging between us. His body is broad, strong, his skin inked with intricate tattoos that seem to tell stories of their own. My eyes trail over the details, the lines, the shading—and then down further before I snap my gaze back up, feeling the heat rush to my face.