Page 69 of All Your Pain

The paramedics gather around him and start asking me questions but I stand back unable to answer any of them. They exchange odd glances as they see the still fresh cuts on his stomach. Someone asks me what happened but all I find myself repeating isI don’t know.

I can’t take my eyes off Dean as they move him onto a stretcher and start wheeling him away. If they drive away with him I won’t know if he’s going to be okay. It’s not like they can just call me to let me know, I’m not even family.

I quickly say, “I’m coming with him, I’m his wife.”

No one objects as I climb into the back of the ambulance, I try to hold his hand but I’m told to sit out of the way so they can help him.

I sit there helplessly, begging him not to leave me.

I don’t have anyone else and I realize I don’t want anyone else. I’d give anything to be back in his bed with him, tied up or not. I don't care, as long as he's with me forever.

27

WILLOW

“You have to stay out here,” a nurse says, as I try to look through the door they just took Dean through.

“Is he going to be okay?” I ask and she gives me a sympathetic look that I’m sure she uses on everyone that asks her the same thing.

“You’ll be told as soon as he’s stable. I still need to ask you some questions about what happened though.”

I purse my lips. I haven’t been able to come up with a cover story to tell them and I don’t even know what actually happened. Before she can press me for information, she looks over my shoulder and suddenly straightens her posture as her eyes light up.

A hand clamps down on my shoulder and a low voice says, “she’s clearly in shock. Give the poor girl some time to process what's happening rather than bother her with questions.”

When I look up, a man with sharp cheekbones and thick, dark lashes is smiling sweetly at the nurse but from this close I can see the malice in his eyes.

“Yes, of course. I’ll let you know as soon as we know your husband's condition,” she quickly says to me before hurrying off in the opposite direction before I can even thank her.

“Husband?” The man’s voice is so close to my ear that I can feel his cool breath on my skin and smell the mint from the gum he’s chewing. I instantly recognise him from our phone call earlier.

Shrugging out of his grip I turn to face him. He's ridiculously tall, maybe even taller than Dean, dressed head to toe in black with chains hanging around his neck and thick, heavy looking rings on his slender fingers. His long dark hair is hooked behind one ear and I imagine that if he put on some ear prosthetics he’d look just like a fae prince. I’m sure just like the dark fantasy novels I’ve read he’s just as conniving as them as well. I shake the thought away, he helped me tonight I should be thanking him.

“Dean’s going to blow his load when he hears you've been telling everyone he’s your husband!” He smirks and I instantly know why he and Dean are friends.

“I’m assuming your Bones?” I ask, ignoring his comment.

He nods and gives me a sharp smile as he looks me over. His eyes narrow as they linger on the bruises still on my neck that I keep trying and failing to hide behind my hair. “You the sweet, little sex slave he’s been pining over?”

“Thewhat?”I gasp, trying to keep my voice low and hoping no one heard what he just said.

Is that what Dean told him I was?

My cheeks heat at the realization that I kind of have been a sex slave but to my suprise that doesn’t actually make me feel bad.

I’m too worried about whether Dean’s going to make it through the night to care what he calls me to his friend.

“You’re not the girl he snatched up?”

“I—I am. I’m Willow,” I stammer, trying to sound confident in front of the second most intimidating man I’ve ever met. “It’s not like that though.”

“I know,” he says and there’s something in his look that I can’t quite place, like he’s thinking of someone else. “How is he?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I sigh, “I don’t know, they won’t tell me anything. I heard them say he needs a blood transfusion. That’s not good is it?”

“I wouldn’t worry, darling. Knowing him he’ll be absolutely fine. He doesn't realize how lucky he has it.” Bones places his hand on the small of my back and leads me to an empty set of chairs down the hall far away from everyone else.

“What do you mean?” I ask as I sit down. My head starts to spin and I breathe slowly through my nose to center myself.

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