Page 101 of Touch Me Not

“Sounds like you found a good one.”

“I did. It took us a while because of her fear, but we got there.”

“Fear?”

“Yes, sir. She has a form of PTSD that manifested in a weird way.” Nikoli told him about Lily’s fear and what brought it about. “Knowing how you dealt with some of your attacks helpedme help her, so while I hate that you went through that, Papa, I’m grateful too.”

“I’m sorry she’s suffered. No one should ever be afraid to touch someone they love.”

“She’s not better yet, but she’s working on it. At least she doesn’t jump out of her skin when her family tries to hug her now. A complete stranger would be a different story.”

“PTSD never really goes away. You just learn to manage it.”

“She’ll get there.”

“What are the doctors saying?” Ronin paused to cough, and Nikoli frowned. His father had been coughing the last few times he’d spoken to him.

“Papa, have you been to see the doctor about that cough yet?”

“I will soon. Your mama reminds me every day. Back to your woman. Tell me what the doctors are saying.”

“It’s a waiting game. They repaired the bleed, but there’s still some swelling, and they do CT scans every couple of hours to monitor it. I don’t know what I’ll do if she dies, Papa. The last image she had of me…that’ll haunt me.”

“Don’t think about that. Focus on the future and everything you’re going to do to make up for it.”

“Thanks, Papa.”

“I’m going to go now, son. I have a meeting with General Thomas I have to get to, but I wanted to call and make sure you were okay.”

“I love you, Papa.”

“I love you, too, boy. Now stop wallowing in guilt and get to work.”

Nikoli laughed and hung up the phone. He needed a good, stern talking-to from the one man he admired more than anyone. His father was a hard man, but he loved his woman and his children in a fierce way. It was the way he’d love Lily and his own children.

He reached over and took her hand. She was warm today. She’d been so cold yesterday and last night. It scared him.

“Fight,dushka. If you do, I promise I’ll fight for us and you’ll never go a day without knowing how much I love you.”

“Do you mean that?”

Nikoli turned his head to see Janet standing in the doorway to Lily’s room. Dark circles were under her eyes. Mike forced her home last night, but she’d been in the waiting room since around six this morning. Nikoli had to use his company name to get the hospital staff to let her stay outside of visiting hours. Not that Janet knew that, but Lily would want her here.

He ran a hand through hair that hadn’t been combed since yesterday. It was a little oily. He needed a shower, but he was afraid to leave Lily. What if something happened while he was gone?

Janet came over and squeezed Lily’s other hand before sitting next to him. “How is she?”

“The same. The doctors say if the swelling keeps going down, they’ll start to wake her up in a few days.”

“I’ll sit with her if you want to go home for a couple hours. You need a shower, and those clothes are starting to stink. You’ve got blood all over them.”

“No. I’ll go home when she wakes up.”

Janet sighed and pulled open her bag. It was a huge bag. More of a beach bag than a purse, but Nikoli refrained from saying so. Women were weird when it came to their purses. They could get downright hostile.

“You should read this, then. Maybe you’ll understand what you did to her and never do it again. Because if you do, I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll find a way to make you pay for it.”

The fierceness on Janet’s face was intense, and Nikoli drew back. He’d just been thinking of hostile women, and here sat one ready to maim him any way she could.

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