Rescuing Melissa (ALPHA TEAM: Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists)

31. Stitches

THIRTY-ONE

Stitches

PIERCE

I was a little concerned about getting Dickwad to help Gretel, but I hoped his desire to heal would prevail.

After I finished with Henrietta, I stalked over to him, making sure to stay well out of range.

He strained against the chains as we eyed each other. Oh, how his hatred rolled toward me in that heated gaze. His attention kept dipping down to my crotch.Eww! I tucked my satiated member inside my pants and zipped it away from his homosexual eyes.

That was the last time that prick would get a look at my junk.

Crossing my arms, I glared back, taunting him. “Like what you see?”

“Fuck off, you crazy bastard. I’m going to kick your ass, you wimp-assed prick.”

I shook my head and gestured to the chains. “Not likely.”

Already this conversation bored me. I pointed to Gretel. “You will take a look at Gretel.”

He glanced at where Gretel lay in her cage, his eyes widening as if seeing her for the first time. Then, his attention cut to the three cages beside hers, no doubt taking in the beauty of Cinderella, Red, and Beauty. Shifting left, his terrified eyes widened when Belle waved to him with a smile. Goldilocks knelt at the door of her cage, head bowed and impassive. The other two cages were empty. One waited for my Queen; the other would hold our Fairy Godmother after I was through with her training.

No wonder he’d been such an easy target. The man wasn’t very observant.

Casting his gaze to the right again, he stared at Gretel. “What did you do?” His words came out as a growl, directed toward me, but there was that undercurrent of compassion I was counting on.

“Just a little knife play. Some of the cuts went deeper than I planned. You’re here to sew her up.”

“She’s bleeding out!” His breathing changed. No longer angry, fear sawed in and out of his lungs.

Seeing him come apart wasn’t as satisfying as when fear took hold of a woman. Women were fragile. Smaller than men, they lived daily with fear. It affected them on a primal level men didn’t understand. Women’s instincts were to nurture and serve. Men sought to defend and own.

“The bleeding is why I brought you here.” I gestured to the stack of supplies. “I should have everything you need to stitch her up.”

“She needs a doctor, asshole. You need to call 9-1-1.”

I shook my head. “Not going to happen.”

His strength returned with his anger. I didn’t like that. Fear would make him more dangerous. I hoisted his arms above his head and locked them in place with a tug on the pulley mechanism. I gave the chains on his legs the same attention, fastening him tight against the wall. He grunted and jerked against his bonds.

I was safe, but he wasn’t safe from me.

We were good.

I checked the supplies and laid them out in neat lines. Then, I unchained Gretel and carried her to the table I’d set up. As expected, Dickwad tried to lunge for me, but he couldn’t move.

Poor Gretel. More blood had saturated the second layer of bandages.

Punching him in the face crossed my mind. He deserved a black eye to match the one he’d given me, but he would need his vision to care for my princess.

I pointed to the supplies, making sure he listened. “Is there anything else you need?” There shouldn’t be. Bandages, antiseptic solution, alcohol, antibiotics, needles, and suture material were all present.

“How about a doctor?”

With a shrug, I looked him in the eye. “If she bleeds out, I’ll kill you.”

His eyes flared, the lids pulling back. I’d injected no emotion into my voice. I had none for him. Gretel, on the other hand, I cared for quite a bit.

“And if I do this?”

Another shrug. “Then, I’m happy.”

“What happens to me?”

“I won’t need you anymore.” He needed to think he was getting out of here. Without it, he might make the wrong choice. “I’ll drug you. Take you out of here, and that’s the end of it.”

“And the girl?”

I laughed. “She stays.”

I motioned for Belle to come to the front of her cage. “Tell him, Belle. Tell him how this is our little thing.” My arms swept around the room, encompassing all my princesses, even Henrietta. “They’re here because they want to be. You’re a bright guy. You’ve heard about these things.”

I pointed to Gretel. “We got a little carried away with the knife. This isn’t something hospitals understand.”

“So you kidnapped me?”

“You have a certain skill set.”

His gaze hardened, then swept to Belle.

My beautiful Belle went to her knees. “Please, kind Sir, help Gretel.”

“You’re here by choice?” Disbelief saturated his voice, but he didn’t understand my kingdom, what I had worked to build. I turned my attention to Henrietta. Now would be the time to see if she had learned her lesson. Her eyes flicked to mine, wide-eyed and terrified, then skittered away, cowed into submission.

All was as it should be in my realm.

“Yes, Sir.” Belle, beautiful words dripped like honey from her tongue, but then she had always had a sultry way about her. It was one of the things I enjoyed about my most favored princess. “Please help our sister.”

“In chains?”

“The chains are for our Master’s safety, Sir.”

I walked to Belle and reached through the bars to stroke her hair. I loved her so much.

Dickwad did another sweep of my dungeon. His gaze moved over the cages and beyond to the king-sized poster bed where Henrietta was chained. Beyond the bed, the squat door locked all of us inside together.

He might kill me if he broke his chains, but he wouldn’t be getting out of this room. If the bastard killed me, this room would become his grave. My princesses would suffer if that happened. Good thing I always thought things through.

When his survey of the room ended on Gretel, I knew he would do what I required.

Her eyes fluttered, the first sign of life in the past hour, but she still didn’t move. I went to the pulley mechanism and slackened his chains. Dickwad’s arms lowered.

I drew up a chair, far out of his reach. I would be with Gretel every step of the way.

A grimace stretched across his face. “She needs stitches.”

I pointed to the sutures. “Then stitch her up.”

“I’m a nurse, not a doctor. I don’t do this kind of thing.”

“You seem like a smart guy. I’m sure you’ve watched doctors do this a thousand times. How hard could it be?” I gestured for him to get started.

While he began, I pondered how I would find my Queen. Protective custody posed many problems, and I didn’t know where to look.

The biggest news of all was why she’d been placed in custody.

My mentor was free.

I wasn’t sure how this would affect my plans.