by Vonnie Davis
“God in heaven, angels abound,
Take this illness and turn it around.
Bring us healing. Grant us peace.
Take the pain and give release.”
An ambulance wailed in the distance. Bryce’s heart was still doing double time in his chest as his mum helped him step into his boxers. She wrapped bandages around the cut in his thigh, then he jerked on his T-shirt, but all he could think about was his fiancée. “I want ye seen by the medical personnel, luv. We dinna ken for sure how bad that fukin’ bastard hurt ye. There’s a cut and swelling on yer forehead and a cut across yer neck from his sword. I dinna like all that blood.”
“What about the wound on yer thigh? It’ll need stitches too. I guess our plans fer the theater have changed. Poor Colleen will be so disappointed.” She snuggled in his arms and repeated the chant over him a couple times. He kissed her between each repetition of her recitation. Dear God, how he loved his woman.
“Dinna ye worry about the child,” Fiona said. “Cook Edweena and I will take her to the evening show. She’s never been allowed to go to the movies at night; it’ll be a treat fer her. One of ye please keep me informed with texts.” She handed them each a bottle of water. “I’ll tell her ye both got hurt by a bad man who smelled like sulfur. It’ll help her ken the importance of being vigilant.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “I just canna believe all this happened.”
Tears flooded Kenzie’s eyes when she pointed at the blood puddling at his foot. She had her arm around his waist to help hold him up. “Och, Bry, I’m bringing danger to yer family, to ye. I’m no goodfer ye.”
“Are ye fukin’ kidding me? What’s a cut in the leg? Hell, I was built fer this shite. Ye’ve seen me scars, touched them. Ye’ve felt me hardness, not just against ye, but in ye. Me hardness completing yer feminine softness. Thunder to the gentleness of soft rain. A fragile flower growing in the crack of a rough stone. Opposites need one another. When I said I would protect ye with me dying breath, those weren’t idle words to make me feel macho, lassie. Hell, that was a solemn oath.”
—
Eight hours later, Kenzie sat in Bryce’s room, waiting fer his return from surgery. Time inside a hospital moved at a snail’s pace; medical staff had their own speed of doing things. She’d been quickly repaired. After X rays and other tests, the bump to her head had required four stitches to hold the cut together, and her neck had been bandaged to cover the nineteen stitches Fauste’s sword had made necessary. Her scraped knees had been cleaned and bandaged as well.
Effie’s heart condition was stable, thanks to Paisley’s quick thinking. Between the thick layer of burn ointment her granddaughter had squirted on Effie’s blisters and the chant Kenzie had repeated over her, the blisters on the high priestess were minuscule. As fer her hair, once Effie had gotten one good look in the mirror, she’d told the nurse to shave off what little remained. She claimed she was ready for a change anyway.
Bryce, however, who’d been hurt the most, had to wait fer an operating room to open up. Kenzie had collapsed in a chair in his room to wait, eager to see her man. He’d been in surgery thirty minutes longer than predicted and she was a foursquare knot of fearful thoughts. Had his muscles been cut? Was there damage to his bone? Should she continue to stay in Mathe Bay? If she truly cared about this family, she’d pack up her things and head west.
She stood from the chair she’d been slouched in, and the room spun. She’d been told she had a slight concussion, but had refused to stay overnight in a separate room. Her place was with Bryce until he regained consciousness.
“Kenzie. Sit down before ye fall down.” A stoop-shouldered woman with gray hair escaping from the knot at the crown of her head marched into the room and heaved an irritated sigh. “Can ye imagine, a couple o’ numpty nurses tried to keep me out? Said the wee hours of the morning were not visiting hours. Huh. Their lips will come unglued in due time.”
“Aunt Una.” Kenzie held out her arms fer a hug and then fought a shudder when she got a whiff of whatever potion the snaggletoothed witch had brewed lately.
“Sit and we’ll talk.” Una dragged over another chair so they could speak in lowered voices. “I tried calling, but yer cell phone must be out of order. I knew the bastard was coming, read it in me morning tea leaves and was trying to warn ye.”
“Me cell. I forgot to put it on the charger last night. Or was it the night before? I’m confused on the time, Aunt Una. I don’t even know what day it is. I was so upset after Effie told me about me real identity, Fauste, and Rune. Then Bryce proposed. I just forgot to put it on the charger and the battery went dead.” She pressed her fingertips to the uninjured side of her head. “How long have we been here, I wonder.”
Una leaned forward and took Kenzie’s hands. “Fiona called me yesterday after the ambulance hauled the lot of ye away. She told me what she saw. If I’d kent ye were at the Matheson Lodge, I’d have called ye there, but I didna have an idea.” Her aunt extended her gnarled index finger and trailed it along the bandage covering the sword’s gash, her lips silently moving.
“Did ye watch the video yer mum made when ye were five? She was despondent the day Duff Matheson erased yer memory. He erased hers too after she made the tape.”
“He did?” There was so much of Kenzie’s life she didna ken. It was almost as if she were a stranger in her own skin. An alien from another planet.
“Aye. Otherwise she’d have kept calling ye Roza out of habit and been plagued by memories of abandoning her son to a madman. Fauste put her through hell, dinna think he didna. Because of our family connection, I was asked by The Protectors to take ye and Anatol into me home, to shield and hide ye. ʼTwas an unusual request since I wasna one of them, but exceptions are often made in the Wiccan world, especially when there’s a family connection.”
“I have so much to learn, don’t I?”
Aunt Una nodded. “Aye, but ye will. When I was originally approached about the arrangement, I was told ye would one day become one of them, so I was careful not to train ye in me coven’s ways. Every coven has its own traditions and practices.” She cackled and shook her head. “But ye had the biggest ears, so ye did, and heard more chants and curses than ye shoulda.”
“I was just thinking I might have to leave Mathe Bay. Me being here puts Bryce’s whole family in danger.”
“Ye willna have his clan to protect ye, if ye do. Wait, did ye just say he proposed? That woman-chasing rascal asked ye to marry him?”
Kenzie extended her hand so Una could see her ring. “His da gave it to his mum after she gave birth to Bryce. He gave it to me fer me engagement ring.”
Una nodded. “I spent time with her after the birth. Chanted over her. Laid potions across her abdomen. I remember this ring. Och, Bryce willna let ye leave, and if ye do, he’ll hunt ye down. Ye’ll be running from two men, girl. One who wants yer blood fer his evil covenant and one who wants yer heart forever.” She leaned back and crossed her arms. “I’m betting the shifter will win. And when he drags ye home, pissed-off man that he will be, he will tie ye to the bed until ye are big with his child.”
“Aunt Una, I dinna know what to do to keep him safe. What about his little girl? Fauste might take her. Then Bryce would simply lose his mind. I’ve never seen a man love a child the way he does his daughter.”
“Nay, ye should stay. A strong woman fights trouble head-on. She doesna run.”
“My mum ran away from me da.”
Una leaned forward and scowled. “She had ye to protect. When do ye plan to wed?”
“In a couple weeks. The first eve of the solstice celebration.” Would Una think it was too soon fer her to wed again after Duncan’s death?
“Will ye use the three fires? ’Twill be protection within them.” She closed her one eye the way she did when she was thinking and scheming. “What will ye wear?”
“I was hoping ye would weave me a skirt of the Matheson tartan. I dinna ken how long I want it.”
“L
ong? With yer pretty legs? Nay.” Her eyes widened fer a beat. “Inspiration has just hit. I see it all. The top and the skirt. I’ll make yer groom a matching kilt. Dinna worry, ye’ll look well and truly like a bride, and yer groom’s cock will grow hard when he sees ya.” She slapped her leg and grinned, her one tooth showcasing its place of solitary honor. The woman who helped raise her stood and hung a poultice around Kenzie’s neck. “This will hasten yer healing.”
“Me God, it smells like cow dung.” Her eyes watered and her gag reflex proved it was still operational.
“Aye, it has a little cow dung in it, along with ground-up chicken leg bones, frog eyes, and heather. Ye’ll grow used to the smell quick enough.” She pulled another packet out of her pocket. “I made one fer your shifter too.” She winked. “Added some bull’s sperm to help keep him randy fer ya.”
Kenzie shook her head. “I don’t even want to know how ye came by bull’s sperm.”
Una headed fer the door and spoke over her shoulder. “Gotta learn to sneak up on the bastards. ʼTis a talent fer a foggy morning when the Highland mists muddle their minds. How did ye think I came to be such a fast runner?” The old witch’s cackle followed her down the hall.
Ten minutes later, men in tan scrubs finally brought Bryce from surgical recovery to his hospital room. Earnan, who had assisted with the operation despite his being a vet, motioned her into the hallway so the orderlies could lift the sleeping patient from the gurney onto his bed.
Earnan slipped the blue surgical cap off his bald head and leaned against the green wall in obvious exhaustion. “ʼTwas a bad cut, lassie.” He took a couple of deep breaths and his eyes blinked rapidly. The old coot sniffed at his armpits.
Och no, he smells the potions.
“We had a lot of muscle repair to do.” He used his surgery cap to blot his eyes and wipe his nose. “On a normal man it wouldna been so bad, but…but Bryce has some thick thighs.” He lifted each foot and examined the soles of his shoes, no doubt wondering if he’d stepped in dog shite somewhere between the operating room and here. He cleared his throat and shook his head a couple times. “That man is pure muscle. He’ll be fine, though, dinna ye worry. Cranky as hell, but fine.” He glanced around, a scowl deepening his wrinkles. “If he can just live through the stench of this hospital. What kinda cheap cleaning supplies have they bought here? I heard rumblings about the chief of staff cutting costs and buying inferior products, but smells to me like he’s got them scrubbing with dung disinfectant. Bloody hell, I need some fresh air.” He swung around and hurried fer the elevator.
Kenzie glanced from the hallway into Bryce’s room. Her stomach twisted as she regarded his pale face and his motionless body, and the tubes and machines it was hooked up to. Then she looked toward the elevator. She could use some fresh air, too. Maybe it was the double dose of potions—the one hanging around her neck and the one tucked in the pocket of her shorts fer Bryce—that had done poor old Earnan in. She shuddered. God, bull’s sperm. Yuck.
The two orderlies pushing the now empty gurney exited Bryce’s room, took a deep breath, and muttered curses as they scurried off. She hoped Bryce, who seemed sound asleep, couldna smell the stench that hung over her like a brown pall.
“Ye must be Kenzie.” One of the nurses checking his tubes smiled at her. “He kept calling fer his calico-eyed luv as he was coming in and out of anesthesia.”
Kenzie stayed in the doorway, not wanting to get too close lest they’d get a whiff of her odor and ask her to leave. “Yes. We’re engaged.”
The younger of the two nurses snapped her head up from examining Bryce’s bandage. “I’d heard he proposed, but I didna believe it. I’ve always heard having two different-colored eyes was a sign of witchcraft.” She glanced at the older nurse. “I need to go get some supplies.” As she exited the room, she stopped and gave Kenzie a slow once-over. “He’ll never be faithful. Not that one. Ye get no bargain with him.” She shouldered her way past, her eyes watering a bit with what looked like tears to Kenzie, rather than a reaction to the poultices.
The older nurse, wearing a badge with the name “Davina,” gave Kenzie a chagrined look. “You pay Greer no mind. She’s a right snippy one, so she is. Now I suppose I understand why she went a little amuck when she prepped him for surgery…with the shaving and all.” Davina pulled back the sheet. His pecker and balls had been shaved as bald as Earnan’s head.
That bitch held my man’s balls in her hands when she shaved them? I will kill her.
“Och, dear, I didna mean to make trouble. I can tell by yer expression that yer upset. They dated fer a brief time a year ago, and Greer never got over his dropping her. Kept hanging on to hope. I can ask another nurse be assigned to him, if ye like.”
To do so would only be petty. Still, the bitch had had her fiancé’s manly parts in her hands. “Yes, that might be wise. We’ll have less bloodshed that way.”
Davina’s lips quirked. “I understand completely. I’m married to a shifter too. Any woman reaches out to touch me man, she’ll pull back a bloody stump, so she will.” She raised the side rails of the bed next to his injured leg and walked around the foot of it. “Now, I’m betting Una Matheson was here earlier. I can smell her handiwork. It’s gawd-awful-smelling stuff, but it does seem to speed the healing process. Why don’t ye slip the one ye’ve got fer him at his waist.”
Davina opened the drawer of the table next to his bed and pulled out a roll of tape. “Ye can use this to tape it to his abdomen, because if I know Una, she put a bit of bull’s sperm in there. Sometimes I think she single-handedly keeps our population growing in Mathe Bay.” She snorted and elbowed Kenzie before looking at her wounds. “Ye know, I’m thinking ye could use a place to lie down too, and as thin as ye are…” She jerked her head to the empty spot in Bryce’s bed. “Crawl in and lie on your side. I’ll put up the rail. Both of ye need sleep.”
Kenzie placed the potion where the nurse suggested, taped it in place, and tried her damnedest not to think of Greer holding his tadger in her hand. “Bryce Matheson, ye better have been unconscious when she shaved ye or I will slap the piss out of ye.”
When she covered him with the sheet, his hand reached fer hers. “Me calico-eyed luv, of course I was asleep when she laid me cock in her warm hand and—” He sniffed. “What the bloody hell is that stench? Smells like shite.”
Jealousy grabbed ahold of her, or maybe ʼtwas just the exhaustion of the day, but damn if the tears didna start again. “Aye, ʼtis shite, all right.” She pressed her forehead to his. “Just like yer in deep shite fer allowing Greer to touch what’s mine. Or dinna ye plan on being faithful? Because we’re not married yet. I can damn sure change me mind.”
He cast his brown eyes on Davina. “Was I dreaming? Did ye say she could lie here with me?” When the nurse nodded, Bryce’s head moved and he pinned Kenzie with a hard look. “Get in this damn bed.”
His order made all her feminine parts quiver. She wiped tears from her eyes.
“Sweetheart,” he whispered.
The nurse seemed quite on the chatty side. “A little snuggle and some soft talking often helps ease the moods.” She arched an eyebrow at Kenzie and handed her some tissues. “Ye’ve had a rough day. Both of ye. Get close and enjoy each other’s warmth.” She jerked her head toward the bed again, and this time Kenzie complied. Bryce held out his arm so she could lie on his chest. As soon as the nurse had the bedcovers over them, she raised the railing on that side of the bed too.
“I’ll be back in an hour to check his vitals. I suspect ye’ll both be sleeping.”
His arm clamped around Kenzie’s back, holding her to him. “I was only teasing earlier. I dinna remember being shaved. They knocked me out soon after Earnan arrived. Kiss me now and forget about her. Just make sure ye remember this, luv: I’ll be faithful. Aye. Damn faithful. Caring, protective, and jealous as fukin’ hell.” His lips covered hers, his tongue swept in, and he fell asleep.
Chapter 18
When a
new shift of nurses came on duty, those assigned to Bryce were evidently of a different mind-set about two people in one hospital bed. As soon as the cranky nurse lowered the side where Kenzie lay, she rolled out and hurried to the bathroom. She nearly shrieked when she passed by the mirror. Half of her face was bruised and her hair resembled a nesting spot for a flock of birds. She couldna take the smell of the potion any longer, slipped it over her head, and tossed it in the trash can.
While the nurses were seeing to Bryce’s bandage, she told him she was going home fer a shower and change of clothes. He was still half-groggy and raised his head, pursing his lips fer a goodbye kiss.
One nurse scowled at the poultice and yanked it off.
Bryce’s gaze jerked to the point of pain. He muttered an oath and then evidently saw his nether regions. “Who in the bloody hell shaved my pecker and balls? What kind of hospital is this? Hell, they operated on me thigh. Not me nuts.”
Kenzie hurried out of the room and nearly plowed into Ronan.
He jerked his thumb toward Bryce’s room. “What’s baby brother bitching about?”
“He just found out one of the nurses, an old girlfriend, shaved his male junk before the surgery. And stop calling him ‘baby brother.’ Do ye ken how much he hates it? How inferior it makes him feel?” She spoke over her shoulder as she headed fer the elevator. “Ye canna go in right now anyhow. The nurses are bathing him.”
Ronan followed her. “So where are ye going?”
“To find a taxi. I need a shower and clean clothes.” She stepped onto the elevator. Tea, she needed tea too. And food. Maybe then her mood would improve, especially after a handful of aspirins fer her banging headache. Her head hurt so freaking bad, she could barely see.
“Wait.” Ronan got on the elevator with her. “I can give ye a ride to Iverson Loch.” He tipped her chin up with a couple fingers. “Well, little sister, ye certainly waged a battle from hell yesterday. I was in the basement installing a new water heater and hadna a clue what was going on. How many stitches did it take to close yer neck?”
