CHAPTER TWO-1
697 Words
CHAPTER TWO
HER BROWN EYES WERE slightly dazed and there were tracks through the blood on her cheeks as if she’d been crying. “Help me. Please?”
Setting the gun aside, Warwicke grabbed her and pulled her into his apartment. Her knees sagged and he reached down, putting an arm under her legs and lifting her off the ground. He hurried to the bathroom and walked into the shower with her.
Standing her off to the side he adjusted the temperature of the water before moving her under it. It took a good ten minutes before the water in the bottom of the shower ran clear again. As the hot water sluiced over her, he checked her carefully for wounds. She had a bump on her head and a cut, and the bruise from Lautaro’s punch the night before. But nothing that would have caused all the blood.
She stood limply in front of him, allowing him to shampoo her long, mahogany brown hair and rinse it clean. Warwicke didn’t let go of her as he turned the water off and reached for a nearby towel. He was afraid she’d go down if he did.
Despite the prolonged exposure to hot water, she still shivered violently.
He wrapped the towel around her and helped her out of the shower, rubbing the thick, oversized towel over her arms and shoulders in an effort to warm her. “You really need to get out of these wet clothes.”
She just looked at him, her brown eyes not seeming to comprehend.
Warwicke was torn. He needed to get her warm and the wet clothes would definitely hamper that effort. From the looks of her, he was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to undress herself.
That meant he had to do it.
“I’m going to help you get undressed, Fabiana. Is that okay?”
She just looked at him.
Warwicke swore softly under his breath. He dropped the towel and started peeling wet clothing off of her body. The skin he uncovered was exquisitely soft, flawless, and cold as ice.
Her shivering increased as her clothing came off.
Warwicke forced himself not to look at her as he peeled the last layers of clothing off her body and wrapped her in a clean, dry towel. Then he lifted her into his arms again and headed for his bedroom. “I’ll get you into some dry clothes and then we need to get you to the hospital.”
She jerked and a cold hand clamped onto his arm. “No!” Her eyes were huge with fear. “No hospitals. Please!”
He set her on the edge of his bed and stepped away. She wobbled a bit and he reached for her, but she steadied. “I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“You really should go to the hospital. I think you’re in shock.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I’ll just go now.”
“Absolutely not!”
She jumped at the sound of his raised voice. He frowned. “Sorry. I just don’t want you to leave in this state. You’re shocky and traumatized. Will you stay?”
She was staring at a spot on the floor. “No hospitals. Promise me.”
Warwicke frowned but finally nodded. He realized he could get her some medical help and still keep that pledge. “I promise.”
Her eyes drooped closed. “I’m just so tired.”
Warwicke caught her as she pitched forward. Her eyes flew open again when he picked her up. She gasped and her ice cold hands found his arm again. “It’s okay, Fabiana. I’m just putting you under the covers so you can get warm.”
Her terrified gaze stayed locked on his face but her grip on his arm softened.
Warwicke tucked her into bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and turned the heating blanket on high. He grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand and started to turn away. Fabiana’s hand shot out from under the covers before he could take a step.
“Stay with me, please?”
Warwicke nodded, covering her hand with his, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
He held her cold hand until her breathing deepened and evened out in sleep. Then he tucked the icy hand under the heated covers and left, leaving the door ajar so he could hear her if she called out.
He punched a number into his phone. “I need your help.”
“Now? It’s three o’clock in the freakin’ morning,” a gruff, sleepy voice informed him.
“Now! Hurry. I’m home.”
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- Writer
