Page 11 of Hell on an Angel
Cree walked in to find Kennedy still in the same spot as when he left earlier. Her hands gripped the edge of the bed. Her head hung down, and what he was sure had been a tightly-wound bun had become a hanging knot. Her toes barely touched the floor. The only difference from earlier was she’d pulled the bedspread around herself.
Setting the bags on the bed, Cree tilted her head up so he could look at her. She barely acknowledged him. Her eyes were sad, but more than that, they told a story. One that tugged at his hardened heart.
Grabbing one of the small plastic chairs that sat with an even smaller table, Cree took it into the bathroom. Putting the chair inside the shower stall, he turned the water on low so it could warm up. Grabbing a washcloth from a shelf, he rested it on the back of the chair. Before going back out to the main room, he turned on the heater to warm the bathroom.
Crouching down in front of Player’s sister, he spoke to her in a gentle voice. “Kennedy, we need to get that shirt loose.”
“Okay” was all she managed. She was too tired to make conversation. Whatever Cree wanted her to do, he just needed to tell her. She found herself scooped up again and carried into the bathroom.
“I need you to stand up while we get you out of these clothes.” He didn’t wait for Kennedy to argue or agree. He set her down, making sure she kept her arms around his neck. This kept her body weight off her blistered feet. Reaching behind her, he unzipped the skirt and tugged it down along with her underwear.
Picking her up again, he stepped inside the shower stall and placed her on the chair. Standing behind her, Cree stripped his clothes off and dropped them outside the stall. He was about to turn the shower on high when he remembered the bag of toiletries was on the bed. “Shit.”
Reaching for a towel, he wrapped it around his waist before stepping out of the shower. The towel was for Kennedy as he was comfortable walking around naked, but she might not appreciate it. Making quick work retrieving the bag, he stepped back into the bathroom. Setting all the items on the small sink, he picked up the shampoo, conditioner, and bath soap. Losing the towel, he stepped back into the shower stall behind the chair.
Turning the shower from a trickle to a soft spray, he made sure it was on a good temp before letting it wash over her. Wetting the washcloth, he gently laid it on her wounded shoulder. The cloth would help loosen the fabric from the wound. With the washcloth catching the warm water, he quickly showered and washed his hair before he moved to help Kennedy.
It took longer than he expected to get the blouse away from her shoulder. As he had suspected, the wound started bleeding again. He let it bleed as he took care of everything else first. She didn’t put up a fight when he worked the bun out of her hair and helped her shower.
When he finished, he turned off the tap and wrapped her in a towel, giving himself time to dry off. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he managed to carry an exhausted Kennedy to the bed. Using the damp washcloth he’d taken from the shower, he pressed it to the wound. “Kennedy, can you hold the cloth against the wound for me?”
“Yes.” Gliding her hand over his, she let him put it where he needed it.
Cree made quick work of combing out her long hair and towel-drying some of the water from it. Grabbing one of his leather ties, he braided her hair and secured it. “Let’s take care of that wound.” He took his time closing the deep gash that ran across her shoulder. A small gash on her head needed tending as well. “What the hell happened to you?” he asked, not expecting an answer.
“I saw my boss shoot a man,” Kennedy mumbled, too tired to talk.
As he closed the wounds, he could see the green and gold flecks in her hazel eyes. He stared at her for a long minute before looking away. Kennedy leaned in, placing a kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you.”
Not wanting to think about how soft her lips felt on his skin, Cree cut his thoughts off. “Have you eaten today?”
“No.”
“Are you picky?”
“No.”
“I’ll order some food for us from the diner.” He watched her nod before he walked back into the bathroom.
After dressing, he stepped out the bathroom to find Kennedy still wrapped in the towel, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Kennedy, do you need help putting on clothes?”
“I don’t know where your shirt went to.”
With her lying on the bed, still pink from the shower, Cree had to ignore his normal urges and remind himself that she was his brother’s little sister. With the need to get her out of the damp towel and into warm clothes, he forgot about the pajamas he’d purchased. Searching the bed, he found the shirt he’d given her earlier. “Here we are. Can you sit up?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
He gently pulled the shirt over her head and tugged it down her torso while she managed to get her arms into the sleeves. “Are you in pain?”
“Nothing aspirin won’t take care of.”
“I picked some up at the store.” Digging in the shopping bags, he found the aspirin and a bottle of water. He also saw the bag with the pajamas.Fuck it, he thought,she was already dressed. Handing the items to her, he waited until she took the aspirin. “Is there anything you need before I go get food for us?”
“My car’s in Provo, Utah, in a parking mall. I was thinking I should have it towed to a storage place.”
“The club has a chapter in Provo. I’ll have someone pick it up and take it to the clubhouse there.” He didn’t miss the confused look on her face. Did she not know anything about her brother’s life? “Get some rest. I’ll be back.”
