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“Superglue!” The big man rapped his order into the silence. Lexi jumped to attention and handed him the new cardboard packet. His eyes narrowed to slits of disgust and his upper lip rose. “Are you stupid?” he demanded. “Open the bloody thing!”
Lexi fumbled with the wrapper. Her fingers shook as he watched her without masking his disdain. Temper rose as heat into her neck and cheeks. This invader didn’t get to treat her like a fool. Her natural defensiveness took over. It had crawled from beneath the wreckage of Rojas’ beating to protect her from men without boundaries. She bristled and threw the half opened wrapper onto the bedspread. The glue flew through a narrow gap and hit him in the centre of the forehead as he knelt before Shade. An unintended victory, but Lexi took it, anyway. “This is my home,” she snarled. “If you don’t like the service, push off.” She snatched the pepper spray from the dressing table and wielded it.
The man rose like a leviathan from her bedside rug. Fire and brimstone lit his eyes with an ethereal glow. Pure hatred emanated from him. Lexi gulped but stood her ground. His ire reminded her of Rojas and instead of fear, vitriol filled the vacant space in her soul. She advanced towards him, the veins standing out on her neck. He turned with surprising speed to meet her, his body the span and breadth of a brick wall.
But Shade appeared between them like a sylph. Not there and then there. He turned his back on Lexi and gave his comrade a hearty shove. A sound issued from his lips, a grunt which ended in a sigh. Despite his size disadvantage to the other man, he lifted his undamaged left arm and jabbed his index finger at the arched space above the cauliflower ear. Then Shade made a zipping motion across his lips in rebuke. Lexi smirked in victory. Shade didn’t need speech to tell his friend to use his brain instead of his mouth.
The other man didn’t like the judgement, though he acquiesced. His nostrils flared like a bull’s and his shoulders lost their squareness. He didn’t meet Lexi’s glare but turned back to his work, capturing the fallen superglue and snapping off the lid. Shade remained standing as the man spread a thin layer of glue along the edges of the closed wound. “That’ll keep out infection,” he stated, his voice gruff. “You’re lucky it’s just a passing graze this time. But the bullet still nicked the bone.” His thick neck bowed like a swan’s as he inspected his hasty first aid.
“I brought the water,” Lexi ventured. She turned back to the dressing table and dumped the pepper spray. “What will you do with it?”
“Nothing!” the beefy man spat. “I just wanted you out of the way. His fingers dug into Lexi’s discarded medical kit, one hand filling the entire space as he sifted through its contents. Finding an antiseptic wipe, he ripped open the packet and ran the wet cloth over his hands. When he dropped it on the bedspread, Lexi noticed the others he’d discarded after sanitizing his hands before the rudimentary surgery.
She strengthened her resolve and squared her shoulders. Curiosity drove her to secure answers before these men disappeared into the night. “Who are you?” she demanded, her gaze moving from Shade to his large companion.
The big man snorted. “Well, he can’t tell you, and I won’t. So, you’ll need to work it out for yourself, princess.”
“Don’t call me that!” she retorted. “My name is Lexi Allen. You obviously know me, so please show the same courtesy.” She raised a finger and jabbed it at her former stalker. “I know he’s Shade because it’s what you called him. Who are you? And why is he following me everywhere?”
Eyebrows rose above the pale irises. He turned his bowling ball head to Shade. “What the hell, man? Is that what you did all week, follow this chick around town while she plays at detective? You refused ten legitimate contracts because of her!” Disgust filled his voice as though dredged from a well in his chest. “Do you have rocks in your head or just a death wish? Lachlan Mortimer’s daughter!”
Shade’s expression remained impassive, though pain licked at the edge of his upper lip. Unable or unwilling to reply, he kept silent. The big man turned his glare on Lexi. “Henk!” he snapped. The word crossed the distance between them like a flung insult. It took a moment for her to register he’d offered his name. Her lips moved, but surprise stole her reply.
The man bent to retrieve his mackintosh from the bedside rug. With a giant hand, he collected his tin and the reel of fishing line. He abandoned the mess of wrappers and spent wipes on the soiled bedspread, and turned to leave. “Drink something sugary,” he growled at Shade. “And eat. You need to replenish the blood you lost, and you look like crap.” His gaze only grazed Lexi before continuing to the door. Yet his criticism included her. “I hope your new girlfriend is worth the trouble,” he growled. Heavy footsteps and long strides carried him into the hallway. The breeze from his movement almost knocked Lexi over backwards as he passed her. He threw the comment over his shoulder to Shade. “Let me know when you’re ready to actually do your job.”
