between them in a blur, despite a visible hitch in his step

console table. The vase slipped from her fingers a

h, hot and strong. His body pr

e went completely limp. It was a counter-intuitive move, o

second, his grip loosening as she sag

storm clouds. Gray, inte

as torn at the side, and a dark, wet stain was spreading across his whit

on't scream. They're trying to kill me." He sounde

rican accent. Educated. He was playing

voice muffled but steady. "You're bleed

ing onto the console. He looked back at her face, confusion war

you?" h

g," she repl

d covered her mouth-was shaking. Mic

you," she said. "If I bandage you, yo

from panicked prey to calculator. He sa

sturing weakly. "Do it. But if

to the bathroom, her steps measured. She grabbed

ofa. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed. H

The position was intimate, b

ut the shirt

ce, not open

expensive fabric. She peeled the shirt back, exposing a

ribs. A gunshot graze. It was ugly

ic onto a gauze pad

the pad agai

zing up. His hand shot out and gripped he

arity jumped between them. It was sharp, sudden. Bet

down. It was j

tched her hands as she worked, cleaning the

e murmured. "You're over

or a burglar," she retorted

ow, rumbling sound that

ring it with a professional kn

looked at her, really looked at he

" he said soft

pet," she said, pulling

g. The threat was gone, replaced by

. Not from fear, but from the strange