TIGERLILLY- THE BRAVO BOYS [book two]

Chapter SEVEN

River O'riley

We sit on the sofa in silence, an old black and white movie flicks across the flatsceen, playing on mute as I carefully clean the cuts and scrapes all over her little arms and legs.. She winces and whimpers each time the cotton swab touches her skin, making me feel some kind of guarded guilt deep in my guts..

"Owh.."

"Sorry, Wallflower.." I mumble uselessly as I dab at a particularly deep slash in her wrist that still hasn't stopped bleeding.. "This is a bad one, girlie, we might need to stitch it--"

She yanks her hand from my hold.. "No!"

I hold up a hand to calm her.. "I know what I'm doin', Lilly.."

Her eyes well with tears.. "No more pain. Master River.. Please."

"I know it hurts-- Wait--" I leave her to duck into the kitchen, where I take the unopened bottle of Jameson Black Label from on top of the refrigerator and pluck a clean glass from the cupboard..

She watches me as I take my place beside her once again, pouring out three fingers and holding it out in offering.. "Knock that back.. Ye' won't feel a t'ing."

She takes the glass in both hands, bringing lifting it up to take a sniff.. "Ick!"

Her dainty little nose wrinkles in disgust..

I chuckle at her innocent curiosity.. Has she really never tried Whiskey before? "Medicine rarely tastes good, Wallflower."

She smiles nervously, bringing it to her lips to sip.. "Ah! Taste like fire!"

She spits the liquor back into the cup and I have to fight off a grin.. "Nah, you gotta down it all in one go.. Best way."

She takes a deep breath, obediently doing as I've instructed, draining the glass before she begins to cough and splutter, .. "Ack! Ick! Yucky-yuck!"

I take the glass from her hand, placing it down on the coffee table.. Watching her acclimatise to the 80 proof alcohol in her system.. Slowly she melts back into the sofa, her focus drifting dreamily after a few minutes..

"How's that? Can we keep goin' now? It's either ya let me do it, or I gotta take you to the hospital.." I explain gently..

"You.." She nods, lifting her hand to offer me her wrist again, accepting what needs to happen.. "Yes."

I rummage through the medicine box to find the suture kit.. "It's a couple of stitches, nothin'.. It'll hurt less than that tattoo of yours.. Where'd you get that anyways?" Armed with a set of distracting questions and a steady hand, I start to prepare the thread..

She frowns, reaching up with her free hand to rub at the ink.. "Don't know. "

"Can't say?" I hum in prediction..

"No.." She shakes her head.. "Can't remember."

"Maybe we can figure that out? I know someone I could ask--"

She shakes her head violently in flat refusal.. "Don't want to."

"Why not?" I look up from what I'm doing, suspicious of her reaction..

She reaches across to place her hand on my chest, the contact setting fire to my senses.. "Master River tries to keep Lilly safe.. Lilly will keep Master the same."

I've never met anybody quite so strange, but she sure is sweet.. "You reckon you're protecting me? From who? This Li Jun fella?"

She pulls her hand away, leaving me to work on her wound.. "Mmmm, bad man.. Not like you."