1. Jude #2
“We need to manipulate her shoulder back into place,” she explained, her tone cool and authoritative.
“So we’ll get her up on the island so she’s lying on her stomach with her left arm and shoulder hanging off the side.
” At the island, she stopped and ensured Mila was still cradling her arm, then looked back at us. “I’ll need both of you to help.”
Without hesitation, I pulled a chair over and held out a hand, helping Mila step up onto it and then lower herself until she was lying on the cool granite.
“Cole, stand at the end and hold her legs to ensure she doesn’t kick in reaction to the pain. Jude, stand on her right side. Keep her stable and make sure that shoulder doesn’t move.”
Mila lay face down, her head turned my way. Her complexion was pale but her expression was determined.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” I asked, tentatively placing a hand on her right shoulder blade.
She nodded. “Yes.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Thanks for helping.”
Though there was a layer of stained fabric between my hand and her back, I could feel the heat of her skin underneath my fingertips. She reached out, searching, so I slid my hand into hers and gave it a squeeze.
“Now,” Willa explained, “I’m going to apply pressure to the socket joint. Between my pushing and the gravity pulling your arm down, it should slide back into place. I’ll go slowly so I don’t cause any ligament damage. But this will hurt.”
Mila sucked in a shaky breath. “Okay.”
“And I want to note that we could be doing this with anesthesia at a hospital.”
“I’m fine, Doc,” the woman lying prone between us gritted out. “Just do it.”
Though her voice was stony, her hand was trembling. I threaded my fingers through hers, trying to offer some comfort.
“Ready?” Willa asked, looking from Mila to me to Cole.
Once we’d all confirmed that we were, she probed Mila’s shoulder with her fingers, then pushed down.
When Mila screamed, my blood ran cold. Every instinct was telling me to pick her up and run far away. The thought of anyone being in pain, especially her, made my stomach roil.
“Almost there,” Willa said, pulling on her arm while pushing on her shoulder. “Okay. That’s it. I felt it pop back into the socket.”
Mila was crying now, her whole body shaking with sobs.
Fuck. Wishing I could do something to take the pain away, I lamely rubbed circles around her upper back, still holding her hand.
“Cole, help me get her off the counter. Jude, grab a clean pillowcase.” She put a gentle hand on Mila’s back. “You were amazing. I’m going to make a sling to immobilize the arm. This will take some time to heal.”
I darted away and returned immediately with a pillowcase, holding it out to my sister-in-law.
She took it without a word and used her surgical shears to cut it into triangles, then folded them and tied them together.
I’d never seen Willa in action like this. To me, she was my baby brother’s wife and a friend. I was taken aback by what she could accomplish with only a kitchen counter and a pillowcase.
“You’re in shock,” she explained to Mila. “The most important thing you can do is rest. We can drive you wherever you need to go.”
“She’ll stay here,” I declared before I’d even considered what I was saying.
Even now, though she was hurt and scared, she was still brave and defiant. I knew in my bones I needed to protect this woman. That she needed to be here. She was clearly in danger, and as much as I did not want my family involved, I couldn’t let her leave.
This house was remote and quiet, and I had Ripley. I could take care of her while keeping my family out of it.
“Stay,” I said.
Though by the determined look on her face, I was sure she’d argue, she surprised me by giving me a small nod.
Willa stepped back and washed her hands. “For now, the best thing you can do is rest. I’ll leave mild painkillers. Get plenty of water. Then sleep for as long as you can. I’ll give Jude instructions for checking on you, but don’t worry about anything but recovering. Okay?”
Mila, head hung and still teary, nodded.
“I’ll be back tomorrow morning before I open the clinic. I’ll bring antibiotics then so we can stave off any infection. I’ll have real painkillers and a proper sling too. Once I’ve checked the joint and the swelling, we can decide what to do next.”
I led Mila into the living room and guided her onto the couch. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Ripley was immediately by her side, hopping up onto the cushion and resting her head in her lap.
She reached out with her good arm and gently stroked my dog’s fur, looking exhausted and worn out.
As I opened the door for Willa and Cole, my brother whipped around and hissed, “Dude, what the fuck? She is not okay.”
I shook my head, dread washing over me. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”
Willa swallowed thickly but stood tall—or as tall as she could next to my six-foot-seven brother. “We should get the police involved. Her injuries are serious.”
I took off my glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Give me a day or two to figure out what’s going on first. She needs rest, and then I’ll talk to her.”
When they’d reluctantly agreed and Cole, carrying Willa’s medical bag, ushered her to his SUV, I closed the door and rested my forehead on the dark wood for a moment.
The world was spiraling out of control. What the hell was going on?
And if she’d open up about her injuries, could I trust her story? She hadn’t even given me her real name.
I headed back to the living room, where I found Mila tentatively adjusting her position on the couch.
“You need to sleep in a bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She grunted, keeping her gaze averted. “I’m fine here.”
“My sister-in-law popped your shoulder back into place on my kitchen counter. You’re injured and need rest. Just take the bed.”
Finally, she looked at me, her full lips in a tight line. “No. I’ll sleep here.”
My head throbbed, pounding hard enough to pull my attention from the madness that had descended. What the hell was going on? Was I harboring a fugitive?
The pain was all it took for me to snap. “Give me one good reason not to call the police,” I said. “You show up here injured and filthy, tell me you were shot at, and that a criminal network is chasing you.”
She tipped her chin up in defiance.
“But,” I gritted out, “why should I believe you when you’ve lied to me before?”
She let out a sigh, her body deflating. “The police are compromised.” Despite the pain she was in, her voice was frosty. “Your police chief is corrupt. He’s on the payroll of narcotics traffickers.”
“Was corrupt,” I corrected, forcing my tone to level out. “He’s suspended pending an investigation into misconduct after he went after Cole.”
She raised an eyebrow. “He’s done a hell of a lot more than that.
And he isn’t the only one. I can only imagine all this information is hard to process.
Please know that I wouldn’t have come here, I wouldn’t have put you at risk, if I had any other options.
Just… please,” she begged, her breath hitching, “can I sleep here? I’ll leave in the morning. ”
I wanted to push. My need to be in control of the situation was screaming inside me. But in this moment, she was so helpless, so small, propped up on my couch with her arm in a makeshift sling. Clearly, she’d been through hell. It was unfair to continue to push her.
Yes, I had to keep my family safe, but if I didn’t eventually get answers from her, I wasn’t sure I could do that. So I’d do everything I could to keep her close until she opened up.
I put my hands up. “Please stay. You’re safe here.
It’s just Ripley and me. I’ve got the room, and I spend most of my time at work anyway.
” With a long exhale, I raked a hand through my hair.
“I think you’d be more comfortable in a bed, but if you really want to sleep out here, then I’ll grab a couple of pillows and a blanket. ”
Her only response was a nod.
So, though it went against my every instinct, I dragged myself down the hall to fetch pillows and blankets.
Damn this stubborn woman. And damn my protective hero complex.
My entire world had been turned upside down tonight. And I had the distinct feeling my life would never be the same again.