Page 50 of Red Fire
Nooooo!
“You’re injur—”
“Don’t say it,” he says. “There are ears everywhere.” He whispers the words so softly that I can barely hear them. “I’m fine. I just need rest.” This time, his tone is normal, but he’s pointing at the right-hand side of his chest. “Broken,” he mouths.
Crap!
Oh, no.
Noooo! Creed is hurt.
“What?” I mouth back. “You have broken ribs?” My eyes are wide. I can hardly believe what I’m hearing.
I broke a rib a few years ago, falling off a horse on one of those vacation beach walks. Joshua and I had only been dating for a year or so. We were so in love back then, so when he suggested horseback riding, I went along with it even though I was terrified. My horse got a fright and spooked, and I hit the dirt. Beach sand isn’t as soft as it looks. Not when you go flying from the top of a horse.
I could hardly breathe for days. Let alone do anything else. I was on serious pain meds for over two weeks. It took about six weeks before I felt normal again.
Creed nods. “Just one or two and then fractures, not outright breaks,” he mouths. He must see concern on my face because he says, “I’m okay. It isn’t bad at all.” I know he’s pretending. He can’t hide it from me.
Okay, my ass. He’s not okay. Not even close.
I can’t believe it took me so long to figure it out. Then again, he was doing a great job of hiding it.
I shake my head. “You’renotokay,” I whisper.
He gives me the thumbs up, and I shake my head. He just built a whole miniature cabin with broken ribs. I know that shifters heal quicker than humans, but I’m sure lifting and carrying whole trees wouldn’t have helped his situation, and I’m sure he won’t be better by morning. Shifters might be superhuman, but that would be insane.
“How long to heal?” I mouth, pointing at my own ribs.
He shrugs.
“How long?” I insist, grabbing his forearm and squeezing, trying to let him know that I mean business.
He sighs.
“Not by tomorrow morning?” I narrow my eyes.
He shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. I’m good. I’ll be much better by tomorrow. Well on my way.”
I don’t believe him. He just signed up for a fight to the death, and I let him. I didn’t know that he had broken ribs at the time, but I still feel terrible.
“How did it happen?” I ask, although I can guess.
“Tank. When we fought earlier.” He pulls in a breath, and I see his eyes cloud with pain. He isn’t trying to pretend anymore. Not with me, which I’m glad about. “It was when that brown dragon carted you off. My attention was diverted for half asecond, and Tank swung his tail at me. I don’t think he knows he injured me.”
“But you can’t be sure?”
He shakes his head. “No, but I doubt it. The fight ended there. Although, ifyounoticed then,” he scrubs a hand over his face, “others might have too.”
“Doubtful,” I say under my breath. “I know you. I know how you move. Even then, it took me a while to figure it out.”
“You’ve been watching me.” He gives me this half-smile that sends butterflies flapping around inside me.
Stupid butterflies!
I roll my eyes, and he smiles properly. It lights up his whole face. He’s even more attractive when he lets his guard down a little. What am I saying? He’s attractive all the damned time, even more so right now. If I had butterflies before, I have a whole flock of birds now. They go nuts inside me.
Not now.