Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

“You got any beer?”

Stitch smirked. “Yeah, there should be a case in the fridge.”

Ace nodded, and they all moved to the kitchen. Once the beers were passed around, the Sheriff started the conversation.

“I spoke with Doc O’Neal. He’s about five minutes out. He apologized, but he got a call from the hospital and had to make a quick stop there first. I wanted to give him an update on the situation and how his assistance needed to be on the down-low.”

“Her ankle is the size of a grapefruit. I didn’t realize how swollen it was until Ace and I helped her get it elevated,” Stitch said as he leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, looking worried and pissed off.

“I know, Stitch. I tried to convince her to let me take her to the hospital to get checked out, but she was very adamant about coming straight here.  Hell, every time she moved, you could see the pain etched on her face.” Sheriff Prescott stated.

Ace, Tink, and Derek explained to Stitch and Blake what the three of them talked about, and both men agreed that it was a good idea to keep Mia hidden at the cabin and treat her absence as a disappearance.

Ace ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t understand why she won’t just go to the hospital.” Ace exclaimed and started pacing again. At the rate he was going, he was going to wear a hole in the floor.

“She didn’t want her name entered in a computer system,” Tink said.

Derek whistled and shook his head. “Smart girl.  If someone is after her, that is the first place they’re going to look considering they know she was injured.”

“Dammit!”  Ace shouted, slamming his fist down on the counter. “I can’t believe this is happening. My mother is worried sick about her. I have to at least let her know that Mia is safe.” He looked at Derek. “Do you mind calling the Colonel and giving him an update on the situation? Ask him not to give my mom any details about Mia’s injuries yet. It will at least put her worry at ease.”

“I can do that. We’ll get to the bottom of this, Ace. Be thankful we know she’s safe here.” Derek turned his attention to Stitch. “You are officially assigned to Mia for the time being.  She doesn’t leave this cabin without you.”

“What about the team?” Stitch asked.

“I’ll handle your absence. Plus we can shift some teams around to facilitate any deployments should they arise. Your job is to keep Mia safe until we get a handle on the situation.”

Stitch nodded his head and then looked at Ace. “Are you okay with this?”

“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t let it happen,” Ace stated firmly. “Keep her safe.”

“She won’t leave my sight. I’m going to go get an ice pack on her ankle and let her know that the doc will be here soon.”

Ace took a deep breath as Stitch walked out of the room. He did not doubt that Stitch would protect his sister to the fullest. Then a thought hit him, and he wondered why he didn’t think to ask Stitch earlier. Why did Mia even have a key to the cabin?

◆◆◆

Stitch made his way back up the stairs. He knocked on the door. He didn’t want to barge in there like an overprotective caveman.  He wanted to hold her and make her feel safe and protected.  Though he wasn’t happy with the circumstances, he couldn’t deny that he loved how she curled up in his lap earlier.

Getting no response, he cracked the door, “Mia?”

He heard a sniffle before she answered. “You can come in.”

He pushed the door open, and was surprised to find her sitting on the window seat, looking out toward the woods at the back of the property. It was one of the best views in the house during the day, and he sometimes found himself sitting in the spot just staring and thinking.

Her back was turned, and he noted she had managed to change into her pajamas. With her hair pulled off her neck and wearing a tight camisole type sleep shirt, he could see the dark bruising along her shoulder blades. Christ, was she bruised everywhere? He walked over and placed a hand on her back. She tensed up and pulled away as if his touch burned her.

“Mia?” He questioned.

She turned her head, and the tears that ran down her cheeks nearly brought him to his knees.

He sat down next to her and carefully pulled her into his side. She came willingly, and wrapped her arms around him, then buried her face in his shirt.

“Everything hurts so bad.” She used her shirt to wipe her face. “I can’t take the pain anymore; I feel so weak.”

The dark circles under her eyes indicated she hadn’t slept. She looked exhausted.

“You’ve been running on adrenalin, and now your body is coming down from that high. It’s expected that you would feel worse.” He kissed her forehead. Even with all of the bruises, she was still as beautiful as ever.  They held each other’s gaze, and as much as Stitch was trying to resist, he couldn’t. With Mia still in his arms, he slowly lowered his head, and he knew when she realized he would kiss her because she closed her eyes. He pressed his lips lightly against the corner of her mouth, being careful not to press too hard. It was quick, although now that he had a tiny taste of her, he craved more.

Her eyes fluttered open, and he saw the sadness and hurt in those brown orbs. “Stitch…”

Before he could say anything, a knock sounded at the door, breaking the tension in the room.  She jumped, and he gave her a serious look.

“That would be the doctor.”

“Doctor?” She asked, looking a little unsure. “Aren’t you pretty well trained in medicine and injuries? Can’t you look over my injuries?” She asked him, her voice