Page 23 of Wicked Knight 2

Standing there, ready to fight, I considered Belinda’s suggestion. Maybe I didn’t have to drug him into unconsciousness, just make him sleepy enough to mess with his abilities. If he couldn’t get it up….

The doorknob jiggled.

“What the fuck?” Maxim tried again, then slammed his hand on the door. “Donata, let me in.”

I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. With my heart thrashing in my ears, I stepped closer and pressed my ear to the wood panel. Two men said something to him in Russian, then chuckled. Their laughter trailed behind them as they walked down the hallway.

“Hmm.” Maxim let out a soft moan as if he were in pain.

Of course he was. He was shot three days ago. He should be resting. I glanced over my shoulder. All the monitors, the hospital bed and equipment were gone. The suite didn’t look like a hospice anymore. It looked like a bachelor pad.

“You have until the count of three,” he said through gritted teeth. “One.”

I took two steps back as silence crept into every corner of the room.

“Two.”

The calm before the storm. I took a deep breath.

“Three.”

With a loud thud, the door exploded open. Jeez. Even though he was still wrapped in bandages, Maxim looked as menacing as a raging bull.

“Don’t come near me.” I put up both hands, then kicked myself for not procuring a weapon when I had the time. The bedside lamp would’ve been a good choice. “You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’m going to stand back while you hurt me and my family.”

His gaze swept up and down my body. “I didn’t think you would.” He winced, then strode past me toward the bed.

As if Anatoli could read minds, he rushed into the suite while panting, as if he’d ran up the stairs. He met my gaze then turned his attention toward Maxim. When he realized there were no casualties, he relaxed his stance.

“You’re bleeding, Maxim. Let me look.” He gestured for Maxim to sit.

Maxim raised his hand and stopped Anatoli in his tracks. “No. Let my wife tend to my wounds.”

“Ooo-kay.” Anatoli looked as confused as I was.

“Leave us.” Maxim braced his good arm on his knees and released a breath.

“Everything you need is in the bathroom,” Anatoli said to me then turned to leave. He paused when he spotted the unhinged door. “I’ll get someone to fix that.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at him.

The wife in me wanted to tell my husband to go to hell. But the doctor in me was already thinking of all the things that could go wrong if I didn’t check on Maxim. He was tired because his body was working overtime, trying to heal itself. But also, because he just cracked open a heavy wooden door with his foot.

Cursing under my breath, I strode to the bathroom and got all the essentials to wash out his wounds. When I returned, Maxim hadn’t moved an inch.

“We should rinse your wounds twice a day, then cover them. They’ll heal faster that way.” I approached him tentatively, the way one would do with a wild animal because that was exactly what he was. My gaze swept from the splint and stained gauze to the blood seeping through his white dress shirt in two different places. “I need to take a look first.”

He nodded. With a sigh, he undid all the buttons, then sat back to let me help him with it. I pulled the fabric up then pushed it over his shoulders. The soft hair on his chest bristled the skin on my arms and chest. To my surprise, the gentle exchange eased my nerves.

“Getting out of bed today was a bad idea.” I picked at the gauze and removed it.

“I had things to attend to.”

“Right. You had that illegal wedding to go to.” I shot back.

“Yes.” He chuckled. “I did.”

“This shouldn’t hurt. It’s just water.” I squeezed the squirt bottle and rinsed his entire shoulder.

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