Bash grabs my hand and a first aid kit before he leads me upstairs. As we pass Matt’s room I stop him.
“Wait. I need to tell Matt I’m back. He is probably worried sick.”
“Matteo is down stairs helping the men. He knows you are back. Trust me. Everyone knows you are back now.”
He continues to pull me down the hall. Once in his room, he closes the door and leads me to the bed. He sits me down then works on stripping me. The gentle way he is caressing me as he takes off my clothes causes me to shiver. I reach up and pull his head down for a kiss. He gently kisses me back before pulling away.
“Let me tend to your wounds, Tesoro. There is plenty of time for that.”
He starts at the wound on my chest. He pokes and prods which makes me wince.
“Just bruised. Nothing is cracked. It will take a while to heal, but you will be okay. I am going to check you from head to toe.”
“No need. My head hurts a little from falling after the explosion and dickweed pulling my hair. I have a cut on my hand from my homemade shank. I think it also cut my stomach from when I kept it there. Either that, or it is from the man I stabbed. I can’t be sure.”
I pause then break out in a sob as I feel the adrenaline in my body finally leaving.
“Shhs. Tesoro. I have you. Let’s take a shower. We need to clean these.”
I nod though my tears.
He takes me hand and pulls me into the bathroom. He turns on the shower and closes the door. He undresses before testing the water and getting in the shower. Then he holds his hand out to me.
“Come on. Let me take care of you.”
I set into the shower and he pulls me into his arms. He just holds me as I feel the tears to continue to fall down my face. He cradles my head to his chest while his other hand rubs up and down my back. I cry into his shoulder and let all the pent-up emotions for the day out.
What seems like hours, but most likely only minutes later, I calm down and hiccup.
“I have you Tesoro. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. I’m here for you.”
Once my crying stops, I hear Bash repeating the same sentences over and over. My heart warms at his words, but a bucket of ice is poured on me right after. I’m not his. This is temporary. He doesn’t do forever, he said so himself. I am kidding myself if I think this is anything more.
Nevertheless, I accept the comfort. I don’t have the energy to deal with this.
I pull back and give him a kiss. He pulls back from me and wipes my tears.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
He grabs a loofa and puts some of the girly soap he bought me on it. He rubs it together and suds it up. He methodically cleans every part of my body paying special attentions to all my cuts and bruises. After rinsing my body, he washes my hair. I wince when he hits certain spots and he takes note. He is gentler while he washes the soap out then conditions.
Once I am clean, he steps under the water and I lean against the wall watching him clean himself. He is much quicker with himself. Within minutes, he turns off the water. He steps out and grabs a towel, wrapping it around my body. He takes a second towel and leans down drying each leg. Every bruise and cut he washed, now received a feather light kiss. Every kiss? I felt that right in my heart. He is being so sweet and attentive that it makes me want to cry again.
Once he is done drying me, he picks me up and sets me on the counter. He goes into the other room then returns with the first aid kit and clothes. He sets the clothes down and goes to putting ointment on every cut then puts band aids on all except my hand.
For my hand, he places a gauze over the cut then wraps it with medical tape.
“This one needs stitches. I will need to take you back downstairs for it. That thing was rusty so you’ll need a shot too.”
I don’t say anything and he frowns.
“Are you okay, Tesoro?”
“Yes. I am just emotionally drained. I can’t feel anything.”
He nods and begins to try and dress me, but I push his hand away.
“Make me feel, Bash. I need to feel something.”
