There's a quick shift on the mattress, Asher's weight moves from me, and I scramble to the edge of the bed.

Kade is in nothing but his jeans, sitting atop of Asher, his fists pounding into Asher's face. With every grunt and crack, Kade's pure disdain exudes from every punch.

"Kade!" I jump from the bed. "Kade, please stop!" I move to grab his swinging arm, but he's too strong and quick, and I miss. Panic throws me into a frenzy, and I don't know what to do to stop him. He's going to kill Asher.

The door swings open and Nicky rushes into the room with Mike and members of security following. My brother grabs Kade from behind, pulls him off Asher, and struggles to keep his hold on him.

"Let me go, Nicky! Let me go." Kade thrashes back and forth.

Nicky squeezes him tighter. "Calm down, just fucking calm down."

I cover my mouth and whimper, and Kade's gaze lands on me and his features soften. "Nicky, let go so I can check on your sister." My brother releases him and Kade shrugs his hand from his shoulder.

Kade cradles my cheeks and examines my face, and I zero in on his bleeding knuckles.

Security surrounds Asher as he sits on the floor, and they give him a towel to clean the blood from his face. But the stains on the floor will not be wiped away as easily. The contents of the liquor bottle have seeped onto the carpet, making a big, brown, wet circle beside him. An awareness which was not present in him before takes over and his eyes travel over the people throughout the room until they land on me.

"A.J., I'm sorry, baby," Asher drunkenly cries, moving to stand. The two men at his side put their hands on his shoulders, keeping him in a sitting position.

Without a word, I look away from Asher and study Kade's hands. Everything but his long fingers and the blood trailing toward his fingertips goes out of focus.

"Please A.J., please talk to me." Asher struggles against security's hold on him. "Please, baby."

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I meet his baby-blue eyes. They used to be my most favorite thing in the world, but now, I'm numb to their effect. They're bloodshot, the same color as the smeared blood covering his handsome face. This person is a complete stranger to me; I don't see the boy I fell in love with. "I don't know you, and you have no right to call me baby anymore. You need to go, Asher."

I return to Kade, who huddles with my brother and Mike in a hushed conversation. I reach out and take his wrist, and running on autopilot, I lead him into the bathroom.

"A.J.! No, wait. Let me go. I swear to God, Slone. If you touch her, I'll find you and beat the shit out of you. Ariella, I'm sorry!" Asher's voice fades as the guards escort him out of my room.

Turning on the tap to the sink, I let the water warm and take a folded washcloth from the rack above the toilet. I wet it, wring out the excess water, and hold one of Kade's hands as I wipe it clean.

"I'm all right, Ari," Kade says.

I cringe and shake my head, watching the blood wash away to reveal the sores on his knuckles.

He jumps as I press the tender skin to make sure it is clean, and my eyes dart to his. "Sorry," I whisper.

"It's all right."

Taking his other hand, I repeat the process. This is all my fault. If I had just pulled myself together and called Asher, this would've never happened. He'd known it was over and not felt the need to confront me the way he did. It's because of my desire to be on top when I ended things that Kade stands here hurt.

Nicky enters the bathroom and hands an icepack to Kade.

"Thank you, man," he says in a hushed voice.

"A.J.?" The concern in my brother's voice causes my chest to tighten.

"Please Nicky, I'm fine." I finish with Kade's hands and step around him to rinse the blood out of the white cloth, staring at the pink liquid as it swirls down the drain.

"I got her," Kade says.

"Thanks." Nicky squeezes my upper arm before walking out.

Kade reaches around me, turns off the water and takes the washcloth from my fingers, dropping it in the sink. "Come here." He spins me around and lifts me to sit on the edge of the counter. The icepack cracks under his grip, and he carefully presses it to my cheek.

My body has just been moving while my emotions have gone into a cardiac arrest, and the shock of the cold on my hot skin sends a jolt through me. And I uncontrollably weep. I move to cover my face with my hands, but Kade pulls them to his chest, and the rest of my body follows.

Kade hugs me tight and whispers, "I'm so sorry he hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't get here quicker. I heard you but thought it was my mind playing tricks. I brushed it off, and I shouldn't have." He kisses the top of my head.

"It's my fault. I should have just called him and told him it was over. I wanted to win in the end, and there was a part of me scared to let go. I owed him the courtesy of saying I was done," I cry into his chest.

Kade places his hands on my cheeks and kissing away my tears. "You don't owe him a damn thing. You were so brave. I don't know how you propped the door open, but you did. You're so strong, Ari."

Taking one of the hand towels, Kade wraps it around the icepack and helps me down from the sink. My knees give out, and he gathers me into his arms. I bury my face into the soft skin between his shoulder and neck, and he carries me from the bathroom.

"Pack up her room, please," Kade says.

A hand runs over my hair. "I love you, A.J.," Nicky says, kissing the top of my head.

I can't find it in me to address my brother, my body has given up.

There's a gentle rhythm to Kade's long stride, and my body relaxes like it is being rocked to sleep. Another door opens, and before long, I'm placed in bed and blankets are around me.

"Kade?"

"I'm right here." He turns out the lamp and leaves a crack in the bathroom door to light the room. Pulling a chair to the side of the bed, he holds the ice pack on my face.

I know he intends to stay in the chair all night and keep watch over me, but it's just too far away. I need him closer. Taking his hand from my face, I pull him toward me. He eases onto the mattress and tucks me in his arms, and I bury my face into his chest.

It's safe and sound here; a place where it's just Kade and me and everything else fades away like it never existed.