Duncan (The Protectors #3)(46)

“Yeah, for you to tell me what’s wrong.” Adam tossed Steve and Angelina the balloons, and then leaned on the counter staring at his sister.

“Nothing’s wrong, Adam.” Tessa sighed chopping away on another head of cauliflower. The knife slipped slicing down straight across her index and middle fingers.

“Dammit, Tessa.” Adam grabbed the knife from her. “Watch what you’re doing.”

They both looked at the clean cut that didn’t start bleeding until seconds later, and then the blood gushed. Grabbing her, he led her to the sink sticking her hand under the faucet. Glancing at her face as he held her hand under the water, her face paled. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

“No.” Tessa replied through clenched teeth. “I’m not going to ruin Pam’s party. Just get me a band-aid.”

“A band-aid?” Adam snorted. “You’re going to need stitches. You can see the bone, which is really gross by the way.”

Tessa also saw the bone. “Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out,” she repeated to herself. “Get me a towel.”

“What happened?” Nicole walked over, glancing into the sink to see what they were doing. “Oh crap. Tessa, what did you do?”

“She about cut her damn fingers off.” Adam came back with a towel.

With a shaky hand, Tessa turned off the water then grabbed the towel. “Stop cussing so much, Adam,” Tessa mumbled, wrapping her hand as tight as she could. If she was a vampire, she would be healed by now. Shaking that thought away, she used her good hand to apply pressure.

“Tessa, honey, you need to get to the hospital.” Nicole frowned watching the blood seep through the white towel.

“I will after Pam gets here. I don’t want to miss her surprise. Just get me another towel please.” Turning back to the sink, Tessa unwrapped her hand sticking it back under the water missing the glances shooting back and forth between Nicole and Adam.

“Who the hell is bleeding?” Sid said as soon as he and Jill walked in the door followed by Jared, Damon and Slade.

Jared knew as soon as he smelled the blood. He was at Tessa’s side in an instant. “Are you okay? What happened?”

When he tried to look at her hand, she pulled it away to wrap it in a clean towel. “It’s fine. Just a little cut.”

“You can see bone, Tessa.” Adam glared at her. “That’s not a little cut. And for you not to be screaming in pain or passed out is a miracle.”

Because I’m numb, she thought, but kept that to herself. “Just because I’m human, doesn’t mean I’m a *,” she shot back. “I said I’m fine.”

No one said a word, but looked at her a little shocked.

Slade walked over staring at the towel wrapped around her hand. Again, blood was seeping through. “Is that a sterile towel?”

“I seriously doubt it.” Tessa shrugged her shoulder. “It’s okay for now.”

“May I?” Slade reached for the towel, but Tessa pulled away. “I don’t want to ruin Pam’s party for a little cut.”

“Let him look at it, Tessa,” Jared said, his eyes on her trying to read her.

“Adam, can you please clean this up for me before Pam gets here?” Tessa asked walking away from Jared looking at Sloan. “We need to do this in the bathroom?”

“Can you get my bag out of Jared’s car?” Slade asked Jill as he followed Tessa to the bathroom watching her closely. She swayed slightly but caught herself.

Duncan’s bathroom was bigger than average, but Tessa felt claustrophobic with Slade and Jared looming over her as she sat on the toilet.

Slade washed his hands before kneeling down to gently unwrap her hand. “Find me a towel to put over her legs,” he instructed Jared, who immediately went to find one.

Jill knocked, then walked in carrying Slade’s bag.

“Just put it here.” When she started to leave, he stopped her. “Can you wait, just in case I need something?”

“Sure.” Jill stood back out of the way.

“What were you doing?” Slade asked as he looked her hand over.

“Chopping cauliflower,” Tessa replied, looking at the ground instead of her hand. She was feeling a little woozy and light headed. “With an axe?”

Tessa snorted. “Was that doctor humor?”

“Pretty lame, huh?” Slade’s lips curved. “You need stitches. I don’t think you hit any nerves, which is a miracle, but you definitely need stitches.”

“Okay, can you do that now?” Tessa adjusted the towel Jared had placed across her lap.

“I could, but I don’t have anything to numb you up with.” Slade rummaged through his bag.

“I don’t care.” Tessa avoided Jared’s gaze. “Just do it.”

Slade looked up at her then to Jared. “I don’t advise that. You need to be numbed up and in a sterile environment. I don’t think a bathroom constitutes a very sterile environment.”

“Come on.” Jared went to grab the towel. “Let’s go.”

Tessa grabbed the towel keeping it on her lap. “Can you put something on it until later? I’m staying for the party.”

Looking uncomfortable with the obvious tension between Jared and Tessa, Slade nodded, going back into his bag. “I can put some steri-strips across it with some antibiotic cream, but you need to have this looked at in the next hour or so.”