Page 32 of Wilde and Deadly

Finally, Tessa stepped back, removing her bloody gloves and wiping sweat from her brow.

“I’ve got the bleeding under control,” she said. “But she’s lost a lot of blood. She needs fluids, antibiotics, and close monitoring.”

He nodded, his gaze never leaving Rowan’s face. “What can I do for her?”

“For now, just keep her comfortable. Keep an eye on her vitals.” Tessa crouched and rifled through her kit, pulling out a saline bag and other stuff for an IV. When she straightened again and took in her patient, pale and quiet on the table, and Davey hovering, her expression softened. “What the hell is going on? Who did this to her?”

Frustration surged through him, thick and acidic. His fingers flexed involuntarily at his sides. He could still feel the warmth of her blood seeping through them. “I don’t know. She won’t tell me.”

Tessa’s eyes narrowed as she pulled open the sterile packaging around the IV line. “Won’t tell you or can’t tell you?”

“Both, probably,” It came out gritted, full of an exhaustion that had nothing to do with his body and everything to do with Rowan’s stubbornness, the walls she always kept between herself and everyone who gave a damn about her. “She’s so fucking stubborn.”

Tessa huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head as she fitted the IV tubing together. “Sounds like someone else I know. Actually…” She paused and tilted her head, considering. “Sounds like every one of my family members with a Y chromosome.”

Davey ignored the jab, his focus locking back onto Rowan. Her breathing was too shallow, her chest barely moving beneath the fresh bandages. Her eyelids fluttered, a soft moan escaping before she settled again.

“She’s in pain.”

The words came out hoarse, barely more than a breath. Like saying them made them more real.

Tessa paused, looking up from where she was priming the IV line, before sighing and tossing her used gloves into the trash. She didn’t argue. Didn’t tell him it was fine, that Rowan would be okay.

Instead, she reached for a fresh pair of gloves, stuffing them in her pocket, and grabbed the saline bag. “All right. Let’s move her somewhere more comfortable before I set up the IV.”

“My bed.” He scooped his arms under Rowan, but Tessa put a hand on his arm, stopping him.

“Are you sure you’re okay to carry her?”

He couldn’t stop the growl of annoyance. Ever since his injury, his family talked to him like he might shatter—little pauses in their voices, too-casual offers to ‘help’ that felt more like doubts. Like they were waiting for the moment he proved them right. “I’m not a fucking egg. I’m not going to break.”

“I know you think you’re Superman,” Tessa said gently but dropped her hand from his arm and backed up. “But I see you favoring that leg. Let’s get her settled, then I want to take a look at you.”

“I’m fine,” he muttered, carefully lifting Rowan into his arms. He gritted his teeth against the twinge in his leg as he carried her upstairs to his room, with both Tessa and Luka following close behind.

Jesus. She felt so small and fragile, nothing like the fierce, dangerous woman he knew her to be. As he laid her gently on the bed, a strand of her dark hair fell across her face. Without thinking, he brushed it back, his fingers lingering on her cheek.

“Davey,” Tessa said softly from behind him.

He jerked his hand back as if burned. He cleared his throat, stepping aside to give Tessa room to work. “What’s next?”

Tessa gave him a knowing look but mercifully didn’t comment. “I’ll set up the IV and start her on antibiotics. Can you grab some extra pillows? We need to keep her elevated.”

He found a stack of pillows in the closet and positioned Rowan more comfortably, then stood helplessly back and let Tessa do her thing. She started the IV and checked Rowan’s vitals again.

“Her pulse is steadier, but she’s still not out of the woods. We need to watch for signs of infection or internal bleeding. I don’t think the blade hit anything vital, but I could be wrong. And if I am?—”

“How often are you wrong?”

Tessa’s lips curved into a faint smile that looked a hell of a lot like her brother’s when Cade actually bothered to smile. “Never, but there’s always a first time.”

“I trust your work, but I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Tessa double-checked the line of stitches, then covered them with a bandage and turned to face him, her expression stern. She pointed toward the door. “All right, downstairs. It’s your turn now. Let me see that leg.”

When he hesitated, she made a shooing motion. He reluctantly followed her into the living room, his eyes lingering on Rowan’s still form as he left the bedroom. Luka jumped up on the bed and nuzzled into Rowan’s side.

Good boy.

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