ChapterFour
Consciousness came to Jessa like hot water starting to boil. The first thing her brain registered was a dull throb in her head.
With her body rising to the surface, that throb grew more pronounced. Everything hurt on her. Even breathing had a low hiss falling from her lips. Opening her eyes, she had to blink several times to have the room come into focus.
A window to her left showed darkness. The silvery glow filtered through the glass and left a square of color on the ground. She pushed herself up, wincing as her muscles protested at the movement.
Pushing away her pain, she thought back to how she had gotten here, wherever here was. A look around the room offered her no information on where she was. A mirrored dresser sat directly in front of the bed.
There were three doors in the room, a bathroom, closet, and the exit she presumed. Two of them were to her left, and the third to her right. She slipped from the bed and gritted her teeth as every muscle and bone in her body bitched her out at the movement.
When her legs were hanging off the bed she looked down at herself and saw she still wore her jeans and sweater. Images of her screaming and then her car skidding out of control slammed into her mind.
The last thing she remembered was seeing a huge tree coming at her. After that the world went dark, and now here she was. Someone had found her, miraculously. She owed them her life. Lifting her hand, she felt the bandage wrapped around her forehead.
It was so tender right above her right eye, so much that even the lightest touch of her fingers across the bandage had her gasping.
Even the soles of her feet hurt as she stood and walked toward the door to her right. She glanced around the floor, but didn’t see her shoes anywhere.
Griping the handle, she opened the door. Light from a fire caused shadows to dance along the walls. She looked left and then right, but the only thing she could see to her right was a hallway and several closed doors.
She turned left toward the firelight. The cold from the hardwood floor seeped through her socks, and she wrapped her arms around her waist. When she rounded the corner she came up short when she saw two very large men standing in front of the fireplace.
Their voices were too low for her to make out what they said, but their stances and expressions looked ferocious. As if they sensed her presence their conversation ceased, and they turned and looked at her.
The sound of her frantic beating heart was the only thing she could hear as she stared at two of the most attractive men she had ever seen.
Their bodies were tall and heavily muscled. They looked like fighters, like they could snap a man’s limbs as if they were no more than toothpicks. Both had dark hair and were so similar in appearance there was no doubt they were related.
These two men where the ones who rescued her?
“You’re up.” The one speaking was about an inch shorter than the other and wore glasses. He didn’t state it as a question, but more like he was shocked she was conscious.
She looked around, expecting to see some women sauntering around. Surely men that were as attractive as they were had girlfriends or wives.
“Uhm…” She locked her hands together in front of her, not really knowing what to say. Fortunately, the other man spoke before she had to think of a response.
“How are you feeling?” His eyes flicked to the bandage on her head, and she found herself lifting her fingers to it. She winced and saw him take a step forward before he stopped himself.
“I-I’ve felt better.” She tried to offer a reassuring smile, although she felt like shit run over twice and knew it probably showed on her face.
“I’m Thayer Uncia, and this is my brother, Deacon.” The brother with the glasses spoke and offered her a warm smile.
The one named Deacon took another step forward, but his brother stopped him with a hand on his thick forearm. Deacon sliced his eyes to Thayer, and she saw his jaw flex before he relaxed his posture and looked back at her.
Both of their hair was dark, but where Deacon had a faux hawk, Thayer’s hair was swept across his forehead in an almost sophisticated manner.
They looked the same, but also so very different. Deacon was so tall and muscular that compared to her he resembled a beast. Thayer was equally as impressive, but he didn’t look like he had the brute strength of his brother, more like the physique of a swimmer.
They stared at her for several long minutes, and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. They had just introduced themselves, and here she was checking them out like they needed to be measured for suits.
“I’m Jessa Malone.” Thayer smiled at her, and Deacon turned his head, his gaze now on the window, his jaw clenched. Was he upset that she was here? It seemed contradictory given the fact he had asked how she was, but maybe he just wanted to know so she would leave?
The way he stood, stiff and brooding, led her to believe that he certainly wasn’t feeling very welcoming with her in his home.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” She turned her attention to Thayer and saw genuine concern in his expression.
“I’m sore, but fine, thanks to you … two.” She glanced between him and Deacon, still not knowing what had happened after she crashed into the tree, but knowing these two men had helped her and she owed them her life.