Page 59 of Cruel Vows

Red tinges my vision as I drop her chin, hands balling into fists. “Ellie.”

Her bottom lip quivers, her watery gaze turning to me. “Look. Please, just leave me alone. I can deal with this. I don’t need you to help me.”

“No.” I take a deep breath, moving away from her to grab one of the cloths from the shelf near the shower. I wet it with warm water before pressing it against the cuts on her back. The more blood I wipe away, the easier it is to see that there are initials on her back. “NR. Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it does.”

Ellie nods, looking down at the floor. Her jaw clenches, a sharp intake as I clean up more of the blood oozing from the wound.

“I’m going to kill him.” I meet her gaze as she sighs.

“You’re not going to get to him on your own and you know it.” The words sound like they hurt her to say, and I hate everything about that.

If I could take away the pain and wear Noah’s initials instead of her, I would.

He’s going to die when I finally get my hands on him. Nobody is going to come into my home and hurt my wife. I don’t want to ever have to see the broken look on Ellie’s face again. It’s not her and it doesn’t belong.

I finish swiping away the blood before opening the cabinet and pulling out a first aid kit. “I’m going to put a bandage on it, and then we’re going to the hospital to get it stitched up.”

“No.” She recoils from my touch like I’m the one who hurt her. “We’re not going to the hospital.”

“Fine. The clinic, then.”

“Not going there either.” She reaches up to swipe away a tear that dares to track down her cheek. “Nobody can know about this, Sean. If people know about this, then it only gives Noah more power.”

“I don’t know how to stitch someone up.”

She shoves my hands out of the way and reaches into the first aid kit, pulling out some antiseptic. “Pour this over the area first.”

As I take the bottle from her, I know this is a bad idea. “Ellie, you’re going to have an ugly scar if I’m the one to stitch this up.”

“I’m going to have an ugly scar either way.” She turns so more of her back is to me. “Just pour the damn antiseptic. I want to get this over with.”

My stomach twists into a tight knot as I take off the cap and grab one of the gauze pads she hands me. “I really think we should get someone else to do this.”

She shakes her head. “Nobody else is ever going to see this.”

“I don’t think you have a say in that.” I pour the antiseptic onto the gauze, cleaning the wound. “I’m sure whoever did this sent proof to Noah that it was done. I would require it of my men if I was the one who gave the command.”

The last of the flush in her cheeks drains, leaving her pale as she hands me a needle and thread. “Great.”

“He might not have.” I take the needle from her with shaking fingers.

The last thing I want to do is hurt her more, but she’s right about going to the hospital. If we do that, then word is going to spread like wildfire. Everyone in New York connected to her family is going to know that she’s been branded.

I thread the needle, taking a deep breath before slipping the needle through her skin.

Ellie bites down against the pain, hissing every now and then, but she doesn’t flinch. She takes each stab of the needle like apro, and for a moment, I can’t help but wonder how many times she’s sat through something like this.

Once the wound is stitched, she tells me how to bandage it properly.

The water runs red when I wash her blood from my hands, feeling more disgusted with myself with each swirl of the pink water around the drain.

“I don’t know who the man was,” Ellie says as she slides down from the counter, an empty look in her eyes. “I do know that he worked for Noah, and he was big. Like, linebacker big. No accent. Sounded like he wanted to please Noah and do the job right, but he also wouldn’t be bothered if he didn’t.”

I nod and turn, leaving the room without another word. There is nothing left to say. Not right now. I need a moment to myself to process everything.

Dominic is standing in the hall when I leave her bedroom. “We’ve got a problem.”

“You’re damn right we do.” I grab him by the neck and shove him into the wall. “Why the hell didn’t anyone see who attacked Ellie tonight?”

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