Page 13 of Wounded Wing

Sucking in a breath, I fidget in the bed, attempting to find a comfortable position.

“Mae. May I call you that?” she asks. I nod my head as she continues. “You sustained a good bit of damage. Not just to your face and body, but internally as well. I can ask Alex to step out if you’d prefer to discuss it privately.”

My heart clenches at her use of a nickname for Alexei. I’ve never considered myself to be a jealous woman, much less over a man that isn’t mine, though I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course, he’d bag himself a doctor; a woman with a flourishing career that aligns with his beliefs. I watch as Dottie smirks while Alexei scowls in her direction, like he had wanted to keep their familiarity from me.

“He can stay,” I snap, letting my jealousy show.

“Right, well you have a few external and internal vaginal burns. Thankfully, they are relatively superficial and while inflamed, they do not present any need for debridement.” Alexei’s teeth grinding briefly interrupts her assessment.

“You had two small fissures, approximately two inches from your vaginal opening, that required sutures. That’s likely the discomfort you’re feeling right now. We didn’t want to risk them opening and causing more problems,” she explains empathetically.

Clearing her throat, she looks around the room nervously, like she's working up to say something that would scare me or piss me off.

With my luck, probably both.

“Mae, I hate to ask this, but are you being hurt at home?” she questions cautiously, as her warm hands grasp mine.

“Please don’t brush this off. I don’t know you, but Alex does. If he is worried about you, then I am as well,” she begs, showing too much emotion for me to handle.

Nausea swirls in my gut as I plaster on my best Southern belle smile. “Well now, isn’t that just the sweetest,cher?” I drawl. “I appreciate your fine efforts, but as Alex will tell you, everything that happens in my home is consensual.” I know my words are dismissive, but they get the point across.

Her perfectly sculpted, blonde eyebrow quirks at my blatant lie. She can believe whatever story she wants, but ifAlexwants to keep her breathing, then he best knows to tell her to keep her nose clean.

Opening her mouth, she gapes at me like a fish as Alexei cuts her sentiments off.

“Mrs. Lennon isfineas you can see,” he growls.

Narrowing her eyes, she points her nude polished nail in his direction. “Don’t you start with me,” she scolds. She spins on her heel, exiting the room while huffing her displeasure.

Waiting for the door to snick shut, I turn my attention back to Alexei. “Who the fuckis Dottie and how do you know her,Alex?” I ask, mockingly.

“She’s someone from my past,” he states tiredly, scrubbing at his face. “You should have told her you needed help, little moon.”

“You know I can’t do that,” I grit.

Irritation bleeds into anger as I kick my bruised legs out from underneath the scratchy, polyester blanket. I know I have no room to be angry with Alexei. None of this is his fault, it’s mine. Yet, the person I want to scream at is probably sticking his cock in someone else, or worse.

Yanking at the IV pumping the sweet medicine keeping my pain at bay, I decide that this isn’t a fight that I’m willing to have. I’d rather run back with my tail tucked than risk anyone more than I selfishly already have.

“You’re going to hurt yourself. Let Dottie do it,” he chastises, grabbing ahold of my wrist.

“Fuck you, Lexei, and fuck her, too! Do you think I want to keep the shit Atticus does to myself?” I yell, my anger boiling over. “I will not put another good human in the path of danger.” My nostrils flare as my heart tries to rip from my chest. “I can’t carry another cross on my back! So yeah, I made the fucking deal of a century with that bastard to keep my son safe!” My chest heaves as my eyes burn at my mention of Liam, the onlygood left in my small world.

His face pales. “You have arebenokwith that monster?” he asks, dropping my wrist as if I’ve burnt him. His hands pull towards his head, gripping his hair. “A fuckingchild, Mae?”

Swallowing the urge to confess Liam’s origin, I use his assumption to my advantage. “Yes, we have a son. His name is Liam and he's almost 12 years old.” The slight lie rolls easily from my tongue.

Minutes pass by as frustration crosses his face, making his forehead creases more prominent. “Why haven’t I seen this kid? I’veknown you for years. Years, Mae!” he shouts as his muscular frame shakes. If he were anyone else, I’d be terrified.

“He has seen enough, but not as much as you’re suggesting. My terms with Atticus were that Liam receives the best education with a boarding program,” I sigh.

His sharp breath takes me by surprise as a calculating look crosses his face. “Everest Hill All-Boys Academy. Don’t tell me that you aren’t aware of what that school truly is,” he says.

Confusion must be written on my face since his eyes soften with understanding. “It’s a school, don’t worry. Your boy is gaining an education right now. But that school is part ofourworld,” he whispers. “Heirs from across the world hope to receive an acceptance call.”

Heirs? Oh, that self-serving piece of shit. I’m going to kill my husband.

The sound of clicking heels on the linoleum floors breaks the tension between me and the only confidante I’ve had. “Your discharge is set, Mrs. Lennon. The paperwork has you listed as Stacy Klein, so there is no trail that you were admitted,” Dottie informs.

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