9. Banter and Bandages

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls,the most massive characters are seared with scars."~Kahlil Gibran

Vasilisa Smirnov

My expression remained sour as I watched him pack up the rest of my belongings. I had to admit to the fact that he moved with alarming speed. What would have taken me five hours to complete, My very own bodyguard completed in one.

My bounds weren't tight, but my arms and hips had started to ache from staying in one position for a long time. If Alexei had known the amount of times I had planned and orchestrated his death within just a matter of an hour, he would be scared and shaking in his stupid boots.

The sting of blood trickling down my side was unbearable, I tried my best to ignore the sharp pain in my abdomen even though it was rising to an alarming level. My fingers curled as I gritted my teeth, trying to reign in the pain.

Without warning, Alexei crouched in front of me, his gaze dark and piercing as he fiddled with the bounds until they came loose.

"Take off your shirt," he demanded, not even bothering to look at me as he spoke.

"What?" I blinked, sure I hadn't heard him right.

"Take it off," he repeated, more forceful this time, still not meeting my eyes. His hand reached out as if he was about to do it himself.

I recoiled instinctively, my heart hammering in my chest. "No."

He finally looked at me, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I said, take it off."

The way he said it—so cold, so indifferent—sent a wave of panic through me. My mind spun, trying to make sense of the situation. Was he serious? Was this how he intended to take advantage of me? Here, while I was bleeding?

Could he.....

I pulled my arms tighter around myself, glaring at him. "No, I'm not doing that," I shot back, trying to sound defiant, though my voice betrayed a hint of fear. "You're crazy".

He straightened, his expression hard, eyes filled with barely contained irritation. "I don't have time for your nonsense. Take the damn shirt off, or I'll do it for you."

His words struck me like a slap. He wasn't asking—he was commanding. And that terrified me more than the wound itself. My breathing quickened, my heart racing as I stared at him, unsure whether to scream or obey.

" I need to treat your fucking wound, Lisa" He gritted out, tugging at my hands that were covering my chest.

Oh. That.

I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment at how quick I had jumped to conclusions. " I thought-

"Thought what" He interjected, sending me a scarcastic smile. " That I was somehow interested in you?"

I refused to be belittled by him.

"No, that you were a fucking rapist" I shot back, shaking his hands off my knees.

"Blame your father for hiring a rapist to protect you then" His hands interlocked under my knees and the small of my back before I could even process his movements.

A gasp left me at the sudden loss of control and my hands immediately reached for his neck, for support. He barely strained as he placed me on my bed, reaching out to grab the hem of my shirt.

I closed my eyes, allowing him to pull the shirt further, slipping my head and my arms out. His eyes didn't linger as I expected them to, they only focused to the reddened bands that wrapped tightly around my stomach.

I struggled not to flinch in pain, as he unraveled the bandage. The pain was starting to settle in both my stomach and my head.

Alexei worked quickly, his hands surprisingly gentle despite his earlier harsh tone. His focus was entirely on the wound, not on me. I swallowed, trying to calm the swirl of emotions battling inside—fear, confusion, embarrassment. The pain in my side intensified as he removed the blood-soaked bandage, but I refused to show any more weakness.

"How bad is it?" I managed to ask, my voice strained.

"Bad enough," he replied, not looking up. His hands moved with practiced precision as he cleaned the wound, applying pressure where necessary. I hissed in pain but didn't pull away. "He didn't aim to kill."

"How do you know that," I muttered under my breath, wincing as the antiseptic burned against my torn skin." Or are you the stalker yourself".

Alexei didn't respond to that immediately. Instead, he continued to work in silence, focused entirely on fixing the damage.

"Your vital organs are very close to where the stab wound is, an inch further and he could have ruptured your kidney or liver" He explained, setting a blood-stained cotton wool to the floor. "Either he didn't know how to handle a knife or he wanted to hurt you enough to instill fear but not to kill you. And you and i both know the correct option.

For a moment, I allowed myself to revisit the memories i had stuffed to corners of my mind, The stalker really didn't want to kill me, i didn't think he even wanted to hurt me. It was probably because i struggled.

What did he want from me?

Finally, after what felt like hours, he stepped back, wiping his hands clean. "Done."

I opened my eyes and looked down at the fresh bandages wrapped around my stomach, tighter but more secure than before. The pain was still there, a dull throb, but it was more manageable now. I sat up slowly, careful not to jostle anything.

"Thanks," I muttered, glancing at him. I didn't want to owe him anything, least of all gratitude, but I couldn't ignore the fact that he had helped me.

Alexei shrugged, leaning back to gaze at me with his arms crossed. "Unnecessary"

There was something in his tone—something I couldn't quite place. I narrowed my eyes at him, studying his face, but he gave nothing away. He was a mystery, one that I wasn't sure I gave enough fucks to unravel.

I didn't want to think about the fact that I was clad in just a bra and jeans, under the eyes of this sin of a man. He stared blatantly and openly making me self conscious. I wanted to find something else to wear, my previous shirt was all bloody.

The gaze in his eyes spoke nothing of lust or desire, rather he looked at me from under his nose, like he was analyzing my weaknesses, like he was seeing through my veins. The look in his eyes really confirmed his words from earlier,

There was no privacy between us.