Page 67 of Tainted Love

Elijah holds up a firm hand. “One on each side of your knee,” he says, keeping his grin. “But as I said, you won’t feel a thing.”

I fidget against the iron bed frame, digging my nails into my palms.

“Here,” he says. “Close your eyes. Count to ten and I’ll be done.”

I do as he asks and close my eyes. His hand grazes my knee, but no pain shoots up my leg. A burst of warmth surrounds my kneecap, almost like my leg swallowed a gulp of delicious hot chocolate on a snowy day.

I crack open one eye and I see him slide the needle out of my skin and shift it sideways to inject the front side. “Whoa…”

He keeps moving, pushing the needle in and shooting me up on all sides until it’s empty.

“All done.” He sets the needle down and looks at me. “How was that?”

“I didn’t feel a thing…” I say, staring at my knee. “Anything.”

“I inherited the healing touch. Lilah… not so much.” He sits back in the chair, smiling. “Sit tight. It takes a few minutes to kick in.”

“It feels warm.”

“Good.” He pauses, his eyes looking me up and down. “So, how do you know my big brother?”

I lie back against the headboard. “He was sent to kill my father.”

His eyebrows bounce. “Did he?”

“No.” My mind flashes back to that stage. “No, he didn’t.”

“Dante is sent to kill your dad… and you end up cuffed to a bed out here? How does that happen in just two days?”

“I’ll be sure to let you know once I’ve processed it…”

Elijah leans over and touches my knee with two fingers. A bolt of dull pain teases my skin.

“Feel that?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say, wincing.

He sits back. “So, why are you cuffed? If you don’t mind me asking…”

“I… tried to steal his car.”

“Are you here against your will?” he asks. “Because I’ll get Lilah to kick his ass for you.”

I shake my head. “No, I guess I’m not. He… saved me, technically.”

“From who?”

I close my eyes, fighting the tears just begging to come out. “From the man who did kill my father.”

“You must have made quite the impression on him, then,” he says. “It’s pretty unprecedented for my brother to give a crap about anybody. Except the two of us, of course.”

“I guess you could say I did.”

Elijah chews on his lip, staring at me with fascination before turning his attention to my knee again. He taps it twice with his knuckle.

“Feel that?” he asks.

I glance at it as he touches me again. “No.”

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