Drago (Made Men 6)

Getting up, she quickly gathered the bottom of her dress that still remained before going into the bathroom, grabbing the kit, and taking a towel from the hanger.

After she returned, Drago took the towel from her first, draping it over himself, and then the kit, opening it and pulling out a bottle of alcohol. Carefully, he poured some of the liquid over the wound, washing some of the blood away.

Watching him do that to himself without even making a sound, she found herself awestruck again before she finally snapped out of it. “I-I can help.” Kat grabbed the alcohol pad to help clean the area, not touching him till Drago gave her a nod. She began wiping the wound and getting the blood that was starting to dry off the area.

Not liking the quietness while she was tending to him, she asked him another grave question. “What makes you think he wanted to kill me?”

“Because whoever it is doesn’t miss.”

She stopped wiping and focusing on the wound to look at him. “Why do you say that?”

His voice became just as grave as her questions. “He’s killed two of our men now, both times right between the eyes. He shoots to kill and doesn’t miss.”

“Well, he did tonight….”

“Only because I moved at just the right time, Katarina,” he told her with force, knowing full-heartedly he was right. “I just don’t get one thing…”

She licked her dry lip. The pounding in her chest started back up again.

“Why he went for your heart.”

Going back to wiping with a shaky hand, she could no longer stare into his fiery eyes. It wasn’t until she wiped away the last of the blood that she made a joke to hide the fear in her voice. “Poetic justice.”

Drago’s brows drew together. “Why would you say that?”

“Aren’t those bullet holes from my father?” She couldn’t help it when her eyes drifted to the five scars that marked his chest, one of them so close to his heart, she wondered if he would have said it was just a graze as well. “I suppose it would have been poetic, especially on our wedding day.”

“I need to go.” He quickly grabbed the white bandage, slapping it on his arm, then wrapping it with tape. Clearly, what she had told him made some sort of sense, even if it was only a joke.

She looked at him like he was crazy. “I think you need to rest.”

However, he didn’t listen to her and stood up.

Her eyes went wide when he towered over her, seeing him in all his bare-chested glory. She could safely say he was the biggest man she had ever seen… Wait, is he bigger than the last time I saw him?

She watched him go to a closet and pull out another shirt, her wandering eyes unable to look away to see all the scars the man carried. It was quite frightening, to be honest. Afraid for him, since he really didn’t seem to know when to stop, she tried again. “You really don’t look so good, Drago.”

“I’ve been worse,” he assured her.

“Where are you going that’s so important?”

He put on his black jacket to cover up the blood that was starting to stain the shirt again; it concealed the wound like it wasn’t even there. “I need to speak with Lucca.”

“Did you happen to see Lucca when you were chasing the shooter down?”

He shook his head, beginning to leave. “No, he must have been going a different way.”

Her heart raced yet again as she put out her hand, placing it on his good arm to stop him. She couldn’t believe she was saying the next words that came out of her mouth, but she did. “Do you trust Lucca?”

He looked down on her. The fire that had slightly burned out in his eyes returned but was flaming brighter. “Why the fuck would you ask me that?”

“I-I—” Seeing his defensive response, she wasn’t sure how to fix it, so instead of making something up, she decided to tell him the truth. She had seen something good in him tonight, and her opinion of him of not having a heart was slightly changing. She could only hope he showed her mercy for what she was about to say. “Because he scares the hell out of me.”

That ring of fire calmed as a smile touched his lips. Taking her chin with his hand, he positioned her face up to him. Making it obvious that he liked she didn’t care for Lucca.

She didn’t know why she didn’t move as he brought his face down closer to hers, but she stayed deathly still, finding herself anticipating the kiss.

Before his lips could touch hers, he stopped, his voice giving her lips the only caress they were about to get. “He should, Kat.”

When Drago pulled away and started to disappear, she didn’t know who she felt more betrayed by, herself... or him.