Chapter 8

                                    

                                          
Dimitri tensed and moved to put me behind him while backing us towards his car. I shook my head and tried to push back but Dimitri was much stronger than me. Instincts were taking over, I wouldn't be a match for him.
"Baba!"
"Now!" he snapped, I slipped out from under Dimitri's arm and planted myself in front of Dimitri.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed. Baba's face was hard set and I had never seen that much anger on his face before.
"Abe-"
"If I had known that you would follow me back here and pry on my little girl, I would never have helped you," Baba said darkly, "Bullets may not kill you, but these will hurt. I'm sure you remember what Deadman's blood feels like."
I shook my head in confusion, planting my feet firmly as Dimitri tried to move me.
"Don't touch her," Baba said darkly. I struggled to keep myself in front of Dimitri, knowing that Baba wouldn't dare shoot if I was in harm's way. But I was mistaken, Baba was too angry to think about collateral.
Dimitri jerked me to the side while trying to pull me behind him, but I yanked out of his grip as the gun went off. I looked at Dimitri with wide eyes before my shoulder started to burn as if someone had stuck a white-hot poker through it.
I hissed and clutched at it, feeling wetness seep under my hand. Baba called my name and came towards me in a panic, but Dimitri clutched me to him, angling himself between us.
"Don't," Dimitri snapped, his hand pressing against my shoulder. I whimpered but Baba stopped, his eyes moving to my shoulder. Dimitri ushered me into the house and into the kitchen, lifting me onto the counter effortlessly. I grimaced and pressed my hand over my shoulder when Dimitri told me to. Dimitri unbuckled his belt and grabbed one of the tea towels on the stove. He folded it up and pressed it against my shoulder before using his belt to hold pressure against my shoulder.
Baba had followed us into the kitchen, his gun still in his hand.
"Put that fucking thing away before you kill someone," I snarled. Baba set it down on the counter and came towards me, but Dimitri made a noise between a hiss and a snarl. I took a slow breath and looked at Dimitri while he put his phone to his ear.
"Alberta? I need you to come to Rose's house," Dimitri began, listing off my address and asking her to bring her medic kit. I swallowed and felt my brows pinch together when he stood in front of me.
"Besides the pain, how are you feeling?" Dimitri asked softly, moving his head so that his eyes were level with mine.
"A little dizzy, and my fingers feel kind of funny," I said. Dimitri nodded and took his duster off and bundled it up, setting it on the counter. He guided me to lie down and went to stroke my cheek but stopped, his eyes falling on the blood staining his hand. He swallowed roughly and moved around the counter to the sink. He shrugged his hands vigorously in the sink, eyes hard set.
"Do you have any painkillers?" Dimitri asked as he flicked his hands off in the sink. Baba nodded and went towards the fridge and opened the cupboard above, pulling out a few bottles. He set them down on the counter and came to stand in front of me, brows pinched.
"Kiz, I'm so sorry," he pleaded.
I nodded and gritted my teeth. "Yeah, I know."
Dimitri dried his hands and came back around the counter, looking at what Baba had brought out. As Dimitri got closer, Baba moved away. I rolled my eyes at them and shrieked when Dimitri prodded my shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I just need to see if it's through and through," he apologized. I whimpered and squirmed as he carefully rolled me, nodding to himself.
"So far it looks like a flesh wound," Dimitri said comfortingly.