Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(52)

Slowly, she rested her hands back on his chest.





Chapter Twenty-two

“We have to do this,” Della repeated to Chase in what she hoped was a calm voice, even though calm wasn’t even close to what she was feeling. Guilt, she felt. Shit-loads of it. She looked at his face. His eyes were closed, his skin was so pale, and his expression was empty. Chase was never without expression. Why hadn’t she stopped him? Or at least insisted on going with him? Why, damn it?

Then she tightened her hold. He didn’t growl. She looked at Steve. “Try again.”

Steve frowned as if he disagreed, but restarted cleaning the wound.

Chase moaned and arched his neck back, pushed his head into the pillow. Baxter jumped up on the other side of the bed. He didn’t growl or bare his teeth. He seemed to understand that they were trying to help now.

“Does he need surgery?” Della asked, so afraid Steve would say yes.

“I don’t think so.”

“Stitches?”

“Normally, we don’t do stitches on vampires. You guys heal quickly as long as…”

His pause gave Della concern. “As long as what?”

“As long as you haven’t been deprived of blood for too long. And an infection doesn’t set in.”

“Does it look infected?” she asked.

“Not yet. But it wouldn’t show up for a few hours. It’s when it’s healing that the signs of infection will show up.”

“And if it does?”

“We’ll have to open the wounds back up, clean them again.

“Turn him over,” Steve said when he finished cleaning the gaping hole in Chase’s abdomen.

“Put the ointment on him first.”

Steve picked up the tube he’d dropped on the bedside table. “I don’t know what this is.”

“Chase says it works.”

“But it could be—”

“It’s okay. My uncle invented it.”

“Your uncle?”

“He’s a doctor, or medical research scientist.”

“And possibly a murderer,” Steve pointed out. “You trust him?”

Did she trust her uncle? She didn’t know, but it hit her then that she trusted Chase—on this at least—and he believed in her uncle. “I trust Chase’s opinion. Use it.”

Steve opened the unmarked tube and swabbed the wound.

Chase let out another low growl. Baxter lifted his head and whined.

“Now turn him over. And I wish the dog would get off the bed.”

Della turned Chase, and got Baxter down again. Chase moaned. Della’s gut knotted, feeling his muscles tighten and knowing she’d caused him pain.

Steve cleaned the wound and covered it in the ointment. After she rolled Chase back over, Steve started to walk away. But then his brows creased and he leaned down to study the wound.

“What is it? What’s wrong? Is it getting infected?” Della asked, not liking Steve’s sudden interest.

He glanced up, puzzled. “No, but the wound is already closing.”

“Is that good?”

“It’s … odd.” He looked at the bag of blood. “He’s barely gotten any blood. Usually … it takes longer.” He looked back at the wound. “But yes, I guess it’s good. He won’t be losing more blood. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get an infection.” Steve picked up the tube. “What’s in this stuff?”

“I don’t know,” Della said. “If it’s already healing and doesn’t look infected, does that mean he’s in the clear?” She wanted to hear Steve tell her Chase was going to be okay.

“Not necessarily,” he said. “But it’s a good sign.”

She tried to find peace in that, but it wasn’t helping very much. “So how long before he’s conscious?”

“That depends on how much blood he lost. He looked as if he’d lost a lot. I can stay with him if you want to go.”

“No, you can go. I’m gonna stay. Please, I have this now. If I need you, I’ll call.”

He nodded, and from his expression she saw that he was reading a lot into her request. All of the awkwardness she’d feared from the situation bubbled to the surface.

Glancing back at the bed, she went over and lifted the cover over Chase’s mostly naked body. Not because she thought he was cold, but for modesty’s sake. She wouldn’t want to think someone would let her lay there half naked and out of it.

She motioned for Steve to follow her out of the room. “I … Chase was hurt trying to help clear my father’s name. I owe it to him to make sure he’s okay.” But that wasn’t the only reason, and she knew it. The truth was there, deep in the pit of her gut, where she didn’t have time to dig for it.

When Steve didn’t answer, she added, “Chase and I aren’t … together.” It wasn’t a lie, so why did that make her heart do a couple of cartwheels?

Steve smiled. Not a real smile, but something close. “It’s okay, you don’t have to justify it, Della.”

Didn’t she? She watched him go back into the bedroom and collect his bag, and another question hit. Wouldn’t the old Steve need a justification?