After taking the antidote, Rafael remained calm, and he finally fell asleep. His breathing was still uneven, but it was steadier than before. It only meant that the antidote worked, though I must admit that the poison left my nephew weak and restless.
Anger was inside my chest toward the people who did this to him.
I tucked him into the backseat of the car and covered him with a blanket. I gently brushed his hair from his forehead.
“I will do my best to protect you from harm. For now, I am thankful that the antidote is working. But I promise, you will get through this,” I said and gave him a kiss on his forehead.
But my heart was still unsettled. Not only because Rafael attacked me and almost hurt me. His sudden lunge would really rip me if not for Deacon. The wild look in his eyes was really scary. But my heart was also overwhelmed when Deacon stepped in between me and Rafael without thinking of his own safety.
At that moment, Rafael didn’t know what he was doing. The poison had made him someone else. He didn’t remember Deacon or me at all. The poison made him fierce and desperate. All I could see at that moment was that Rafael wanted blood.
And without having a second thought, his small fists landed against Deacon’s chest.
Because of my nephew’s situation, I didn’t notice Deacon was wounded. I didn’t realise how bad it was until Rafael was calmed
down.
I got out of the car, and I saw how serious Deacon’s wounds were when he pressed his palm against his shirt.
He was in the army, but he never tried to hurt Rafael despite getting wounded. That’s how much this guy loves me. If he wanted, he could have stopped Rafael with his force, but he chose to be gentle and soft.
“I am sorry, you got hurt,” I said as I went near him.
Deacon shook his head and smiled at me. It was as if he was trying not to make me worry, even if I could see the blood in his shirt. “No, this is nothing. It’s just a bruise. It will heal pretty soon.”
I shook my head and stepped close to him. I saw a faint, dark stain on his shirt, right over his chest. That was where Rafael’s hand landed when he tried to attack us earlier.
“That’s not just a bruise,” I said to him. My voice was broken. He was not supposed to get hurt if he wasn’t protecting me.
He gave me the look that he would always give whenever he challenged my thoughts.
I reached out, and thankfully, he didn’t stop me. My fingers brushed the fabric, and there was blood.
“This was supposed to be for me, but you took it,” I said in a trembling voice. I tried hard to hide it, but I couldn’t sound steady. What else could this man do for me?
“I can do everything for you; you should know that,” he said in an almost teasing voice.
I swallowed hard. I wished I could also protect him the way he had protected me. It shouldn’t always be him who takes an attack just to keep me safe. But I know, no matter what I would say, he would stand firm in what he believed, and that’s keeping me safe, so I turned around.
I took the supplies bag and opened it. I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking even though my heart finally calmed down.
I took out bandages, antiseptic and clean clothes. I put them all beside him.
Deacon started to pull off his jacket, but he hesitated over his shirt. I caught a flicker of discomfort in his eyes.
It was not a shame for me to see his body naked, but it was more of not being comfortable in showing his weakness.
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Chapter 172
+25 Bonus
“Let me help you,” I said..
For a moment, he stared at me with a blank face. I couldn’t read what’s on his mind. Then, he finally pulled off his shirt as well,
and I saw him wince as the fabric brushed his wound.
It must be truly profound to hurt like that.
I held my breath. His chest was broader than I thought. There were lines of old scars, and I knew each one had a story to tell, and I was not just so sure if I wanted to hear it.
But it was really the fresh wound that pulled me back from my thoughts. And I wasn’t mistaken. It was a deep stretch across his
chest.
I pressed the clean cloth against it. I saw his jaw tighten.
“I am sorry,” I whispered.
“Just do it right, please.”
I tried to be as gentle as I could when I pressed the cloth to stop the bleeding. The sound of the waves filled the silence between us. My heart was pounding so loud as I continued to work. I was so focused that it was the only sound that I could hear.
When the bleeding finally stopped, I reached for the antiseptic, “This might hurt,” I warned him.
“Well, everything hurts,” Deacon answered dryly.
I put a small amount of liquid across the cut, and he didn’t flinch this time, even though I saw pain cross his eyes.
“You shouldn’t have stepped in like that. Look what happened to you,” I finally said.
“I would do it again if I needed to.”
I froze, “Even if it meant this?” I said as I pointed at the bandage and the blood in his shirt.
“Why do you have to make me worry?” I couldn’t help but burst out with what I was feeling at that moment. I wouldn’t know what to do if something happened to him because of me.
“You really don’t have to worry about me. I am okay. I told you, this is nothing.” He pulled me closer to him. “Thank you,” he whispered.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
