She leans in, kissing my lips gently, but then straightens and looks to Kenji. “What’s first?”
My hands are shaking,but I try to hide it. I meant what I said to him.
I want to be his queen.
Killian always said my father sheltered me too much.
The past couple months have proved that.
Tonight only cemented the fact that I won’t live that way anymore. I want to be a part of the decisions. I want to know what’s going on around me.
I want to know when Kai is going into danger. I want him to know that when he comes home, I will be here. I will sew up all his wounds, then kiss them and make them better.
I’m his woman. I will take care of him.
“Well, first you need to know how to determine if it’s a through shot. You should wash your hands for this.”
I rush into the kitchen, washing my hands as Kenji and Kai talk about what’s next. When I make it back to them, they both smile at me.
“Okay, now give me your hand.”
He shows me how to prod the hole, making Kai groan, but otherwise he stays silent and still.
“You see how the hole is larger than the one up front? That tells me it went through, but you feel how there’s nothing solid still in there? That tells me it didn’t hit bone and leave fragments of the bullet behind. That means we can move onto step two. If there is ever anything in there, you need to remove the metal pieces first to avoid infection for further damage.”
“I understand. So what’s step two?”
He smirks over at Kai. “We clean the wound. Do you need a drink, Kai?”
He shakes his head. “Not tonight.”
“Have it your way, boss. Here, take this and pour it on the wound,” he hands me a bottle of liquid.
I do as he asks, startling when Kai hisses.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
He reaches out, squeezing my upper thigh. “It’s okay. It needs to be done. I can handle it.”
“That’s not even the worst part,” Kenji informs me.
For a moment, I wonder if I can follow through with this. Can I hurt him in this way? Am I strong enough?
Then Kai looks over his shoulder, smiling at me. “I’m so proud of you, princess. You’re so fucking strong. You’re perfect for me.”
His words give me the confidence I need. He needs me to do this. I can do it.
“Alright, now that it is clean, we need to stitch him up.”
I watch as Kenji threads the needle. Before he secures it, he hands it to me, making me do it several times until he’s satisfied I’ll be able to do it myself. Then he shows me how to secure it. When he moves to Kai’s skin, my body is tense. I don’t like to see him in pain.
Kenji does the first few stitches before handing me the reins. My hands are shaking, but Kai keeps his arm reached back on my leg, reassuring me.
Soon, I’m moving my fingers more fluidly. When I reach the end, Kenji shows me how to tie it off.
“Good job. You’ll be a pro in no time. You get to stitch the front.”
Kai turns on the chair, patting his lap. “Climb on.”
