Damaged

  “What the hell happened to you?”

  “It’s just a scratch.” He squeezes out, his eyes shut tightly.

  I place the gun on the kitchen bench as Jai drags Joel’s body down the hall towards the couch. Huss attempts to follow, but he can’t do much with only the wall as support. He shouts in pain, making me jump. I rush down to help him, but Ted beats me to it.

  “You need a damn doctor.” Ted orders as he supports Huss’ waist.

  It’s good to see Ted in perfect health. How did Huss cop the most damage?

  Huss shakes his head. “No doctors, asshole. How many times do I gotta tell you?”

  “I’m no doctor — actually, I’m barely a nurse — but I’m sure I can help.”

  “Better than nothing.” Jai states.

  His hand slides around my waist and I turn to face him as he pulls me into his body. He’s covered in blood...and I couldn’t care less.

  “You did it.” I utter, making him smile.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and stand on the tips of my toes. I go to kiss him...only there’s a warm, sticky liquid clinging to my forearms. I lower myself and pull my arms back. Fresh blood.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  He reaches behind his head and touches it. “I hit my head.”

  “You hit your head? Are you okay? Does it hurt? Is your skull still intact?”

  “Well, I didn’t fall into a coma at any point during the drive so I’d say I’m all good.” He plants a quick kiss on my mouth. “I’m gonna shower.”

  Shower? Doesn’t he want to sit first and, I don’t know, maybe have a beer?

  “Emily, over here.” Ted calls and I turn towards the kitchen bench.

  Huss is propped up on one of the stools, his broken arm lying flat on the hard surface. It’s set in place. I shiver. Funnily enough, scrapes, cuts and broken bones creep me out. Saliva pools in my mouth, paving way for the stomach acid that will surely follow if I don’t get a handle on my shit. I remember my first day in a hospital ward. I was watching a nurse undress a festering bullet wound. The man had been treating it with alcohol prior to him showing up on the hospital’s doorstep…and not the cleansing kind. I still remember him slurring “I thought beer’d be ‘nough” as she pulled off his homemade flannel bandage. I felt my face turn as green as his flesh and I puked all over the floor. His laugh followed me down the hall as I was sent home. I got better at it, but there are certain things that still bother me. Like sliced skin. Shudder.

  “Let me grab the first-aid kit.”

  If I recall correctly, I saw a first-aid kit in the upstairs bathroom. It wasn’t overly large, but I’m sure it has a needle and thread. For everything else, he should see a doctor. I can’t cast broken bones.

  I walk as quickly as I can up the stairs and into the bathroom. Steam billows from the door, the fast jets of water sounding like heavy rain against the tiles. I push the door open and step inside. The air is heavy and warm making the thin, untamed strands of my hair stick to my damp forehead. I cross the bathroom and crouch low at the white basin. In the cupboard underneath, amongst all the strange bottles of moisturizer and other body creams, I find the small, plastic first-aid container. I grab it and leave without bothering Jai. I suspect he might need a little time to come to terms with what he’s achieved.

  Downstairs, Huss is looking pale. Beside him, Ted sits, his face slack with exasperation. I offer him a sympathetic smile.

  “There’s a spare room by the front door. Why don’t you get some rest?”

  His thick, black eyebrows smooth out in relief. “You don’t need my help?”

  I shake my head. “Not really. Not unless you want to hold the skin together while I stitch it.”

  He slips from his stool. “By the front door, did you say?”

  I smile. “Yeah.”

  Ted drags himself down the hall without a glance over his shoulder. I sit the first-aid kit on the kitchen bench and slide onto the stool in front of Huss.

  “What happened?” I ask, popping the lid of the kit.

  I sift through useless bandages and cotton balls. At the very bottom I find a hook and thread.

  “The plan was to nudge the van in the ass.” He states. “But it was coming from the wrong direction. I made the choice to slam into it front on.”

  I open the needle and thread packet. Then stop. I lift my stare to his. “You risked your life to help Jai save his brother?”

  His face contorts in pain and he holds his breath, only to let it go a few minutes later. “I guess I did.”

  “Why?” I ask, attaching the thread to the needle.

  I search through the kit again looking for some kind of anesthetic or topical numbing gel.

  Nothing.

  “Because I knew it was our only shot. If I didn’t, he’d never see his brother again.”

  “Why do you care? You didn’t know Jai before today.”

  “No. I didn’t...” His steel gray eyes bore into mine. “But I know what it’s like to lose a brother. I know the pain that comes with it.”

  “You’ve lost a brother?”

  He drops his gaze to his legs. “Sargent Thomas Husstel. Afghanistan in oh-nine.”

  I swallow. “I’m sorry.”

  Huss smiles. “It’s all right. There’s nothing either of us can do now.”

  I peel a pair of gloves from their packet and slide them on. I eye the slice on his forearm. It’s the biggest so that’s where I’ll start.

  “I don’t have any numbing gel so this is going to sting a little bit.”

  He tilts his head and closes his eyes. I guess that’s my cue to go ahead with it. I tear open the foil to an alcohol wipe and dab it along the slice in his arm.

  “What will work say about your current state? I assume they’re smart men. They might put two and two together.”

  Huss tenses with a hiss and more blood leaks out. “I’m on leave. I go back in — uhh — four weeks.”

  Lucky for us.

  Holding my breath, I push the hook through his flesh and pull it together. Tuning out his groans, I repeat the step over…

  And over…

  And over…

  And over…until blood stops trickling freely from the gash. I stitch five cuts of varying degrees by the time Jai drags himself downstairs again. When he comes, I’m putting the third and final stitch in Huss’s side. I lift my gaze as Jai saunters over to the fridge and retrieves a bottle of water. When I drop the needle onto the pile of discarded alcohol wipes and foil wrappers, Huss exhales.

  “You did a good job at keeping the bone straight.” I say, pointing to the thick stick he chose to immobilize the movement. “But you need to have a cast put on it so the bone sets and heals where it should.”

  He nods. “Tomorrow. Any pain killers in that magic box of yours?”

  I pull off my gloves and dump them on the discard pile I’ve created. Surprisingly enough, at the very bottom of the first-aid container is a little orange tube. I read the label.

  Percocet.

  Don’t the owners of the house know they should dispose of any leftover pills? I guess I shouldn’t complain. They’re really going to help him. I pop the lid and spill a few into the palm of my hand.

  “Are you allergic to acetaminophen or oxycodone?”

  He shakes his head.

  “Have you recently ingested alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or other narcotic medications?”

  “Just give me the damn pills, Emma.” He grunts, a shaky palm outstretched.

  I look to Jai and he nods so I dump a pill into his hand.

  “It’s Emily, by the way. Not Emma.”

  Huss scowls up at me, ignoring my correction. “One? I was in a bloody car accident and you’re only going to give me one?”

  I drop another into his hand as Jai pours him a glass of water. He slides the glass across the bench as Huss tosses the pills to the back of his throat and drowns them with the water before swallowing, He grabs his half full glass and
saunters over to the second couch. I watch, feeling a little bad for him while he groans and complains as he lowers himself onto the couch.

  “Come on.” Jai mutters, taking a swig of water. “Let them rest.”

  I tuck the pills back into the box and close the lid. Jai leans across the bench and gathers the used medical supplies and dumps them in the bin as I head for the stairs. I climb them, step by step, as he washes his hands in the sink.

  Upstairs the air feels colder. It seeps through my sweat pants and matching black hoodie. I turn on the bathroom light and step inside. After I put the kit away I wash my hands and re-enter the bedroom just as Jai closes the door. I see the tired slump in his shoulders and the sluggish way he drags his feet. He must be exhausted.

  “How’s your head?” I ask, whipping my hoodie off and exposing my bare breasts.

  His gaze flits over them before he looks me in the eyes. “It’s stopped bleeding.”

  I smile. “Good.”

  My nipples harden to a painful point, causing goosebumps to tear across my skin. So. Fucking. Cold. I like sleeping naked when it’s cold—especially with Jai. It forces us to snuggle.

  I slide my pants down my legs and step out of them as Jai pulls his tight, long sleeved shirt over his head. I tug back the cover and we climb in, snuggling down underneath them.

  “Finally.” I sigh, shuddering at the cold sheets.

  They feel like ice on my skin.

  When we first arrived here, the beds were too soft. Now they’re heaven. I’ve never slept on a surface as comfortable as this.

  Butterflies release themselves into my stomach as Jai’s arms surround me and he pulls me close. He’s warm, like fresh bread on a cold winter’s day. The tip of my nose presses into his chest as he buries his nose in my hair.

  “You smell good.” He mutters, his thumb stroking my waist.

  I smile. “Thank you.”

  Silence fills the room. This is a strange turn out. I expected Jai to be popping champagne corks when he brought Joel home, but it’s the complete opposite. It’s almost...somber.

  “Are you happy?” I ask as I tilt my head up, forcing his lips to press against my forehead.

  He holds me tighter. “With you?”

  “With tonight.”

  He swallows hard and, somehow, it echoes around the room.

  “I killed a man...” He swallows again. “In cold blood.”

  I sling my arm over his waist and hold him tight. I open my mouth. I just know I’m going to regret the next few words that come out of my mouth.

  “Tell me about it.”

  He shakes his head. “You don’t want to hear it.”

  “I do.”

  Jai’s chest abruptly expands as he inhales long and heavy. Then he blows it out, deflating his chest in a rush.

  “Long story short, he attacked me and we fell to the ground. He had the upper hand. He squeezed my throat, clutching hard until I couldn’t suck in the slightest bit of air. Eventually, I fought him off, grabbed my gun and then pointed it straight at his head...”

  He shifts, pulling me in until the entire left side of my face is squished against his chest.

  “...and I guess the ending tells itself.”

  I guess it does. I can picture it all so clearly in my mind.

  Fists.

  Blood.

  Bang.

  Splatter.

  I bet he didn’t hesitate. I bet he didn’t even think twice about it…even so, I can still hear the regret weighing on him now.

  “I was a police officer...” He mutters. “I shouldn’t have done it.”

  “It was for the greater good.” I reassure him. “You did what needed to be done.”

  He doesn’t respond. Silence ‘the conversation killer’ strikes again.

  “I wanted to talk when I got back...” He mutters, his exhaustion becoming prominent in his tone.

  “About what?”

  “Us.”

  I let my fingers dance up his side. “You’re tired and you need your rest. Can we take a rain check?”

  I hear him smile. “Fine.”

  Not long after that, his chest slows. His breaths are longer, more peaceful. I snuggle in close as my eyelids are pulled down with the weight of a truck behind it. It’s futile to even attempt to reopen them so I don’t bother. Instead, I focus on the sound of his pounding heart. A heart that belongs to me.

  A heart that is mine.

  Never Ending

  Emily

  Breakfast.

  The most delicious meal of the day.

  Gripping the handle on the pan, I shut off the stove and dump the bacon onto a plate. It’s crispy and perfect. Everything a strip of bacon should be. I can eat clean without any complaints...until bacon shows up. Bacon is my weakness. Bacon makes me happy even when I have a killer headache and sore muscles.

  I transfer the greasy pan to the sink and glance out the window. It’s eleven a.m. the sun is well and high in the sky now. The dewy morning feel has melted away.

  Ted and Huss left early in the morning, or so their note said. Ted has taken Huss to a clinic an hour from here to get the proper care he needs. Emily did a great job on patching him up, but her hands were tied when it came to his broken arm.

  I leave the sink and abandon the kitchen for a second so I can use the bathroom. When I come back I spot Emily sitting on the couch beside Joel. His face is covered in coarse hair, matted with dry blood. I wonder what he went through…what he suffered through before I rescued him. The ink on his arms doesn’t pertain to a one particular thing. There isn’t a theme. I see an even mixture of stars, skulls, naked women, and words. I glance at his hands. Even they’re tattooed.

  “He didn’t look like that the last time I saw him.” I tell her and she jumps, whipping her head in my direction.

  “The facial hair?” She asks and I shrug.

  “Everything.”

  Emily pushes off of the couch and saunters over to me. Her dark hair is messy in the sexiest way. Her brown irises are alert and her skin is refreshed.

  “You made breakfast.”

  I laugh. “You sound surprised. I always make breakfast.”

  “That’s true.” She replies with a chuckle.

  She wraps her arms around my neck and plants a soft, playful kiss on my lips. I love it when she does that. I slide my arms around her waist and rest them on the curve of her backside. Her body mass has increased and her curves are slightly more prominent. I love that too.

  “So this is what you’ve been up to while I’ve been locked away.”

  I freeze as Emily’s body tightens against mine. How long has it been since I’ve heard his voice? I’m tossed back years into the past. I lift my stare to Joel as he stretches his arms above his head, wincing. I almost don’t recognize him. The black, messy hair and tattoos from the beginning of his neck to the tips of his toes. If it weren’t for the dark blue eyes and familiar smile I’d have sworn we brought home the wrong man.

  “You finally learned how to cook.” He says, rubbing the palm of his hand over his stomach.

  “I had to. For Jessica’s sake.”

  Joel flinches and I let Emily go. She slips her arms from my neck and stands beside me. She grazes the tips of her fingers against my forearm as a hurricane of emotions whirl inside me. I imagined this moment to be nothing short of a celebration, but as I watched him all the way from the pick-up point to the lake house negative emotions began to manifest. If he wasn’t already so beat up, I’d punch him square in the face.

  “I'm sorry, Jai. It took longer than I anticipate…I got caught up.”

  I scoff. “In drugs and murder?”

  “In a girl.” He clarifies. “Monique.”

  A fucking girl? “I hope she was worth it.”

  “She was.” His blue eyes drop from mine for a split second. “She is…I have to go back for her. I can’t leave her there.” He frowns. “With him.”

  “Him?” Emily asks, but I don’t need t
he clarification.

  Skull.

  What he said about Joel is true? He took Skull’s woman? Monique is the girl Joel fell in love with?

  “Are you out of your fucking mind? Of all the girls you could have had you chose his?”

  “I didn’t choose anything. It just happened.” He glances between Emily and me. “Clearly I don’t have to explain the details to you.”

  Joel exhales. “I’ll stay for a few days, but then I gotta go back into New York.”

  I frown. “You're serious? About going back for her?”

  “Skull has something of mine… and I need to get it back.”

  *Emily*

  Jai snaps forward, but I snag his wrist, preventing him from closing the distance between him and his brother.

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Jai growls.

  Under my fingers his tendons move erratically as he clenches his fist.

  “You can help me or I can do it alone.”

  “You’re not serious?” I look at Jai. “Tell me you’re not considering this.”

  Jai’s jaw tightens and then relaxes. I know the look — the look of reluctant contemplation.

  “Fine.” He states, his voice flat. “We’ll help you.”

  I let Jai go as Joel beams at him and steps forward. He pulls his little brother into a hug...and I feel like throwing up.

  I can’t fucking believe it. I press my fingers against my mouth.

  We’re not finished with Skull.

  All of my acknowledgments go to my readers this time. You were kind, respectful, and patient with me while waiting for Damaged. It took longer than I expected…almost seven weeks longer. I didn’t intend for this book to take so long, but it did and I am sorry.

  I would like to put a special thanks in to Kelly and Megan for helping me out when I needed it. This book could have been so, so, so bad without you two girls – especially since I discovered just before hitting publish that I had my spellcheck turned off. I thought I was doing great! Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Ha!

  Thank you to each and every person that allowed me the time to finish this and BRING ON SHATTERED!

  SKYLA MADI is an Australian writer from Brisbane, Queensland.