Page 39 of Red Obsession

“Yeah,” I finally answer. Shutting down my computer I stand from my chair. Gabriel slowly opens the door, peeking his head inside.

“Oh, darn, I see you’re busy. That’s okay, can you um… where’s your first aid kit? You have one of those, don’t you?”

“Why do you need a first aid kit?” I ask, rounding the desk.

“Hey, mister, no need to get all grrr.” He chuckles, sobering as he notices I’m not smiling. “There was, well, you see, there might have been a small accident.” Gabriel twirls his fingers together the same way Izel does when she’s nervous… Izel.

“What happened?” I growl.

“It’s not, it’s truly not a big deal,” Gabriel rushes out, his voice ten octaves higher, unable to look directly at me.

“Gabriel,” I grunt, losing that patience I barely hold on to.

“Fine, okay, okay,” he says, throwing his hands up in surrender. “Izel hurt her–”

I’m moving, not letting him finish his sentence. I’m in the kitchen in no time, stopping in my tracks. Blood trails down Izel’s bare leg onto the hardwood floor.

“Did you know rocks are slippery when they’re wet?” Izel chuckles, her hand pressed against her shin. “Also, did you know if you step on them when wet you could very easily fall and well…” She shrugs her shoulders trying to hide the pain in her eyes along with the slight hiss she lets out.

Reaching the sink, I bend down and grab the medical kit. Placing it on the island, I turn and lift Izel up.

“Whoa there, buddy.”

Setting her on the island, I make quick work of washing my hands before pulling out gauze.

“Move your hand,” I order, pulling on a pair of gloves. Izel slowly moves, blood pouring from her shin. Pressing down with the gauze, I carefully use my other hand to start cleaning up the blood trailing down her leg with a wipe.

“Gabriel, grab some Tylenol from the bathroom cabinet and a glass of water,” I tell him.

“I don’t need that, I’m okay,” Izel whispers.

I don’t say anything, as I continue pressing the gauze against her leg, trying to stop it from bleeding. Handing her a wipe, she cleans her hands off. Switching the gauze out, it finally slows down enough. Grabbing a syringe, I flush it out before iodine, antibiotic, and then butterfly stitch.

Gabriel finally arrives back carrying the Tylenol. Taking two pills out, he hands them over to Izel, who glares at him and then at me. Throwing the gloves away, I clean up the blood before grabbing a glass of water for her.

“I told you I’m not taking these.” Setting them down on the counter, she scoots under her legs dangling off.

“Take the Tylenol, Izel.”

“No.”

“Take the fucking Tylenol before I–”

“Before you what? Shove it down my throat?” She laughs, raising her brow. Little does she know that’s exactly what I’ll do. And she seems to catch onto that. “You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t test me, Izel. Take the Tylenol, it’ll help with the pain.”

“I said, I don’t want it. What is so hard to understand?” she hisses, her hand tightening around her knee. This stubborn fucking woman, she’s irritating and so fucking annoying.

Placing my hands on either side of her thighs, I bend so my face is inches from hers. Our eyes lock as I make sure I have her full attention.

“You are going to take these two Tylenol and you’re going to lay upstairs in your bed and take a nap.”

Raising a brow, she smirks as if there's something I don’t know. “Or what?”

Grinding my teeth, I am moments from shoving them down her throat when Gabriel coughs causing me to drop my head and back away from his sister.

“It’s Tylenol, Izel, just take them and let’s go take a nap. I’m getting tired myself and then we can leave, okay?”

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