couldn’t handle right now.
“Because I’ll be fine, just trust me.” She mumbled and looked down at the towel, which was rapidly soaking up the blood. Fat drops were on the white tile under her, and the robe she was in was ruined.
He grabbed her right hand and pressed it to the towel. “Put pressure on this, I’m getting my kit.” Stepping into the living room he was shocked by the blood on his hands and the damp sleeves of his gear. Grabbing the first aid kit off the duffel bag he was almost tempted to use the sedative, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt wrong somehow. Moving back into the bathroom he found her sitting on the toilet seat and the blush of color she’d had earlier was gone from her cheeks and lips.
Clearing her throat she smiled weakly at him. “This looks bad, but I promise I’ll be fine.”
“They told me not a bloody scratch! How do I explain this?” Yanking out iodine and gauze he pressed cotton squares over the deep cut. When he blotted some of the blood away he swabbed her with iodine and she barely winced even though he knew from experience how bad that hurt. As soon as it was mildly disinfected he pressed clean gauze pads to her cut and began wrapping her arm tightly.
Her voice was quiet when she responded, “Don’t worry. I’ll be perfect in the morning.” Looking up at her from where he’d crouched to get to her arm more easily, he was caught off guard by how odd the phrase was. Had she said perfect, while she was bleeding all over the place? With a sigh he shook it off and finished bandaging her. For good measure he lifted her foot as well and cleaned and wrapped the small cut on the bottom, but throughout it all she didn’t even flinch.
What the ever loving fuck was wrong with her?
“Come on.” Tugging her back to standing she wavered slightly and he threw a clean towel onto the blood on the floor so they wouldn’t track it back into the living room. Rinsing his hands off he stepped past her, and the girl followed compliantly. Alaric muttered to himself and pushed the couch against the radiator before nudging her to sit down. Leaning her good arm back he didn’t wait before he handcuffed it to the radiator. Her breathing instantly increased with panic as the handcuff clicked around her wrist, and she jerked it hard.
If he was a better man he’d sedate her so she’d sleep it off, so she’d sleep until he delivered her – but he couldn’t. Weakling . Since he wouldn’t sedate her, he couldn’t have her hurting herself, or him, in the night. So the only solution was the cuffs. This was necessary.
Fuck, what if they needed her delivered tomorrow? How was he going to explain the cut on her foot, and the deep gash on her arm? He needed to call Luca. He’d never reported in.
“Please uncuff me, I’ll do whatever you want.” She sounded desperate as she twisted her arm in the cuff. The phrase made it very clear what she was offering and he had a whole new level of understanding of what her life had been like. Yes , he was happy he’d killed Gianni.
“I’m not going to touch you.” He said it so she knew she was safe from him, and then he pointed at the cuffs. “And this is to keep both you and me safe. If you stay quiet, I won’t need to gag you. Just get some sleep. Goodnight.” He had to turn away from her before the look on her face made him cave and release her.
Then what would he do with her?
Grabbing the bloody knife off the floor, he walked into the bedroom and shut the French doors behind him so he could call Luca on a secure line.
Chapter Six
I’m not going to touch you.
The soldier’s words felt more like a slap than if he’d actually struck her. Of course he wouldn’t want to touch her. He’d found her in a cage, and she was nothing more than an item to be delivered to her next master. He’d made that clear.
Why did that simple phrase even hurt her?
She should be grateful he didn’t want to touch her, but
“Because I’ll be fine, just trust me.” She mumbled and looked down at the towel, which was rapidly soaking up the blood. Fat drops were on the white tile under her, and the robe she was in was ruined.
He grabbed her right hand and pressed it to the towel. “Put pressure on this, I’m getting my kit.” Stepping into the living room he was shocked by the blood on his hands and the damp sleeves of his gear. Grabbing the first aid kit off the duffel bag he was almost tempted to use the sedative, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt wrong somehow. Moving back into the bathroom he found her sitting on the toilet seat and the blush of color she’d had earlier was gone from her cheeks and lips.
Clearing her throat she smiled weakly at him. “This looks bad, but I promise I’ll be fine.”
“They told me not a bloody scratch! How do I explain this?” Yanking out iodine and gauze he pressed cotton squares over the deep cut. When he blotted some of the blood away he swabbed her with iodine and she barely winced even though he knew from experience how bad that hurt. As soon as it was mildly disinfected he pressed clean gauze pads to her cut and began wrapping her arm tightly.
Her voice was quiet when she responded, “Don’t worry. I’ll be perfect in the morning.” Looking up at her from where he’d crouched to get to her arm more easily, he was caught off guard by how odd the phrase was. Had she said perfect, while she was bleeding all over the place? With a sigh he shook it off and finished bandaging her. For good measure he lifted her foot as well and cleaned and wrapped the small cut on the bottom, but throughout it all she didn’t even flinch.
What the ever loving fuck was wrong with her?
“Come on.” Tugging her back to standing she wavered slightly and he threw a clean towel onto the blood on the floor so they wouldn’t track it back into the living room. Rinsing his hands off he stepped past her, and the girl followed compliantly. Alaric muttered to himself and pushed the couch against the radiator before nudging her to sit down. Leaning her good arm back he didn’t wait before he handcuffed it to the radiator. Her breathing instantly increased with panic as the handcuff clicked around her wrist, and she jerked it hard.
If he was a better man he’d sedate her so she’d sleep it off, so she’d sleep until he delivered her – but he couldn’t. Weakling . Since he wouldn’t sedate her, he couldn’t have her hurting herself, or him, in the night. So the only solution was the cuffs. This was necessary.
Fuck, what if they needed her delivered tomorrow? How was he going to explain the cut on her foot, and the deep gash on her arm? He needed to call Luca. He’d never reported in.
“Please uncuff me, I’ll do whatever you want.” She sounded desperate as she twisted her arm in the cuff. The phrase made it very clear what she was offering and he had a whole new level of understanding of what her life had been like. Yes , he was happy he’d killed Gianni.
“I’m not going to touch you.” He said it so she knew she was safe from him, and then he pointed at the cuffs. “And this is to keep both you and me safe. If you stay quiet, I won’t need to gag you. Just get some sleep. Goodnight.” He had to turn away from her before the look on her face made him cave and release her.
Then what would he do with her?
Grabbing the bloody knife off the floor, he walked into the bedroom and shut the French doors behind him so he could call Luca on a secure line.
Chapter Six
I’m not going to touch you.
The soldier’s words felt more like a slap than if he’d actually struck her. Of course he wouldn’t want to touch her. He’d found her in a cage, and she was nothing more than an item to be delivered to her next master. He’d made that clear.
Why did that simple phrase even hurt her?
She should be grateful he didn’t want to touch her, but
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