“Oh my God.” Vee rushed to him. “What happened?”
Cypher grabbed her hand before she touched the reddened skin on his upper arm. He caught her eyes. “A mistake.”
“What do you mean a mistake? These are bullet wounds!” The terror of losing him crashed back into her.
“I know.”
She yanked her hand from his. “What did you do?”
He shook his head.
Like she’d take that as an answer. “What did you do? Tell me!”
“I confronted Diatrix.”
Vee sagged. Her stomach churned. Of course he did. He’d been planning on it. She knew he had been. “Not for me. You were hurt because of me.”
Cypher grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. “Of course for you. I wouldn’t do it for anyone else.”
Her guilt grew when he winced. “I can’t stand you being hurt.”
“This? This is barely a scratch.”
“Not to me. After what I saw yesterday…” Her voice hitched.
“Vee…”
She wiped her eyes. “Don’t. Not while you’re hurt and bleeding. I can’t think straight seeing you bloody. You know what you mean to me.” She clenched her hands closed and moved to the counter where a bunch of hypodermic wet healing cloths had been pulled out. “Sit,” she ordered.
He glowered, stepping back. “You don’t need to take care of me. My body will heal itself once the bullets fall out.”
She snatched a cloth. “Then I’ll clean the blood off you.”
“Vee...”
Her eyes narrowed to slits.
After a temporary standoff, he sighed, pulled out a stool, and sat down. Vee moved to the back of him as another bullet popped out. She caught it in her hand before it fell, hating the heaviness of it between her fingers. Setting it aside, she lightly pressed the cloth to the red areas around the wound.
She gathered his hair and pushed it over his shoulder.
Her throat closed at the sight before her.
He’d be dead a dozen times over if he were a human man.
Her fingertips hovered between his wounds, little more than a ghost of a touch. His skin was warm, but it did little to make her feel better. She jerked her fingers back when his muscles flexed. “Sorry,” she said.
He grumbled softly. “I liked it.”
Vee bit down on her lip, uncertain how to respond. She kissed the top of his head and got to work.
Time passed as she cleaned his skin, caressing the healed areas as she went. Most of the holes were free of bullets before she started, but whenever he strained or his plates moved under her hand, another would emerge for her to catch.
Each hole that no longer had a bullet was in a different stage of healing. Watching his skin thread itself back together didn’t make her feel better. She leaned down again and gently kissed the wounds that had closed.
Cypher stiffened. She pressed her brow against him and breathed.
“What happened?” she asked.
