Page 14 of Rurik
“You want me to bandage it?” sheasked.
“No, it will heal fast,” he assured her. It was true. With the iron out, the wound was already clotting and knitting back together. A human would have required more serious medical attention. Thankfully, Charlotte was not a doctor; otherwise, she would have had some uncomfortablequestions.
She moved on to the bullet lodged in his shoulder. It must have lodged in his bone, because he could feel the pliers scrape as she found it. He bit his lip as she removed that bullet. It joined the first in the sink. Then she knelt behind him and dug into his thigh. That hurt more than his back, because the muscles had more sinew. Hot blood trickled down his leg onto thefloor.
“Got it!” She stood and dropped the third bullet next to the other two. Rurik lifted his head and met her gaze in the bathroom mirror. She looked so young and vulnerable, her hair still soaked, her dress damp and makeup smeared. Her trembling hands held the bloodymultitool.
God, he was a damned fool. She was human, and she’d been shot at. His little rose was delicate, after all. She wasn’t a fierce dragoness used to wounds and bloodshed, yet she was being damned brave right now, and his chest filled with a swell of pride. Her lashes fluttered as she stared up athim.
“Wow… I really thought there’d be more blood. Guess none of them hit any major arteries. Lucky you. Are you going to be okay?” she asked, biting her bottomlip.
He managed a nod. “I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve been…hurt.” He reached up instinctively to trace the scar that marred his cheek and forehead, a gift from a battle long ago. It had been a serious wound—it would have to be to leave such a mark—and he had been fortunate to surviveit.
“You need to get out of that wetdress.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“You’ll freeze, little rose.” He turned her around so that her back was to him and without asking unzipped her dress. She peered over her shoulder at him, so incredibly shy, clearly torn between objecting to and encouraging his behavior. The sexy minx from earlier tonight was gone. Now he was facing a fragile creature who needed his protection, even if she didn’t realizeit.
“It’s all right. I’m going to take care of you.” He brushed his hand along her bareshoulder.
“Hey, I’m not the one who got shot.” There was a fire in her eyes, but it was dimmed by fear. Her hands were still shaking likehell.
“I’ve been shot before. You haven’t. You are in shock. Go. Get into the shower.” He nudged her toward the shower stall, and she got in. He turned on the water, careful to aim the nozzle away until the water heatedup.
Charlotte covered her black-clad breasts by crossing her arms over her chest. Her modesty would’ve been charming under differentcircumstances.
“The water’s hot.” He flicked his fingers into the spray before he angled the nozzle toward her. “Remove your underwear.” His words were a command, but he kept his tone gentle. She needed him to be firm, but he didn’t want to scareher.
“No—”
“Charlotte, I’m not asking.” He stared down at her, careful not to influence her too much with his gaze, just providing a nudge in the right direction. He didn’t want to make her do anything she didn’t want to do, but he had no time to argue with hereither.
She stared at the tile floor as she slipped off her panties, then unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the rug outside the shower door. She stepped fully into the spray, rubbing her body vigorously with her hands as her teeth started to chatter, despite the hot water. Her body’s temperature had dropped toofast.
He took a deep, controlled breath before he stepped into the shower behind her and covered the back of her body withhis.
“You need body heat, sweetheart.” He didn’t do anything except hold her as the hot water warmed her from the front and he from behind. After a few minutes, her teeth stopped chattering, and she leaned back againsthim.
“I’ve never… That was so scary,” she whispered. The steam curled up around them, and he pressed a kiss to hershoulder.
“I am sorry you were there.” Whoever had fired the shots had meant to kill him. It wasn’t the first time he’d faced this type of threat. The Russian Mafia had tried more than once to take control of the city, having put hits out on both him and Grigori, but they had never known to use iron bullets, something their hitmen had not lived to regret. No, this had been no human assassin at work. This was someone who knew all too well what he reallywas.
“Was someone trying to kill you?” sheasked.
“I told you, Moscow isn’t a safe place. Not even for me.” He nuzzled her neck, and the sweet scent of her mixed with fear made his pulse quicken. Sometimes he hated the predator in him for responding to fear like that. He didn’t want her to beafraid.
He wanted to destroy those who had almost killed her tonight. He wanted to release his dragon so it could sniff out those men and tear them apart. But his instinctive need to protect her was stronger than his desire for revenge. Whoever had taken a shot at him tonight would have gotten a good look at Charlotte. They knew what hotel she was staying at, which meant she was still in danger, especially if they believed he had feelings for her. To come after him was understandable, but to target an innocent not once but twice in order to hurt him?Unforgivable.
All because he’d been foolish enough to dance with her, to kiss her…to convince himself for one minute that he could have a normal life with a normal girl. He would leave her now if there was a chance it would help, but the damage had already been done. Leaving wouldn’t shift the target he’d inadvertently placed on herback.
“You should wash the blood off your hands.” He took her palms and pulled them into the spray, rubbing his fingers along the pads of hers, trying to erase the evidence of tonight’shorror.
“What about you?” She turned in his arms, and her full breasts pressed against his chest. He was wearing only his boxers, but it felt like he was damn near naked againsther.
“I don’t—” hebegan.
Charlotte shook her head. “You do. Turn around.” She was giving him orders. A sweet, innocent virgin ordering around a dragon. His brothers would laugh their asses off if they ever found out. He turned his back to her, and her soft hands ran water over hiswounds.
