Page 50 of Explode
It was fine by me. As much as I wanted to spend hours reacquaintingmyself with her delicious body, I was too exhausted, and if she was lying next to me naked, there was no way I’d be able to keep my hands off her.
That didn’t stop me from stripping off though, and as much as Rileytried, I caught her watching me as I undid my buttons and took off my shirt. Her face paled when her eyes fixed on the scar I now wore between my pecs.
It was about eight inches in length, but to be fair to Dr. Harris, he’ddone a neat job in stitching me back together and leaving minimal scarring. It could have been a whole lot worse given he had to open me up to stop the bleeding and restart my heart.
As part of my recovery, he’d offered to bring in a plastic surgeon totidy the scar up, but I told him no. I wanted to wear that scar for the rest of my life with pride. It was a constant reminder that someone had tried to kill me and failed.
A reminder that I was a lucky fucker to be alive.
If it bothered Riley to look at it, then maybe I’d consider a tattoo tocover it up, but I’d know it was there.
“Is…erm…is that where Hendrix shot you?” Riley said, finding hervoice and pulling herself up so her back rested against the headboard.
I ran my hand over the scar. “Yeah.”
“Jesus,” she replied, her voice barely a whisper. “How did it not killyou?”
“Another inch to the left and it would have done, it wasn’t for lack oftrying on Hendrix’s part. They had to restart my heart three times.” I said, anger spiking in my blood at mentioning the cunt’s name.
I couldn’t wait until the day vengeance was mine. I was going to enjoyevery minute of ending Hendrix.
Thorne too for that matter.
When tears welled in her eyes, I risked her wrath by moving over tothe bed and sitting down next to her.
“It’s okay, Star,” I said, swiping a stray tear with my thumb. She didn’ttell me to fuck off, so I’d take that as a win.
“Does it hurt?” Riley asked, her voice choked with emotion, and guiltswept through me for all the pain I had caused her for letting her think I was dead. Not that I’d had a choice at the time, but I could have ended it any time I wanted, yet I didn’t.
“Not really. This one hurts more,” I said, turning to theside to show her the longer scar where I’d had my spleen removed.
She gasped, and her hands flew to her mouth. “That was where theother bullet hit you,” she stated through her hands covering her mouth.
“Yeah, that bullet hit my spleen. Doc Harris had to remove it as I wasbleeding internally.”
Tentatively, her hand reached out, and she gently traced a finger overthe scar on my side. The touch of her fingers on my skin felt like heaven. Riley was the only calming force in my life, her simple touch always placated the storm brewing inside me.
“Kai, I…I don’t know what to say,” she replied, her chocolate orbsmeeting mine.
“There’s nothing to say. I survived, that’s all that matters, andthose that hurt us will pay.”
She was quiet for a minute as her finger lightly stroked over theraised skin, and I let myself enjoy the feel of her touch on my body. I wanted her hands to touch every inch of me, but this was better than nothing, and I would take what I could get right now.
“Does it hurt all the time?” she asked, her gaze fixed on the wound.
“Not all the time. If I overdo it when I’m training, or my angry wifeelbows it, then yeah, it hurts.” My lips pulled up one side in a grin, but her eyes snapped to mine.
I instantly regretted my words. I’d hoped to break the seriousness ofthe conversation, but all I’d done was remind her of the moment she discovered I was alive. She withdrew her hand, and in an instant, the walls that had been down a few moments ago sprung back into place. Her eyes hardened and she turned away from me.
“We ought to get some sleep,” she said, any hint of emotion now voidfrom her tone. She moved down the bed onto her back before rolling over to face away, and shutting me out once again. My shoulder slumped in frustration, it was like taking one small fucking step forward and two ginormous steps back with her stubborn ass.
Lying down next to her, I scrubbed my hand over my face.Temptation to force Riley into my arms was all-consuming, but I damn well knew if I laid a finger on her, it would cause an argument, and I didn’t have the patience right now. It would only result in me snapping and taking my temper out on her.
Ideally, with my cock down the back of her throat.
But when it came to Riley, I knew my wife better than I knew the backof my own hand. I knew her breathing pattern when she slept, and the second her breaths became heavier, and her body relaxed into the mattress, I carefully wrapped my arms around her and pulled her so her back was to my front.
Burying my head in her hair and inhaling her scent, peace finallyconsumed me and I drifted off, knowing that as soon as her eyes opened, I’d feel her wrath for daring to touch what was mine.
