KILLER. 🩸

VEINTIUNO

Working around him, I very carefully disposed of the soiled sheets and remade the bed with fresh linens. He ignored me the whole time which was fine, I didn't exactly want to speak to him either.

"A bath would be better, I'll run the water shallow for you so you don't wet your bandage and I'll go grab some comfortable clothes from your closet while you get undressed."

Again, he didn't speak to me or express his gratitude in anyway. He was a grump, the male ego being fragile anyway, but Aries' was in shatters. He didn't want my help but he needed it. He didn't want me to see him as weak but the man couldn't even stand. He was embarrassed and I'll admit, part of me loved that.

I gathered up some of his personal belongings from the north wing but when I returned back to him, he was still sat in the same position, fully dressed.

"You don't want a bath?"

"I can't move." He replied reluctantly. "I can't get undressed." He was so frustrated saying that, it probably caused him more pain than the stab wound.

I'll admit, for a minute back there I was paralysed by worry. Wondering if he would actually make it through and wake up. Now that he seemed semi-okay I was actually finding enjoyment in his suffering.

"It's not funny." He scolded.

"I know."

"Then why are you smiling?" I burst out laughing and he glared at me with murderous intentions.

"Would you like me to help you out of your clothes?"

"No." Ever so irascible.

I helped him anyway.  Taking his arms out of the sleeves of his T-shirt without actually raising them up and stretching out his torso.

He was very sore and not much help, I could see even the slightest of movements caused him the world of pain but he barely complained about that. Every move I made was done with gentle care to not prolong his torture and although he would never admit it, I think he was thankful for the intimacy of my actions.

Blood stained his entire body and leaked through the gauze but thankfully not enough to be overly concerned about.

"Can you scoot back on the bed?"

He very awkwardly complied with my wishes and I set to work removing his trousers. We kept his boxer shorts on to help him protect that little bit of modesty and then he shuffled to the bathroom, leaning like a deadweight on my shoulder the whole way.

The water barely covered his legs, just enough to keep him warm. He sat quietly with his head hung low, feeling sorry for himself.

I realised his body was so dirty he wouldn't be able to reach up and sponge wash it off efficiently. Of course, he had already figured that one out long before me but he didn't ask for help. He just sat stewing in the tub.

I grabbed a loofa sponge and really carefully splashed the water up his back in a soothing cascade to cleanse away the dried blood. 

In the wake of my soft hands brushing up against his skin, goosebumps rose to the surface and a shiver tickled down his spine.

His body was deliciously muscular and I had the free roam to massage sweetly smelling suds into it. It was torture for me because despite how my own body was reacting to the sight of his, I knew he wasn't in the right headspace for anything even remotely sexual.

Though, I could've stared at him for decades. Etching every inch of his physique into my mind like I was carving it into stone.

I don't know what it was, the affect Aries had on me. Whenever I was around him my mind would roam to sexual fantasies that I wanted him to fulfil. It's like I craved him. An animal on heat, no feelings just sex. sex. sex.

I wanted him to spread my legs. I could picture his face between them, his stubble scraping against my pussy. I wanted his fingers to tease the fuck out of my nipples and —

"I put my hands on you."

His quiet voice spoke out, snapping me out of my dirty thoughts. I blushed, heat pooling into my cheeks because he clearly wasn't having the same fantasising thoughts as me. The water caused ringlets in the tub as he half turned to look at me.

His gaze fell down to the markings on my neck and I could see the regret and confusion clouding in his eyes.

"I choked you."

"Yes you did." I snarled out, feeling bitter at the earlier memories.

"You had a gun pointed to my head, you could've easily killed me. Why didn't you?"

"Because I'm a better person than you." My answer was instant. Factual. I knew it. He knew it. The whole fucking world knew it.

It was troubling for him, seeing the cruel damage he caused me and I could almost hear the word 'sorry' rolling around on the tip of his tongue, he would just never allow himself to say it out loud.

His look lingered, trapped on my throat as he battled with himself to apologise. I felt his stare on my neck like blistering hot coals directly against my skin.

I wasn't going to tell him it was alright. I wasn't going to accept an apology that he didn't have the guts to say. Fuck that. I wasn't easing his guilt.

So, he turned away stating, "you should've killed me. I would've killed you if the roles were reversed." and then let me continue washing him down as if the heaviness of that conversation didn't linger like the condensation in the room.

To an extent, I understood.

Aries was the type of man who couldn't talk about his feelings, and he certainly couldn't express his emotions but I did want that apology.

He strangled me, and I saved his life.

I think I had earned more than my fair share of his respect, now I wanted answers only he could give.

Who is paying him to protect me?