Controlling His Men - Granite County 2 http://www.bookstrand.com/controlling-his-men
Dean woke up
from a drug-induced sleep to a nurse touching his forehead with a newfangled
thermometer they now used to take a person’s temperature. He supposed he should
be thankful they didn’t use rectal thermometers anymore.
Looking out the
window of the hospital room, he saw it was dark outside. Things had been such a
mixed-up, weird, foggy dream, he wasn’t sure what day it was. Vaguely, he
remembered his brother Steve, with his partner Haley at his side, standing by
the bed talking to him. He also thought he remembered a group of Native
Americans coming into the room. But it was the wishful dream of a potential
lost lover holding his hand that kept him sane through reliving the nightmares
of torture.
“Welcome back.
It’s good to see that you are finally with us.” The nurse at his side raised a
spoon filled with chunks of ice and held it to his lips. Gratefully, Dean
opened his mouth.
“Can you tell me
your name?” the nurse asked.
“Dean Titan,” his
voice croaked out. He opened his mouth, and the nurse thankfully gave him more
cold refreshing ice.
“Very good, Mr.
Titan. Can I get you anything?” she asked.
“Side hurts.
Hard to breathe,” Dean whispered.
“You have a few broken ribs. The surgeons had to go in and fix them, and a few other things. Taking small, shallow breaths should help. You’re just about due for more pain medication,” she informed him. “I’ll be back with it shortly.”
Dean’s eyes
watched her neon-yellow tennis shoes leave the room. Looking over at the small
mobile lap table that could be pulled over his bed if he wasn’t so weak, Dean
saw the cup of ice. What he wouldn’t do to be able to have some more of that.
Sudden movement
on the other side of the bed had his body stiffening in fear. At first, Dean
thought he must be hallucinating when pretty blond Job Nicolson got up from a
chair by the wall and stepped up next to him.
Job reached over
him and picked up the cup of ice. “Here, I bet you would like some more of
this,” he said quietly.
Dean
automatically opened his mouth when the spoon touched his lips. Cool, wet ice
slid down his throat. Dean could have kissed him, if he wasn’t his
ex-boyfriend, when Job gave him some more.
“See, I knew you
would like this,” Job murmured and slid another spoonful between his lips.
Dean swallowed
and asked, “Why are you talking so quietly?”
Job leaned down
and put his lips near Dean’s ear. Dean tried to ignore how good he smelled. “Because
Creed finally fell asleep and I don’t want to wake him.”
Dean now saw
there was another bed on the other side of the darkened room, and Creed was in
it. Looking back at his ex, Dean wasn’t sure what to ask first. He figured he
must be more out-of-it than he thought to actually think Job and Creed were in
the same room with him.
Job gently
stroked the side of Dean’s head with his fingertips. “It’s okay. The nurse will
be back soon with your meds. Just relax. Tomorrow, when you wake up, I’ll
answer all your questions. Steve should be back by then, too. He’s been camped
out here since they brought you in. I finally convinced him to go home and get
some rest about an hour ago.”
Dean could feel
his eyelids getting heavy, and Job’s fingers felt so good in his hair. But he
needed to ask one question first.
“What are you
doing here?”
Job carefully
picked up Dean’s swollen hand and held it in both of his. “I’ve come to take
care of you and Creed.”
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