Swerve Chapter 13 #2
“If it doesn’t show signs that it is, then I’ll culture it and have Dr. Neeson send it off to see what’s growing. We may need to change the type of antibiotic. Remember how we did that with your pressure ulcers?” Paige reminded me.
“I do.”
“It’ll be the same.”
“What about her leaving? She shouldn’t go if she needs medical oversight,” I probed.
“You’re right, she shouldn’t. Not unless wherever she goes has medical staff that can watch over her,” Wolverine stated.
I wanted to howl and tell him to shut up, but I didn’t. I saw Scorpion’s eyes shift to me, then back when Wolverine said it.
“I doubt that would happen,” Scorpion said.
“What’s she doing now? Sleeping?” I asked. I had a serious need to see her. I wanted to see with my eyes how badly this infection was impacting her.
“When we left, she was preparing to get dressed. We gave her a pain pill and told her to rest, but she’s restless. She mentioned speaking to Rhodes. I offered to make her breakfast, but she declined,” Paige added.
Hearing that she was awake and not wanting to give her a chance to speak to her friend/boss and have him somehow convince her to leave, I shoved my chair away from the table.
Scorpion gave me a knowing smirk. Wolverine and Paige were facing me, so they didn’t see it.
Dozer left Paige’s side, where he’d been getting his head rubbed, and came over to stand next to my wheelchair.
“If she’s awake, then I’ll go say good morning and see if I can change her mind about breakfast. She should eat something. I remember you telling me to eat and get those calories in so I could heal. I’ll see you later. Dozer, you can stay. Maybe you’ll get more rubs.”
“He will for sure. Come here, big guy,” Paige crooned. My dog happily trotted back to her.
Waving at them, all three nodded as I took off. I tried not to rush to her. When I reached her room, I saw Punk sitting outside her door. He must be relieving one of the prospects from guard duty.
“Is she still in there?” I asked, pointing to her room.
“Yeah. Wolverine and Paige left not long ago.”
“I saw them in the common room. What about him? Is he with her?” I indicated Boone’s room.
“Nah, he’s still in there. As far as I know, he’s still asleep. He hasn’t stuck his head out in the past hour I’ve been here.”
“I’m gonna check on her,” I told him as I raised my hand and knocked on the door. Not wanting her to ignore it because she didn’t know who it was, I called out to her. “Electra, it’s Swerve. Can I come in?”
There was no response. I was about to ask again when the door opened.
She was standing there in a short nightgown that fell just above her mid-thigh.
There was nothing inappropriate about it, but her body was showcased.
I saw out of the corner of my eye that Punk perked up.
I turned and growled at him. His eyes widened, and he looked away.
Without waiting for her to say no, and given the way she was standing back, it left me room to get into her room, so I eased inside.
She didn’t yell for me to stop or get out, so I swiftly entered, letting her close the door.
Electra made her way back to the bed. When she dropped down on it, I noticed her hands shaking.
“Electra, do you need me to get Paige or Wolverine?” I asked.
“No, they were just here. Why?”
“You’re shaking and pale.”
I came up next to the bed.
“I’m fine, just a little weak. I have a fever. I took some medicine for it and the pain. What can I do for you, Swerve?”
“I came to check on you. To see if you got any rest last night. Wolverine and Paige told me you need antibiotics. They’re getting them. Paige said you turned down breakfast. You should try to eat. You need your strength, and the calories will help your wound heal. Take it from an expert, I know.”
“I know I should, but I’m just not hungry. Paige mentioned taking care of you when you had an infection. Something about pressure wounds.”
“Yes, she did. That’s how we met and became friends. She was one of the nurses assigned to me in the ICU. I developed pressure ulcers, and they got infected. I had to go into the hospital for a bit.”
Electra hesitated, biting her bottom lip, then replied. “She told me last night that she was thought to be the one who hurt you, but it was her brother. Her family forced her to take the blame. I can’t imagine a family doing that.”
“They’re a piece of work. Did she tell you how they forced her to go along with it?”
“No, only that they did, and her brother is the golden child.”
“He was. They threatened that if she didn’t do it, they’d send her to stay with an uncle. He was known within the family to have a thing for teenage girls, a pedophile. The rumors were that he had sex with more than a few. She was terrified, so she kept her mouth shut.”
Even now, it infuriates me to think about it. Electra gasped.
“They did what? Oh my God, that’s horrible. Please tell me someone made those bastards pay for that, and that she has no contact with them,” Electra growled.
Not giving a hint that we’d done anything to her family, I told her the accepted lie that was believed.
“She has no contact. However, no one knows where her dad and brother are. They disappeared over a year ago. Her mom lost everything and has to work to care for herself. Her comfy living circumstances have gone away.”
“Good. If she allowed them to make threats and shielded the son, she’s as guilty as the dad and brother. I wonder where her dad and brother have run off to. Probably, they were afraid the truth would come out and ruin them. I hope wherever they are, they suffer,” she hissed.
I wanted to tell her that they were hopefully suffering in the fires of hell, along with the ones she hunted. Instead, I nodded.
“Did you get any rest? How’s your pain?”
“I got a little. Thank you for asking Paige to help me clean up last night. She was a lifesaver. What little sleep I got was largely due to her making me feel better. I would have slept more, but the fever developed, and I couldn’t cool off.
I thought it was merely hot in here. I had no idea it was a fever until Wolverine came in to check on me and found it.
He called her in to consult on the wound.
I felt terrible waking her up. She was here late helping me and then woke up to do it again.
She needs her rest more than I do. She’s carrying twins.
I can imagine that wipes her out horribly. ”
“Don’t feel bad. She’d be upset if she hadn’t been asked. She’s a genius when it comes to knowing what’s best to treat wounds. Hopefully, the antibiotic they’re getting will clear up this infection. However, until it does, you have to stay where you can be under medical supervision.”
“Swerve, I can’t stay. I appreciate everything that’s been done since yesterday evening, but we aren’t bringing a threat to your doorstep. Think of your brothers and Paige. You said there’s another woman and two kids here. They’re all in danger if I stay.”
“Not any more danger than they’ve been in the past.” I paused, then took the plunge.
“Even if I’m willing to let you go without a safe place to land and allies you can rely on, I can’t let you just walk away for another reason.”
“And what’s that?”
“The kiss we shared. We need to talk about that kiss, Electra.”
Her face, already pink from the fever, turned a darker pink. Her gaze, which had been meeting mine, skittered away. She clasped her hands. I waited. It took her several seconds to respond. When she did, she wasn’t meeting my eyes.
“I don’t know what there’s to talk about. It was a kiss. It was a stressful situation. I’m not holding it against you or expecting anything from you.”
In my experience, Electra was very direct and not shy about expressing herself. The way she was acting told me more than she would want.
“You’re lying,” I said gruffly.
Her head snapped up, and she scowled at me. “No, I’m not. Why would you say that? Why are you sitting there acting like it was anything to you? I don’t believe it was anything special or worth discussing for you.”
“And why would you assume it meant nothing to me?”
“Because you undoubtedly have women throwing themselves at you, kissing you, and more all the time.”
I reared back in surprise. It took a few moments to gather my thoughts. “Why the hell would you think that?”
“Come on, do you need me to say it?” She paused. When I nodded, she huffed.
“Fine. I know that you can kiss anyone you want or have them kiss you. Your handsome looks and sex appeal draw women in. All you have to do is look at Annette and how she acts.”
“Annette? What about her?” I was lost on why she said that, though I liked her saying I had sex appeal and was good-looking.
“Swerve, she’s so into you, it’s almost sickening.
There’s a woman who, if you haven’t kissed her, you should.
She’s dying to be with you. Just as undoubtedly countless others are and have been.
Don’t tell me that all their kisses have meant something to you.
With the options you have, guys like you have numerous meaningless kisses and more.
That’s why there’s no need to talk about ours.
It was the heat of the moment or the stress of the situation.
I’m not asking you to repeat it or make untrue declarations. ”
“So you’re saying it didn’t affect you at all?” I asked.
“Exactly. I’m glad we agree.”
Wanting to show her there was something to it, I locked my wheelchair’s brakes. Grabbing onto the post of the headboard and the mattress, I heaved myself up and pivoted, dropping onto the mattress next to her. Her eyes widened. I leaned close to her.
“Like hell it didn’t mean anything,” I growled a second before I captured her mouth. Her hands came up to my chest. I waited for her to push me away, but instead, she curled them against my pecs, and her mouth came alive underneath mine.
Ravenously, our mouths mated. Our lips, tongues, and teeth got in on the action. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth and bit gently down on it. Her moan kicked up the flame inside of me. My cock grew rapidly in response to the taste and feel of her.
I pressed her back into the pillows, bringing my chest to rest on hers.
The feel of her tits pushing into my chest had my hand coming up and cupping one through the material of her gown.
The absence of a bra didn’t impede me from feeling her pebbled nipple or the tautness of that nub.
I plucked it a little roughly, causing her to cry out in my mouth.
I swallowed the sound and tugged again, getting the same reaction.
Her tongue was twisting wildly with mine. I sucked on hers. My temperature rose, making me feel as though I had a fever. Recalling she was sick, I tried to pull back, but she whimpered and grew more desperate in her kissing. Since it was what I wanted, too, I didn’t fight her.
I didn’t know how long we kissed before I removed my mouth from hers and nibbled my way down her jaw, then to her neck. She arched her back, driving her tit into my palm. I squeezed and kneaded it.
“Swerve, Swerve, we have to stop. We can’t,” she mumbled brokenly.
I unwillingly eased away. Her eyes were bright with desire. She was panting. I was breathing heavily myself.
“Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t,” I rasped.
“Because—” her answer was cut off by a loud rapping on her door. I would’ve ignored it, but she flinched when she heard the voice that followed it.
“Ellie, we need to talk. I know you’re awake. This guy out here said you are,” Boone stated.
I fought not to yell and tell him to go the fuck away.
However, I knew by the way her passion cooled that we wouldn’t be able to finish our talk right now.
Besides, I needed to do something before we got fully into it.
I knew she was going to have arguments. I should’ve been prepared before coming to see her.
I placed a quick kiss on her lips. “We’ll finish talking later. Make no mistake, we’re talking about this, Electra.
“Swerve, don’t,” she pleaded.
“Yes,” I countered, then I maneuvered myself back into my chair. Lifting my legs to place my feet on the footrests, I stared at her. When I was arranged, I unlocked the brakes and wheeled over to the door. I yanked it open. I saw surprise on Boone’s face that morphed into speculation.
“Don’t tire her out. She’s got an infection. She’ll need to stay here, where she can receive treatment. Her medication should arrive soon.”
His speculation changed to worry. “She’s sick?” I let him push past me. Pushing my chair into the hallway, I found Boden had taken Punk’s place.
“He goes nowhere alone with her. Make sure he doesn’t stay long. She needs her rest.”
“Yes, Swerve.”
“And get her some food. She needs to eat,” I added.
“I’ll get right on it,” he said, taking out his phone. I wasn’t sure who he was contacting, but as long as she got food, I didn’t care.
Heading for the nearest exit, I began going over my points in my head.
I was headed straight for Diablo. I was sorting through the emotions Electra stirred in me and what it would mean if I were to pursue a relationship with her.
I’d waited so many years to become a Horseman, but my gut told me Electra was the woman for me.
I wasn’t about to give her up without a fight.
I wanted to reject where my mind went, but if it came down to her or the club, would I be able to sacrifice either?
And if it was required, I didn’t know that I would stay with the club.
In the short period I’d known her, I’d begun falling in love with Electra.
It would hurt like hell to lose the club, but I knew it would be worse to lose her.
I had to find a way to keep both, if possible.