Deceiving Dexter

Chapter Fifteen - Cotton Candy, Kisses and Death Threats

Natalia’s POV

Dexter stood in the hallway, his body drenched, the water mixed with red. The blood fell down his face, marking the police uniform he was wearing. His arm was also bleeding, and he was using the other one to hold it. His lip was cut and despite his injuries he didn’t look too scared, just in pain.

‘Wh-What happened?’ I stuttered, shock filling my body. Dexter is strong and sensible, he was the one who held me tightly in horror movies and who protectively wrapped his arm around me when we went into a shady neighbourhood. I knew he wasn’t invincible, yet a part of me was surprised that he was capable of being hurt. 

The parts of my brain that were telling me to distance myself and were reminding me that I was only using him, well, they shut up pretty fast. My only focus was on him, on scanning his body with my eyes for further injuries, for making sure that he was alright.

He didn’t have time to answer my previous question, because I pulled him into the apartment, fussing over him until I convinced him to sit down while I found the first aid kit. He made some small objections, sighting that he was ‘fine’ and ‘it’s not that bad’, but I disregarded that. He was in pain, I could see it in his eyes. After I was sure he was settled on the couch I went into the bedroom and reached to the top of the closet, the first thing I reached was a gun, which I hastily put back, then searched around it to find the desired object.

The first aid kit was extensive and was contained in a white box. I carried it to the couch where Dexter was sitting and I sat next to him, cleaning his wounds. He winced slightly as the cloth made contact with his skin, but his arm didn’t flinch away from the pain.

‘I was walking from my car to your building and these guys jumped me,’ he explained.

‘Muggers?’ oh god, I hoped it was muggers, I couldn’t handle the thought it was my father’s men, even worse my own brothers, who could have done this.

‘Nope, didn’t take anything, just said I had one chance to take the bribe or else.’

‘And you chose or else?’ I asked and he nodded.

‘Your lip cut isn’t too bad, but your head needs stitches, your arm too. We should get you to a hospital.’

‘You have all the tools there, can you do it?’

‘A nurse would do it better.’

He shook his head, ‘Too many questions, and I know that you can do it, I saw the work you did at the soup kitchen.’

‘Ok, don’t blame me if I do it wrong and you look hideous,’ I tried to joke but the pain must have been drawing most of his attention as he didn’t seem to have even heard me.

‘Let me give you something for the pain’ I told him, reaching for the vial in the first aid kit.

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I stitched him up, focussing intently on keeping my hands steady and head clear.

‘See, it’s perfect,’ he said, admiring the stitches. I was glad that I had quite a bit of pain medication in the bag, his face looked more relaxed, no sign of the pain he was trying to hide when he first came to the apartment.

‘Your first aid kit has so much in it, I’m pretty sure only doctors are allowed to give this stuff,’ he said, picking up a vial. He was right, but I wasn’t about to let him know that.

‘Nah, you can carry this stuff,’ I said, swift taking the vial back and closing up the bag, ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Hardly any pain,’ He said giving me a small smile then wincing, ‘Ok it hurts when I smile.’