Behind Gilded Masks

Chapter 19

Somewhere along the way Raiden Redthorn had fallen asleep. Since the distance to his home was not that far, making for a short drive, Eileen assumed that owed in large part to the amount of alcohol he had drank. He would definitely be feeling that in the morning. She didn't envy it at all.

There had only been once when she'd gotten drunk enough to have as large of hangover as he would, and she had vowed never to be that drunk again. Although that had also been because of other embarrassing things she'd done. Ones she did not want to remember, so she simply did not.

Eileen had to move carefully not to jerk him as she undid the seat belt and carried him towards his apartment. Even with one of his arms wrapped around her shoulder, he was still very heavy. It took some fiddling to get him out of the car park and she was surprised he didn't awaken.

When they came up to a set of stairs, for a moment Eileen pondered whether she'd have bridal carry him up them. Thanks to the training she'd been subjected to, she was absolutely strong enough to do so. It didn't really matter that he was taller than her. She would have done so as well, but she knew it may embarrass him. And would be hard to explain should he wake.

Fortunately, she spotted an elevator next to the stairs, so she didn't have to bridal carry him after all. Once inside the elevator, she pressed the button for the top floor. His house key had suggested he lived in the penthouse of the building. Which was unsurprising considering both what she knew about him personally so far and the wealth his family had.

Glancing at his sleeping face, Eileen is a little struck by how peaceful he looks. Then she considers how it would have been if he'd made to get himself home and feels a flash of anger. She quickly shakes the thought when his face scrunches up at her suddenly tense muscles, and her body relaxes.

The elevator dings and opens to reveal a solitary door in the middle of the hallway. Turning the key into the door, she has to once again readjust his weight to make sure he doesn't fall flat on his face instead. It takes a few turns, but the door falls open.

Once inside, Eileen noticed a hook for the key and places the key onto it. She almost drops him as she moves because he moves in his sleep to turn. Thankfully she manages to readjust at the last second to quickly loop the key and then catch him. Breathing a sigh of relief, she takes a cursory glance of his home.

There are a lot of rooms. Besides the combined kitchen and living room which the front door opens to, there are about six bedrooms. She'd have been worried about not knowing which is his, but only one of the doors is open. Which is very convenient and tells her no one has visited him in a while. Or so she thinks. She'll have to ask him at some point.

Fumbling with the light, she tries not to pay too much attention to his room as she moves him towards his bed. It's a little difficult to get him to let go of her due to the way his arm is wrapped around her, but she manages to get him into his bed. As his weight finally leaves her, Eileen breathes a sigh of relief.

She rolls her shoulders to get rid of the strain and is about to head out when a hand shoots out to grab her arm. It's so sudden that she doesn't have much time to react as the arm connect to that hand pulls her it closer towards him. The arm slowly wraps around hers in a vice grip.

Eileen is left blinking in shock down at the still unconscious man as he clings onto her arm with both of his. Her eyebrows furrow, "What are you-"

"Kiran," he whispers, opening his eyes a slit, "don't go. Please stay." A beat of silence. "Please don't leave me here all alone. It's so cold."

"You've got a blanket." Even as she says it, she can feel a lump grow in her throat, his words hitting like a shot to the heart.

"It's still cold," he whines even as Eileen uses her free hand to pull it up over him, "Please stay. Promise me you'll stay."