Page 28 of Chaos & Carnage

“You know it’s freezing out here. Can I tell you in the warmth?”

I nodded, stepping to one side to let him through the door. Cade slid past, our bodies touching in the cramped space, freezing air clinging to his leather jacket.

“Kitchen,” I instructed, pointing up the stairs. “Need to get your eye sorted.”

“It’s fine.” He grumbled, climbing the stairs in front of me.

“I’ll be the judge of that. Door to your right,” I called from behind him as he neared the top.

“Really, Al. I’ve had worse.”

“Just let me look at it. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Cade grinned, his face lighting up and then immediately scrunching into a wince.

“It’s fine, huh? Sit there.” I pointed to the first chair at the table that sat against the wall.

I turned from him to pull the medical kit from a cupboard, raking through it for gauze, disinfectant and steri-strips.

“Thought you’d still be at the vets tonight, Al,” Cade asked from behind me.

“I got a night off. Stu took another emergency shift tonight. Didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth so got out of there as soon as I could. I can take you down to see Kinobi once we’re done fixing you up.”

When I turned, Cade had already shrugged out of his jacket. Denim-clad legs spread wide on the wooden seat, his arms crossed over his chest, waiting.

“Ready nurse,” he smiled, his gaze lifting to mine, his eyes more green than hazel tonight, sparkling with a mischievousness I was sure would dissolve the moment I pressed the disinfectant covered cotton swab to his face.

“It’s doctor, actually,” I stood between his legs to get close to the cut on his eyebrow, pushing the swab to the wound.

Cade hissed, his body tensing as I rubbed and patted, carefully dislodging the dried blob of blood to look at the injury underneath. It was deeper than I’d initially thought, the skin and underlying tissue angry and torn, where the flesh had imploded.

“What exactly caused this?” I asked, pushing the sides of the wound together carefully.

Cade strained under my fingers. “Someone’s fist.”

“Someone punched you in a meeting?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice.

“Yeah. Happens.”

“Really? I’ve never been punched in a meeting before.”

“That’s because you’ve never been to a biker meeting. Shit!”

“Stop moving. I need to get this clean or you’ll get an infection.”

“Are you this rough with all your patients?” Cade grumbled, scrunching his eyebrows as I applied the last swab.

“No. They’re generally smaller. And have sharp teeth and sharp claws. This really needs gluing or maybe even stitching.”

“Not going to hospital.”

“It needs something doing with it. You shouldn’t just leave it.”

“Nope. No hospitals.” He pursed his lips together in defiance.

“Fine. I’ll find some super glue.”

“Whoa. Hang on.” Cade grabbed my wrist as I moved away. “Can you not stitch it? You’re a doctor, after all?”