Page 83 of His to Bedevil
I rapidly blink, desperate to see her and her green eyes. Finally, my focus comes in a little clearer. I can actually see my angel in the flesh. She’s as beautiful as ever. Even more beautiful than my mind conjured up while I’ve been fighting the darkness. I squeeze her tiny hand and release a deep breath. It’s then that I realize I’m lying on my stomach when I try to turn my head. Staring up at her beautiful face, I frown when I see the large bandage covering most of her forehead.
The longer I stare at her, the more my memory seems to float through my brain. “You stayed.” I remember now. I remember being able to open my eyes and telling her to run. I had no idea if Berto and my men would get there in time, and I couldn’t let her die. I needed her to save herself. To run as fast as she could. “I told you to run, but you stayed.” My voice is hoarse and hardly above a whisper.
She tries to pull her hand away, but I manage to tighten my grip on it. “I was told to get the doctor if anything changes,” she says calmly. I’m too disconcerted by the nebulous memories slowly coming back to me. So, I let her go. Just like I tried to do when we were under attack.
My eyes begin to shut once again when Irma disappears. I fall into the pit of darkness, but this time, there’s a light there waiting for me. A new lightness to my dark, and I know it’s Irma. My wife. She’s alive, and she’s still here. Willingly.
Irma
When Lucas said Alejo would be a horrible patient, it was an understatement. Alejo is a hostile patient. These poor doctors. As soon as he regained consciousness, he tried to get up and demanded that they take the catheter out, and now he literally rips the IV out of his arm as he pushes himself up to his knees.
“If you don’t remove this goddamn catheter right this second, I will. And when I do, I will tie it around your neck and use it as a fucking noose,” he snarls at them, and the steeliness of his voice sends shivers down my spine, and because I’m very fucked up in the head, I get very turned on.
I try hiding my grin and swallow down my laughter at the whole scene playing out before me. Two doctors trying to calm him down, Lucas holding him back with a grin of his own, Benita trying to intervene, Alejo’s bare ass peeking out of the back of his hospital gown. All the while, I’m just sitting back in a chair watching it all unfold before me, wishing I had a bowl of popcorn. A giggle finally spills out, but everyone is so focused on Alejo that no one hears me. This is the best entertainment I’ve had since I arrived here several months ago.
Finally, Alejo lets the doctor remove the catheter, and Lucas helps him settle into a sitting position. The doctor checks the dressings on his back and checks his vitals, then explains to him what they did and how to go forward with the healing process for the next few weeks. Alejo’s eyes find mine, and we both tune them all out and just stare at one another. Everything fades away, and we’re both lost in a spell. I know he still wants to know why I didn’t leave when I could have, and I still have no answer for him. Nothing other than I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay. Our relationship might be a bit unorthodox, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be real.
“I want to return to my own room,” he says without looking away from me.
“If your room is on this floor, I don’t see a problem with that. Unless you have an elevator or you are carried, it is too soon to climb the stairs,” the doctor says, and I see Alejo’s jaw tick.
His eyes snap to the good doctor’s, and the poor guy cowers slightly. I don’t blame him. When Alejo wants to be menacing, he is. He could kill you with just one look. “Leave my wife with your instructions on how to take care of me. I’d like to go wash up.”
Alejo swiftly swings his legs over the side of the bed, and everyone watches in astonishment as he easily gets to his feet. Including me. He’s like a god, my Alejo. Immortal and indestructible. Unconquerable. My eyes home in on the muscles of his bronzed ass constricting with every confident step he takes. No one says a word as he makes his way to the bathroom and closes the door.
The doctor approaches me, and I hold back the eye roll as he addresses me as Señora Martinez. He goes on to tell me how to take care of Alejo’s bandages and the healing area. When to change them, how long until they can get wet, what ointments to use on it when it’s toward the end of the healing process, no strenuous activities till he’s all healed up, lots of rest and sleep. Looks like we’ll both be stuck in bed for a while. Him longer than me though. Although, I don’t see that happening. He’s haughty as hell right now.
Against everyone’s wishes, we make our way up the stairs to our bedroom. After Alejo changed into some joggers and ditched the hospital gown. Lucas and Berto followed close behind him in case he couldn’t make it, and of course I had a shadow of my own in case I couldn’t either, which was assigned to Diego.
Alejo doesn’t let anyone stay for very long, kicking them all out once he gets settled into bed. As soon as the door closes behind them, I feel Alejo’s eyes on me. I’m standing awkwardly to the side even though I know I need to lie down as well.
“Come, Irma.” He lifts up the blanket and lures me in. I crawl under the covers and settle in next to him, leaving a little distance between us. “Are you going to make me come and get you?” he asks with an eyebrow arched and amusement dancing in his gaze. Not wanting him to hurt himself, I scoot over and close the distance. He throws an arm around me, tucking me into his side. He doesn’t make a sound, but I feel his body tense when I lean into him. He’s still battered and bruised everywhere, including his two broken ribs.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I murmur.
“Then don’t leave me,” he says with a sigh, and leans his head back. My heart in my throat, I try not to soak up his words.
“Do you think you should be lying on your back? You just had the surgery yesterday, Alejo. You shouldn’t be putting any pressure on it just yet. Doctor even said.”
He looks down at me and smiles as he traces my face with his fingertips. “I will in a little bit. It won’t kill me. But If I don’t get to hold you for a little while, it might.”
I look away because I can’t handle the things he says sometimes. It’s too much. Especially after today and the way my head is spinning with mixed emotions. “Are you hungry?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“I am. But I know that Juanita will make a huge fuss over me, and I just want some quiet right now.” He leans his head back again, closing his eyes. “How are you feeling, my love? Was it just your head?”
“Yeah, just a concussion. A few stitches. It might leave a scar though,” I say the last part quietly, and I feel his body tense. Will he not look at me like I’m the most beautiful thing to him anymore? Will I be flawed to him? Too imperfect? He stays silent. “How are you feeling though? You’re pretty banged up.”
He lifts his head up again and peels his eyes open. “I’m alive and so are you. I feel great,” he says with a small smile, and I couldn’t agree more. “My back will have some nasty scars.”
“And will it bruise your ego?” I tease him.
“Not as long as it doesn’t bother you,” he teases back.
I shake my head. “I think scars are sexy.” I bite my bottom lip, and he doesn’t even give me a second to prepare. His lips come crashing down on mine. His tongue thrusts inside my mouth, and mine responds immediately. In fact, everything responds to him immediately. There’s stinging behind my eyes and a huge lump in my throat. I’m so close to tears right now, so fucking relieved he’s okay and that I’m okay. That we’ll live to have another fight. We’ll live to see another sunrise. To make love and to banter. I’ll have time to figure out what is truly conspiring between us.
He pulls away when there’s a knock at the door. He’s cupping one side of my face, and our foreheads are resting against each other’s. He’s careful not to lean against the right side of mine. Then he lets out a growl of frustration and faces the door.
“Be nice, Alejo. You have a lot of people that love you,” I chide, trying to save whoever’s ass is behind that door.
