Page 77 of A Raven Repents

“I’m not going to tear the bandages off, Ash.” He was grumpy. The pain was wearing down most of his patience, and the disgust he felt about his disfigurement took care of the rest.

Ash sighed. “I can’t begin to imagine what you’re feeling right now, and I hate that I have to do this, but we don’t know what might happen while you’re sleeping. That means you have to be restrained. The choice you have is whether to do it willingly or sedated.”

It was nearly impossible not to rage at the injustice of it all. And even though he knew Ash just wanted what was best for him, right now, he hated him for it. He just wanted to go home, where he could hide from the rest of the world, and wallow in his own self-pity, without having to pretend like he wasn’t dying inside.

“I’ll stay with him,” Christina offered. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t touch his face.”

“No.” He would not have her going without sleep because of his stubbornness. He laid his arms at his sides. “Tie them.”

Chapter

Eighteen

Christina’s heart broke as she lay in the room across the hall from Giles. He’d willingly submitted to being restrained, even though he didn’t want it, rather than continuing to be in her presence. He hated her. And she didn’t blame him after everything.

He’d still been kind to her, but she could feel his disdain. His desire to get away from her.

Over the next several days, as they kept him in that same bed, it only grew worse and worse. His rages were less frequent and less intense, but so too were his smiles.

It wasn’t like in the beginning of their marriage, when he’d grumbled and shouted at her. Now, he hardly spoke. More often than not, he didn’t even look at her. Except when it was time for bed. Each night, before she left him, he pressed a soft kiss to her injured cheek, and wished her pleasant dreams.

But today, the doctor was finally allowing him to go home.

He was dressed, and she stood beside the chair where he sat, Ash on the other side. His bandages had been replaced with just an eyepatch now that most of the stitches had been removed. But he still looked miserable.

Dr. Goodluck stood in front of the door while he gave his instructions. “You may return to work, so long as you’re careful.”

“It’s not a dangerous job, Doctor,” Giles argued.

“Then explain why, over the years, I’ve had to treat gunshots, stab wounds, black eyes, and countless scrapes, bruises, and other injuries?”

“He’ll be careful,” Ash said before Giles could argue. And Christina knew he wanted to.

“Because I’ve just removed some of the stitches, for the next three days, you need to sleep with your head elevated, and refrain from any heavy exertion.” He paused for a moment and cleared his throat. “That includes marital activities.”

Christina probably would have blushed, but when Giles gave a cynical huff, her heart withered, making it unable to send the requisite blood to her cheeks. He didn’t want her anymore.

“And last, but not least, I have reached out to an eye specialist. Dr. Schwartz is the best in his field. His office will be sending a notice of your appointment date so that you may be fitted with a prosthesis.”

Christina hadn’t even realized that was an option. But at the mention of it, the slight color that had returned, drained from Giles’ face. She squeezed his shoulder, trying to give him some kind of comfort, but he showed no notice of it.

“At least go to the consultation. Appointments with the man don’t come easily, and I had to call in a few favors.”

Giles nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Goodluck.”

Donoghue and Brennan accompanied them home. Donoghue remained outside, and Brennan followed them in. Giles grunted and shook his head, clearly unhappy with the man’s presence.

“I assume Ash has told you not to leave my side, but I need to go get freshened up. So unless you want to sit with me while I’m in the bath, you might as well help yourself to a drink in the sitting room. If my valet deems me not up to the dangers of a bath, I’m sure he’ll fetch you.”

Without another word, he stalked up the stairs, not even a glance in her direction. She stood next to Brennan, both of them watching him go. When he disappeared into his rooms, they sighed in unison.

“Perhaps I’ll join you for that drink,” she said.

“Spirits are off-limits while I’m on duty, but I’ll pour you a glass if you’d like.”

She wandered into the sitting room and plopped onto the sofa. “What am I going to do, Brennan? He despises me.”

“Don’t be silly. Ash said the only thing he cared about when he woke was you.”