Wrong Way Home - Taken (Criminal Delights 1)

The swollen flesh was hard to look at, but once Taron set his mind to it, he just wanted to get through the process as fast as possible. In a way, Colin fading out of consciousness again was a blessing.

The whole ordeal took ages, and by the time Taron transferred Colin to his bedroom with the leg secured with wooden planks and rope, he didn’t feel better at all. Colin gasped for air, stirring in his shallow slumber, and Taron returned with cold water to wipe sweat from his pale face. He’d already taken the antibiotics he’d requested, so even if he was feeling awful at the moment, in a few days, his condition should improve. After all, the bone hadn’t broken through the skin or anything horrid like that. And without the traditional cast, Taron could take care of the puncture wounds left by his trap with ease.

Once everything was over, tiredness settled on his shoulders, and he resorted to making himself a rare coffee. He sat on the bed and gently dabbed the bleeding wounds with a cold, damp cloth. His heart couldn’t bear seeing Colin in so much pain, and if he only could, he would make Colin sleep until he was healed.

Colin suddenly stirred again, looking around with reddened eyes, but as he tried to sit up, his leg must have hurt, because he dropped right back into the pillows, clutching at his thigh with a hiss that twisted his features.

“This was not a fucking dream…”

Taron stroked the healthy foot.

Colin’s eyes opened rapidly, and he kicked Taron’s hand away with the healthy leg. “No,” he said, breathing harder by the second. “Why are you here?”

Was Colin delusional after too much moonshine?

Colin shook his head, shifting away from him. “Away. Go on. You wanted to fish. Then go.”

Taron patted Colin’s shoulder to make sure Colin looked at him.

Colin pushed his hand away as if it were dirty, his face freezing into an angry grimace. “I don’t need anything from you. This is all so convenient. I should have tried to run once you left, not gone for a fucking picnic.”

Taron’s heart sunk, all his worst fears confirmed. Colin still wanted to leave, no matter how much he seemed to enjoy living with Taron.

Colin took a wheezing breath, his eyes wide. “No. You don’t really care. You’re just angry that I’m not fit to help around anymore. You don’t care how I feel as long as I don’t get you in trouble,” he said in a high-pitched voice, clawing the covers.

Every word was meant to cause maximum damage, and wreaked havoc inside Taron. Was this really how Colin felt about him?

He leaned down to hug Colin, but got a slap to the face so harsh he backed away at once.

Colin rolled farther away on the bed, his face flushing, eyes unfocused as he landed on his stomach. “I can’t believe I actually trusted you. You are a sick man. You’re sick! My leg could be damaged forever, but you’d rather keep me here without help.”

Taron slapped his own chest hard.

Colin shook his head, pulling the blanket over him, and the fabric trembling over him made the tremors passing through his body even clearer. Everything inside Taron told him to offer Colin comfort, but he knew it was unwanted.

“You did shit. For all we know, you might have made my leg worse, and there’s no way to know. You’re selfish. Whatever you say, you don’t care what happens to me.”

Taron did care. He cared for Colin never leaving, and that did make him selfish. He’d also murdered a total of three men in his life, and had abducted Colin, so he didn’t have a claim to goodness. He didn’t have to reflect on it much most days, but today, he’d been confronted with a reflection he didn’t particularly enjoy seeing.

Colin grabbed the pillow and tossed it into Taron’s face. “There’s doctors in the nearest fucking town! You’re delusional!”

Taron ducked with a groan.

Colin showed his teeth and sat up, struggling in his drunken state. He looked like a cornered animal that didn’t know why it was bleeding. “But we’re not! Even if the end of civilization might fucking eventually happen, it hasn’t happened yet. We can ask for help, and if you’re not gonna help me, I will do it myself!” he said, dragging the injured leg behind him.