Justus Read Online Free Page B

would really be best if he wasn’t stewing in
germs.
    As easily as she could, Paige
lifted the shirt off. Her hands cradled his head, and she stared
down at the semi-conscious man now in her arms. His face was
wracked in pain. She placed her hand back on his head and watched
the lines fade.
    Her hands went to his pants,
and she blushed. She was a nurse and had taken clothes off tons of
people. Yet this time she was nervous. Paige tried to tell herself
it was just nerves at dealing with such severe injuries solo.
    She popped the button and
slid the pants down. Justus winced in pain, but she kept going
until they were past the wound on his thigh. She flushed again at
his near nakedness and was grateful he wore underwear. She’d heard
rumors that many of the hybrids preferred not to.
    Her eyes shot back to the
wound, and all embarrassment vanished. Paige lifted his leg and
looked at the exit wound. The bullet had missed organs and arteries
from what she could tell. So many things could have gone wrong, but
they hadn’t.
    She frowned.
    And yet he still bled
heavily. The hybrids were known for their strength and ability to
handle wounds. It was what made them great warriors. This was
different.
    She shook her head. Maybe
they didn’t have enough information to really make those sorts of
statements.
    Paige picked up the alcohol
and took a deep breath before pouring it over the wound.
    Justus shot up, eyes glowing
a bright amber.
    The roar the came out of him
was like nothing else she’d ever heard. It was inhuman and primal
in every way that made her scared. She trembled.
    As if on command, her hand
went to his bare chest. She wasn’t quite sure if it was in comfort
or fear.
    Justus looked down at her
hand and then to her.
    She pressed a little harder,
and he lay back on the floor.
    “I have to clean it,” she
said quietly.
    Without a word, Justus
nodded. The pain was clearly written on his face.
    This time she poured the
alcohol on his leg, and he only grunted in pain. She could see the
wound more clearly and knew she needed to stitch it.
    She started to stand but
stopped when his dark hand shot out to her own.
    “Don’t leave me,” he said,
his voice rough and weak.
    She swallowed hard at his
words.
    “I’ll be right back,” she
said. “I’m going to take care of you.”
    Paige let his hand slip out
of hers and picked up the needle.
    She hurried into the kitchen.
She flicked on the gas stove and placed the end of the needle into
the flame until it glowed bright red. She pulled back and turned
off the flame. When she came back into the room, she wiped off the
burned end with an alcohol cloth.
    Not daring to look at his
face, Paige threaded the thin fishing line through the hole. It had
been a long time since she did stitches. It was rare that an RN
would even do anything like that. Still, she did have the training,
even if it was years ago.
    She glanced over to Justus.
His light amber eyes focused on her, and she felt a little shiver
under the intense stare.
    “Are you ready?” she
asked.
    His eyes roamed across her
until he found the needle in her hand. They fixed on the point.
    She cleared her throat. “I
don’t have anything for the pain,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
    Paige jumped when his large,
warm hand landed on her thigh.
    “Do it,” he said.
    She leaned over and set to
work. The pattern came back quickly, and before long, she had moved
into a rhythm. When she finished, she cut the string and sat
back.
    It wasn’t until that moment
she realized his hand had stayed on her thigh. She followed his
dark bare arm up to his face. To her surprise, he had passed
out.
    Concern ate at her. He’d lost
a lot of blood at her place, and there was no telling how much more
he’d lost before he found her.
    She hated to do it, but she
was going to have to roll him. It was the only way to get at the
other hole.
    With a great grunt, Justus
rolled to his side. It was better to put the pressure on the unhurt
area than