Broken Soul

Chapter 77 (edited)

"Aiden what you did was...incredibly brave" I said still folded in his arms.  

"I sense a but" he said.  

"But what were you thinking stepping into that bullet?" my nose stopped up from crying now and I'm sure I sounded like a three year old with a cold.  

"I guess I didn't think, I just reacted.  I had to protect you" was his answer.  It was very hard to think clearly with his nose buried where my neck and shoulder meet; damn it he wasn't playing fair, he was trying to distract me.  

"Nice try mister" I said pulling away but still holding his forearms.

 "Don't look at me like that" he said. 

 "Like what?" I questioned.  He smirked; God I love when he does that. 

 "Like you want to kick my ass" he replied.

  "Well what if I said I did?" I fired back.  I just shook my head, like a thought was running through my already crowded mind.  "You know having your blood all over my hands really put a lot of things in perspective for me" my voice low, staring at my hands then looking back up at him.  

He cocked his head and said "Like what?"  I didn't answer right away, I just went back over to the counter and continued chopping the veggies; not getting too far with that I laid the knife back down and walked back over to where I'd left him sitting.  Here goes nothing I thought.  

"Like I don't care which one of you I marry on paper, I just want the Silvano name, like I don't ever want to know what it feels like to be without either of you, like where you both go, I want to go; I want children with you and I know that means adoption but I don't care;  I want to build my life with both of you."

"We feel the same way about you too, kitten" Adrian's voice came from around the corner.  Good grief!  I had no idea he'd been standing there. 

 "How long have you been eavesdropping, Mr. Silvano?" I asked, trying to sound mad. 

 "Long enough, Ms. Sinclair" his tone cocky, but God I loved cocky! 

 "Let me guess, you're hungry too?" I said trying to return to the task of cooking.

  "Yes but not for food" was his sexy reply.  I laughed, shaking my head; he was incorrigible. 

 "Well, make yourself useful and get three plates and forks" I instructed, knowing he liked my bossy side.  

"Yes, m'am" he grinned. 

 "And just so you know, this isn't Burger King, so you'll get what the chef prepares, okay?" I joked back with him.  

"Wow, so feisty, kitten" he prodded back, reaching over me for the plates, making sure he pressed his crotch into my backside. 

 "Holy mother of God" I screeched, while he just grinned down at me; such a frustrating man!

I finally got the last omelette done and plated, turning off the stove I put the skillet in the sink, grabbed my plate and headed to the table.

  "Need anything before I sit down?" I asked.  They said no, so I took my place between them and we dug in. 

 "Wow" exclaimed Aiden. 

 "This is really great!"  Adrian agreed and asked  "What seasoning did you use?"  I told him it was just a little secret blend I put together from the seasonings I'd found in the pantry.  

"I like to make them with the whole egg sometimes but to be honest the egg white is healthier for you and I like to saute the vegetables first, crisp tender, not mushy" was my response.  We ate the rest of our meal in comfortable silence and when we'd finished I grabbed the plates and utensils, got them rinsed off and in the dishwasher, washed the skillet and wiped down the counter top.  

With our stomachs full I think we were ready to head back to bed; we reached the stairs and started up when I told Aiden I wanted to check his wound before he laid back down; the doctor had sent home care instructions and I didn't want to leave anything to chance by not checking.

I had him sit down on his side of the bed while I grabbed the care sheet and my little first aid kit that I'd put together and always carried with me; it was mainly band-aids, gauze, cotton balls, a little bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, gloves and a roll of medical tape.

 I instructed him to take off his shirt and while he was doing this he smirked at me and said "If you wanted to see me without my shirt all you had to do was ask, precious." 

 Lord help me!  It seemed like here lately they were both thinking with their crotches!  I just shook my head and put on one of the gloves, grabbed the tube of ointment and removed the bandage.  I had never seen a gunshot wound in person, only on TV, but nothing prepared me for it; it didn't look ugly, just a little bloody, stitched up round circle.  I drew in a ragged breath as I soaked a cotton ball in the peroxide so I could clean up the dried blood around the stitching, patted it dry with another one, applied the ointment and then placed a clean bandage over it.

  I picked up the soiled bandage with my gloved hand, went to the bathroom and took the plastic can liner from the trashcan and sealed it up in there along with my glove and the cotton balls.  I returned to the room and grabbed Aiden a clean tee shirt from the dresser and helped him slip it on.  Before I could pull away from him, he put his arms around my waist and just held me for a moment; he knew I was still struggling with how he got injured.  

Adrian watched us from his side of the bed, he smiled at me and mouthed I love you; I returned his smile and the sentiment.  I gave Aiden another pill and handed him the water bottle, watched him take it, kissed him gently and declared it was lights out time. 

 I crawled in and sank under the covers, laying on my back I put out my hands searching for theirs; once found I squeezed them and shut my eyes, drifting downward into the peace that sleep brought me these days.