Page 57 of Reckless Desires

I swat it out of the way. “It will slow down the healing and kill the skin cells.”

They all watch me gently clean around the wound. Once I am done, Izzy clears it away. I turn to Jodi, still holding onto the first aid kit. Hands shaking, I rifle through it, pulling out the antiseptic and gauze and the needle and thread that feel too heavy in my palm.

Stasia taught me to check the wound for debris, to clean it with care, to assess the damage before making my move. I can hear her voice guiding me, reminding me to stay calm, to breathe. Selene would be beaming with pride. And Serafina would think I was the coolest older sister. But none of my sisters are here. The weight of various emotions creates a lump in my throat that I have to force down in order to focus on getting this done.

The world around me fades; all I can focus on is Killian. Blood seeps through his fingers as he presses each side of the wound shut, a desperate attempt to close the gap. With trembling hands, I pour antiseptic over the wound. Killian flinches, his body tight with pain, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me, a flicker of determination igniting between us. “Don’t back down now,” he breathes, and that small encouragement fortifies my determination.

I grab the needle and thread, my fingers fumbling but steadying with each passing second. No one says a word as I loop the thread around the needle’s loop and tie it to the end, creating a long piece. Positioning myself so that I’m leaning as close to the wound as I can, I give Killian a final glance to let him know I’m about to start. As I pierce the needle through his skin, I feel the world shrink around us—just me, Killian, and the task at hand. Each knot I tie is a promise, a vow that I won’t let him bleed out here.

“Almost done,” I murmur, my heart racing as I knot the final stitch.

I can sense everyone around us sigh in relief. Using an antibiotic cream over the area, I place a clean, non-stick sterile bandage over the sealed wound. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I feel a wave of triumph.

“Well, Liliana, you are full of surprises,” Killian says, sounding impressed.

“You should get some rest,” Mickey commands. “Trevor. Leon. Bring Killian to his room.”

Killian swings each of his arms around their shoulders and allows them to help him up the stairs. Everyone else clears the room but Mickey.

As I get to my feet, I grab a clean towel and wipe my hands. Mickey stands there the way my dad would when he wanted to make a statement.

And when Mickey is ready, he says, “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Killian. And I don’t care. But if you are the reason he ends up dead, his blood is on your hands.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Killian

Ihear the bedroom door open but don’t bother to check who comes in. By the footsteps and scent, I can tell it’s Liliana. It is dark in here, all the shades shut to keep any daylight out, as I lie on the floor staring up at the ceiling.

“You should eat,” Liliana says. I can hear her put a plate down on the coffee table near the sitting area in front of the fireplace. “Izzy made tuna sandwiches.”

“Just because you stitch me up doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do.”

She huffs. “Your bandage needs to be replaced.”

There is a sudden cast of sun that shoots into the room when Liliana opens the shade.

“Here I am.” My hands are behind my head.

She walks up to me holding new gauze, looking down at me. It’s amusing how she tries not to look at my body on purpose. She kneels at my side and carefully removes the bandage she placed there earlier.

“How’s it looking, doc?”

“You need a real doctor,” she replies.

“I told you already, no.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m not here to argue with you.”

“Here for something else?” My pants are already unbuckled, and I thrust my hips up a little for implication.

“Ugh,” she protests with disgust, but when she bites her lip, I have no doubt she would let me inside her.

She continues to put on clean gauze. “Who did this?”

I shrug. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Was it because of me?” she asks.