Chapter 41

Richie carried the little scarp of a girl into the room, opening the covers he put her down gently, not wanting to wake her up. Sliding down the zippers of her boots, he thumped them onto the floor. He waited for a reaction but there was none. She was lost to the world.

Fumbling with her jeans, he slowly slid it from her, his eyes fell onto her skin and he bit back a cry. Her legs were marred with bite marks and scratches, infected to red angry wounds. Like a crazy man he reached for the polo neck, determined to find out the extent of her injuries. This time a horrified cry snapped from his lips. Her beautiful pearly skin was now black and blue. Reaching for the clasp of her bra behind her back, he felt her wince in pain. Turning her over he couldn’t help the nausea pushing up to his throat. Raw, oozing wounds, the shape of whip marks were seated deep into her skin. On closer inspection he realized why she was so adamant to find a polo neck. Her shoulders and neck were covered in deep bite marks, the marks surrounded with purple bruises.

He had fed her to the fucking vampires! As if that wasn’t enough, he had whipped her…whipped her!! Who could lift a hand to a tiny girl like that! His hand brushed over the ribs pushing against her skin. She was emaciated! No wonder the booze kicked her so hard tonight. The fucker didn’t feed her either! She was sick as hell! Realizing how hot her skin was he gritted his teeth. Stubborn woman! She was raging with fever! Did she really think he would never find out?

Her rejection of his touch earlier tonight flashed back at him. He had thought she didn’t want him when in truth her whole body was aching!

Richie pulled the covers over her, stalking out to the sitting room. He wanted to shake her till she opened those eyes, explaining to him why she didn’t trust him enough to help her! FUCK!

“What’s eating your ass?”

Richie stopped before Jon. Words escaped him.

“Richie?”

“They almost killed her Jon. He fed her to them. She is covered in marks, she was whipped too…she….God…what she must have gone through!” Long fingers raked through his dark hair, his face filled with despair, tears glistening in the dark pools.

“You want me to help?”

“Help? How?”

“Well shit, I brought you back from the dead. Maybe I can heal her or help her on her way. I can give it a try.”

“Ok…but do you need to see her…naked?”

Jon snorted.

“You jealous? Ok well I guess I don’t have to see her, I can keep my eyes close.”

Richie was halfway towards the bedroom already.

The covers were thrown off her body, her skin was flushed as she moaned slightly.

“So much for modesty huh?” Jon taunted receiving a fuck you look from Richie.

Sitting down on the bed, Jon reached for her forehead, silently coaxing her to calm down, his other hand steadied her shoulder, pressing her gently into the bed.

Not able to help himself, he took in the horrendous wounds marring her soft skin. Infection coursed through her veins, poisoning her system as every minute ticked by, the sickly spice of it stung his nose and he took a deep breath.

“She is in a bad way Rich. I’m no doctor but blood poisoning comes to mind? I’m gonna try this but maybe we should get a doctor to supply her with some antibiotics just to be safe.”

“Ok.” Richie was as tense as a coiled spring.

Jon closed his eyes, gathering all the energy within him, centering it in his core, willing it towards his hands as he touched her skin.

Starting at her neck he slowly moved down, feeling the heat radiating from her and his much higher temperature hovering above her, swirling like a cyclone.

She slithered on top of the sheets, her face frowning in displeasure. Jon watched as he moaned.

“Too hot….too hot.”

Delirious eyes slipped open meeting Jon shining orbs above her.

“You are sick Ksenia I’m trying to help you.”

Slowly apprehension dawned in the green eyes and she swallowed hard. She was stark naked! Richie’s face loomed into view and she felt tears streaming down her face. Humiliation dragged at her lungs.

“Hold on sweetie, Jon is trying to help you heal. If it hurts just tell us ok?” She nodded.

Ksenia gritted her teeth as his hands burned at her skin, refusing to make a sound she accepted the hurt, drawing it in, willing it to work.

Just as she thought she could take no more, Jon let up. Her head fell back, her chest heaving from the exertion. As the heat subsided she could feel the throbbing had lessened quite considerably.  Apparently it wasn’t over yet as Jon asked her to turn onto her stomach.

It was on the tip of her tongue to argue but Richie’s dark eyes and Jon’s shimmering eyes told her otherwise.

Splayed naked before two pairs of eyes, she buried her face into the pillow, her face burning up and she knew it had nothing to do with Jon’s treatment either.

“Christ! Ksenia what the fuck did they do to you girl?” Puss oozed from the dark gashes. Fury made Jon’s eyes flash and Richie gulped. To be on the receiving end of that!

“Can you hold on a little bit more? You are doing so great honey. I want to see how much we can heal here ok?” Jon stroked the shiny hair as if he was talking to a child. She nodded silently,

A hiss sliced from her lips as the heat intensified. The rawness of her back caused her a lot of pain and the powerful heat bore into the gaping wounds flaming into her.

She began to shake uncontrollably, silent tears had changed into weeping, her face buried into the sheets, her hands clawing at the sheets.

Jon’s eyes met Richie’s.

I don’t think she can take anymore, Rich. I’m gonna stop. We can call a doctor.

“You want me to stop?” His gentle voice crumbled the last of her defenses and she nodded. Her shoulders shaking.

Jon moved his hands away, cupping the slightness of her shoulders, he pulled her up, pulling her gently into his chest.

“It’s ok. You’ve done so well sweetheart, you’ve done just great.” He kissed the top of her silky crown. Adrenalin rushed through her veins, causing her heart to pound crazily.

Big hands held her nightgown against her chest and she took it thankfully, a shy smile playing on her face.

“Th..thank you.”

“You welcome sweetheart. We couldn’t heal all off it. It seems to be too much for you right now but we are going to get a doctor to prescribe you some meds and you’ll be fine in no time.”

Her eyes widened. Her small hands grabbing Richie’s as she stared at them respectively.

“Please don’t get a doctor! We can get one when we reach our destination. The professor knows most of the doctors here. They will tell him where I am…please!”  Naked fear glittered in her eyes.

“Ok then…let me get you some painkillers for the night.” Jon slipped from the bed.

These two had some stuff to work through, it was the ideal time to slip out there without making it even more awkward. Richie didn’t feel the same way apparently as he followed Jon out of the room.

“Thanx bro’. What you just did helped a lot. The smaller wounds are almost closed up.”

“No biggie. A pity she couldn’t hold on a bit longer, I’m sure I could have healed her completely but the poor girl is in a poor state. Fuck, I’ve never seen such a skinny ass on a girl.” Jon snickered, knowing that the mention of her ass would get Richie all feisty.

“Since you’ve turned vamp you just like riling me up don’t ya?” Richie wasn’t falling for Jon’s obvious bait, and he playfully slapped him on the back.

“It’s all for the love of energy Sambora and you give it so freely.” Jon handed the glass of water and painkillers over.

“You going to hunt now?” Richie asked matter of factly.

“Naaaw, I’m good for tonight. I think I’m getting tired of Russian quisine. It’s time to savor some good wholesome Japanese.” The evil twinkle in his eyes gave Richie a chill.

“Let’s hope they don’t end up dead!  So you say you don’t need to feed tonight? You think the potion is working?”

“I think so yeah. I didn’t kill my last meal did I and I don’t feel the need to feed that often. I think something is working.”

“Good to hear bro’, it would have been a pity if you had gone through all the shit and it was all in vain.”

“Not to mention the shit you went through remember? Sometimes I thought that I might wake up and find you gone and you know what? I wouldn’t have been pissed at you. I don’t know how you put up with my shit, but hey I’m thankful as hell for it! The only thing we need to do now is, get our asses to Fukuoka and start the last leg of the tour. You think you can hang with me for a bit longer?”

A comfortable silence hung between them, blue and brown met, staring, lips contracted into smiles and they embraced.

“As long as it takes my man, as long as it takes.”