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“If I do, is it going to be any different than you going to bed with Roxie or that stripper?”

“Do you want rabbed his hand and forced him to hold the towel so I could work on his face I cleaned him off with a cotton ball soaked in peroxide, which had hi at ht and slapped a couple on his cheek

“Yeah I think I do” I couldn’t tell the difference when he lied to runted and narrowed his eyes even farther at oo on his lower lip

“Then no You would be exactly like all the rest”

I flicked aze up to him and we stared at each other for a drawn-outwrapped around that knife wound” I gave a dry laugh “Those are not words I thought I would ever have to say to anyone”

He winced when I pulled the toay froer and they’ll becoular part of your vocabulary”

I didn’t have an answer for that, so I ran some ater in the sink and tried to clean up the bloodbath It was a long gash, probably five or six inches, but it was clean and didn’t look like it went deep into the muscle I bleard curl out of e pads and the Ace bandage I had bought I went still when one of his rough, callus-tipped fingers brushed across my forehead and moved a loose curl out of my eyes That hat undid me about him He was unpredictable, he was a criminal, he was hazardous to my sanity, but then he held me when I couldn’t sleep and he touchedco

“Lift your arot the thickly e out of my way so I could secure the wrap all the way around his broad chest I had never been around a man who built his body up to use as a weapon before I couldn’t ignore how impressive it was Even with the stark black ink that covered his abs and spread across his shoulders, it was still a nice sight When he shifted I noticed he even had ink peeking out of the top the band of his boxers showing above the edge of his jeans

“If you really don’t want to go to the doctor, that’s the best I can do e got”

I took a preventative step back

He moved stiffly and bent to pick up his ruined hoodie off the floor The cream-colored tiles were stained cri, I’lue”

I usted face and followed hi that If it’s not better tonored me and made his way to the back bedroom, where the bed was still barren of sheets and blankets He threw the hoodie on the dresser, popped the button on his jeans, kicked his heavy boots off, and plopped across the naked mattress on his back

“I don’t need a doctor This is fine”

“You’re white as a sheet”

“I just got my ass kicked Of course I look like shit”