Hardy Brothers Security: Deadly Proposal Part 7

"So?"

"So? So I can't let you see me looking like that."

"Baby, you're hurt," James said. "I can handle it. You seem to forget that I was in the military. I've seen every kind of wound known to man. There's nothing under there that's going to somehow freak me out and send me screaming out of the room."

"I'm scared you'll ... ."

"What?"

"That it will gross you out so you'll never want to look at me again," Mandy admitted.

"Is that why you want a shower so bad?"

"Maybe."

James sighed. "Sweetie, don't make this harder than it has to be. I love you. Waiting two more days for a shower isn't going to change that. Seeing your back isn't going to change that. I promise."

Mandy sighed, tears welling in her eyes. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Why don't you go into the bedroom and try to get comfortable on the bed. I'll get the Q-tips and the salve and I'll be in there in a minute."

"Okay."

After collecting the supplies and shutting the lights off in the main apartment, James found Mandy lying on her stomach on the mattress. She was facing away from him, and James had a feeling that was on purpose. She was embarra.s.sed and worried two things he didn't understand and didn't have the energy to deal with.

James climbed onto the bed as gently as he could, situating himself on his knees next to her. He reached for the T-shirt and lifted it up so he could have easier access to the middle of her back. He'd seen the bruises when he'd helped her get dressed earlier, each one serving as a stark reminder of just how close she'd come to leaving his world.

He carefully loosened the tape holding the white gauze in place, taking extra time to make sure that it was completely separate from the tender skin before he pulled it away from her body. He could feel her body stiffen when oxygen hit the wound.

James made sure to keep his breathing even, even though his pulse shot up when he saw the angry gash. The doctor had sewn it up, making sure to keep the st.i.tches small and neat. In a few weeks, he would barely be able to tell the wound had ever been there. Now, though, he wanted to hit someone.

James took the salve and squeezed it onto the end of one of the Q-tips. He dabbed it on the wound carefully, glancing at Mandy's profile from time to time to gauge her pain level. She didn't move as he covered the six-inch cut from one end to the other. She remained still as he affixed a fresh gauze square over the top of it. She was still silent when he collected the supplies and dropped them on the nightstand next to the bed.

James stretched out on the mattress next to her, laying on his belly and turning his head so he could look at her. He reached his hand out, linking his fingers with the one part of her body he wasn't scared to touch, and captured her good hand.

"See, all done," James said. "I'm not even freaked out a little."

Mandy sniffled, turning her head to face him. "I feel really pathetic."

"Why?"

"Because I'm helpless," Mandy said. "I'm helpless and I smell."

James tightened his grip on her hand. "It's only for a little while, baby. This will get better. I promise you that."

"I know."

"Try to look at it this way," James said. "At least we have each other. We came really close to losing that."

"I know."

"Then sleep. The more you sleep, the faster this will go by."

"You need to sleep, too."

"I'll be right here," he said. "I'll be sleeping right here."

James remained in the uncomfortable position until she drifted off and then he cautiously shifted over onto his back. When sleep finally claimed him the nightmares were waiting.

Seven.

Finn and Grady let themselves into James' apartment before the sun rose. They'd gone to the market, buying everything they could think of to keep Mandy fed and comfortable during her convalescence.

When James stumbled out into the main room of the apartment a few minutes later, his brothers froze in guilty resignation.

"Sorry," Finn said, keeping his voice low. "We were trying to be quiet."

James rubbed his eyes. "I was awake."

"Why? It's early."

James shrugged. "I just was. What is all of that?"

"Everything the blonde wonder could possibly want over the next few days," Grady said proudly. "We got tons of food. I got Oreos and M&Ms her favorite junk food. I got those dill pickle potato chips she likes, too."

"Emma picked out a bunch of magazines and some of those puzzle books," Finn added. "She's got a Kindle, so books aren't an issue. We got her a hundred-dollar gift card so she can buy as many as she wants."

"That's great," James said. "Thanks."

"We didn't even get to the best part yet," Grady said, his eyes twinkling. He pushed a blue plastic bag across the counter toward James.

James opened it, smiling when he saw what was inside. "The complete Friday the 13th and Halloween collections on Blu-ray?"

"She already owns every shark movie ever made," Grady said. "I know she loves these. I was going to get A Nightmare on Elm Street, too, but she said she only likes the first one in that series."

"This is really great."

Grady studied James when his brother was looking down at the movies. He looked exhausted. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"How is Mandy?"

"She's sleeping."

"That's not what I mean," Grady said. "How is she?"

"She's struggling," James said. "She's in pain. She's tired. She's cranky. She wants to shower. She's worried about not being able to shower because she thinks that's going to turn me off. She's just ... a mess."

"And that means you're a mess," Finn supplied.

"I'm not sleeping," James admitted. "I keep having these nightmares."

"I think that's normal," Finn said.

"Normally, I would be able to hold her," James said. "That's what I did after the fire to shake them. I can't do that now. I can't touch her."

"It won't be forever," Grady said.

"It feels that way now," James said. "We just have to get through it. It's going to be fine."

"Well, we have some other things to talk to you about," Grady said. "That's why we came so early."

"About the bomb?"

"The sheriff's department is agreeing to share information," Finn said.

"Since when? They've never been interested in sharing information before," James said.

"Since Judge MacIntosh exerted some force," Grady explained. "I have no idea what he did, but whatever it was has the department jumping through hoops to work with us."

"And?"

"And they're getting me the specs on the bomb tomorrow," Grady said. "I know a guy over in Oakland County who did munitions in the Army for a decade. I'm going to be working with him to see what we can find out."

"Good," James said.

"I'm hitting up the judge and Heidi tomorrow," Finn said. "We're going to go through some files and trying to put a risk a.s.sessment together. It's not perfect, but we have to start somewhere."

"That's smart," James said.

Grady and Finn exchanged a look.

"We think that it would be a good idea to keep the office closed this week," Grady said. "You're going to be busy here, and we're going to be focused on this case elsewhere. Opening the office is just an added distraction we can't deal with right now."

James ran a hand through his hair wearily. "I don't like it, but I don't see a way around it."

"We thought about having Ally here to answer calls," Finn said. "We weren't sure how you'd feel about that."

"I trust her to answer calls," James said. "I don't trust her to stay away from Mandy."

"That's what I figured."

"No, we'll just keep the office closed," James said.

"I'll put a sign on the door and we'll change the message on the voice mail," Finn said. "I figured we would refer people who need help immediately to Morgan Security out in Ferndale."

James nodded. "Yeah, they're good."

"You don't have to worry about anything," Grady said. "We're on this. We'll keep you updated. Just focus on Mandy."

"That's the plan."

"You might want to try and get some sleep," Finn said. "Mandy is going to figure out something is up. She might be distracted and blurry from the medication for a few days, but that won't last."

"I'm hoping the nightmares go away now that she's home," James said.

"And if they don't?"

"I'll figure it out."

Grady and Finn exchanged dubious looks. They were both worried that the opposite was closer to the truth.

"I'M NOT sure I understand," James said. "The mobster is considered a hero?"

Mandy and James were lounging on the couch, James arranging pillows under her lower back to shift her into the most comfortable position he could manage. He was sitting at the opposite end of the couch giving her a foot rub while they watched General Hospital.

"He's not really considered a hero," Mandy countered. "He's just the lead."

"But he's a mobster," James said. "How do all these women keep falling for him if he's a mobster?"

"I think it's the dimples."

"Ah."

"Plus, I don't think he's a very good mobster," Mandy added. "He doesn't appear to run drugs or stolen merchandise. They keep talking about shipments but I have no idea what's in the shipments."

"And that's his kid?"

"Yeah, Dante."

"And he's a cop?"

"Yeah."

"He's a cop with a mobster for a father?"