CHAPTER THREE

~ISLA~

“Oh God! Oh God!” I paced the room as panic settled in. What have I gotten myself into?

I thought about calling the cops but he had specifically told me not to but should I anyway?

I thought of calling Serena but I had already troubled her enough, I didn’t want to include her in whatever this was.

The stranger groaned, snapping me out of an internal battle. 

I let out a sigh as I bent down and checked the severity of his wounds. I was the one who pulled him in so I was responsible for him now.

Plus, if he died in my apartment, things were going to get worse.

Firstly, I unbuttoned his bloodied shirt and grimaced when I saw the wounds on his chest. Wounds, I knew how to treat having been wounded a lot in the past but bullet wounds was something I wasn't used to.

“Pull… pull… them… out” He managed to say and I knew what he was talking about. I knelt down beside him then took a deep breath.

I reached out to check his pulse and temperature first. He was way too cold.

I was about to stand up when he grabbed my wrist and once again, those blue eyes, filled with pain, connected with mine.

“I'm just going to grab a towel and the things I'll need” I assured him and he stared at me for a while before letting go.

I immediately searched around my room for a towel, sewing kit, alcohol and bandages.

I rushed back to him and placed them all on the floor.

“This is going to hurt but you didn't want to go to the hospital so we are going to have to work together okay? If you die on me, I'll be really pissed” I told him as I tied my hair up in a bun.

I'm rewarded with a groan.

“This is going to hurt” I tell him before reaching into his wound with my fingers and pulling out the bullet. Luckily, it wasn't that deep.

“Son of a bastard” He growled as he clenched his fist.

“One more to go” I soothed him before reaching for the other one. He let out a raw and broken scream as his hand shot out to grab my wrist again.

“It's okay, you're okay” I soothed Him before reaching for the towel with my free hand then pouring alcohol into it.

“We have to stop the bleeding” I told him as I wiped his chest with it and he jerked violently.

He grunted as he writhed in pain and all I could do was caress his hair as I continued. Memories of how I'd had to go through this pain alone after I was beaten black and blue by my adoptive mother flashed through my head.

I immediately shook it away and focused on the problem at hand.

“It's going to be okay” I assured him as I placed pressure on the wound.

“Who are you? Maybe I could call a family member? A friend?” I asked when he stopped groaning in pain even though I could see the pain on his face.

“I… I don't have anyone” He choked out and I paused before resuming what I was doing. He may be delirious now, I'd have to ask him when he was better.

“I have to sew your wounds shut. Can you handle that?” I asked. I wasn’t that good but in the past when I’d been beaten up badly or when the dog had tore into my leg viciously, I hadn’t been allowed to see the doctor so I had to learn how to sew my own wounds shut myself.

The memories of those nights made me shudder. I would never wish that on my worst enemy.

“I handled being bloody shot and stabbed, what do you think?” He snapped and I furrowed my brows. Sassy Much?

By the time I was done, he had already fallen asleep out of exhaustion. I had to make sure he was in fact sleeping by checking his pulse and making sure he was breathing before getting a white towel and wiping him down.

Only when his temperature had slightly become normal did I pass out on the floor and I woke up to the spot beside me empty. 

I sat up instantly, confusion on my face. Had he left while I was asleep?

I glanced around and my eyes landed on him. He was sitting on the floor by the corner, staring at me with suspicion in his beautiful eyes.

In that moment, it dawned on me that I had let a total stranger into my eyes. What if he had done something to me while I was asleep?

As if reading my mind, he let out a scoff but said nothing before closing his eyes and resting his head on the wall behind him.

I used that medium to study him properly. His colour had returned but he was still in pain due to the sweat forming on his forehead.

I grabbed a clean towel beside me as I crawled towards him. I was just about to wipe away his sweat when he caught my wrist as his eyes snapped open.

“Are you okay?” I asked and his gaze softened slightly before he glanced at the napkin in my hand.

“I was going to wipe away your sweat but you can do it yourself” I murmured before pulling my wrist out of his grip and handing him the napkin.

 

He didn’t take his suspicious gaze off me which made me sigh.

“I saved your life, the least you can do is thank me instead of staring at me that way” I said to him. 

“You kidnapped me” He muttered as he grabbed the napkin and wiped his forehead.

I gasped at his words.

“Kidnapped you?! You showed up at my door and…”

“You pulled me into your house and locked the door. What do you call that?” He asked in a serious tone but the look in his eyes told me he was joking.

I scoffed before straightening up.

“It seems you’re better since you can joke around. You have to leave now” I told him as I pointed towards the door but he made no move to leave.

“Where would I go?” He asked and I frowned.

“Your house? A friend’s house? Family? Do you know any of their numbers, I can call them to come get you…”

“I told you, have no one” He stated and I paused for a second.

“What’s your name?” I asked, hoping maybe I could find something about him on the internet.

“Jaxon. I don’t have a last name” He muttered and I sighed.

I know I shouldn’t give a fuck. I didn’t even know this man but the sad look etched on his handsome face tugged at my heart.

“Why were you attacked?” I asked softly and his eyes turned cold.

“I owe them money. I don’t have a job so… maybe you can help? I can work for you…”

“No…”

“… I can be your bodyguard” He stated and I laughed.

“I’m not that important to have a bodyguard” Especially one as fine as him. “ And right now, I don’t have any money and won’t be able to pay you…”

“Then don’t pay. I’ll be your bodyguard as long as you let me stay here with you. Once I find a job and I’m able to stand on my feet, I’ll leave” He told me and I had no idea how to reply to him.

“That won’t be possible. My house is already small enough and it isn’t proper…”

“I won’t stay forever. Just for a while” He interjected as he stared up at me with pleading eyes. 

“I can’t…” Before I could complete my sentence, my phone rang. I gave him a glance before walking over to grab my phone.

It was Serena.

“Hey…”

“You need to get to the company. Your step mother is looking for you” She told me and my body froze. Why? 

None of them knew my house because they never made an effort to look for me so it made sense that she was looking for me at the company.

“You have to leave” I told him as I hung up and quickly picked up all the bloodied towels and bandages and threw them away.

“Wait…”

“Now!” I yelled and I felt bad when I saw the frown on his face but I didn’t have the time to start worrying about this stranger.

He wasn’t my problem.

I helped him up from the ground and grabbed one of Aiden’s shirts in my closet then handed it to him.

“I’m sorry but I can’t help you” I murmured before slamming the door in his face.

I felt bad instantly but I couldn’t take care of someone else when I didn’t even know my fate even if that someone else was the most handsome man I had ever seen.

I needed to handle my situation first…