at him in bewilderment. “Why would she do that? She told me to take care of it myself because she had to take me out again later tonight.” Her hands clenched on the sheet. “You have to leave. She’ll be angry with me. She’ll think it’s my fault. She’ll give me to him again.”
“Him?”
She was shaking her head. “You have to go. She’ll hurt you, too.” She was beginning to tremble. “And I can’t take any more right now.”
“I’ll leave soon.” He was having trouble keeping his temper. She might be a rabbit, but she had clearly been mistreated, and she was displaying a courage that touched him. “Maybe you shouldn’t have to put up with any more of this. That’s what I want to talk about. But first things first; it annoys me that Zahra didn’t take care of you.” He went to the washstand and poured water in the basin. “So I believe I’ll do it myself.” He grabbed a towel and washcloth and came back to the bed. “You looked like you could use a little help when I came into the room. You were just sitting, frozen.”
“I’m just…tired. I was…resting.” Her hand clutched at the sheet. “Go away. I’ll do it.”
“But I’m not in the mood for Zahra to get her own way right now. I’m very irritated with her. So sit very still.” He was pulling the sheet down as he spoke. “And I’ll take care of—” He went still, staring at her breasts. “You look as if you’ve been savaged by a wild animal.”
She had gone still. “It doesn’t hurt much anymore. I don’t believe she’d like you to see it.”
“No?” The anger and pity were growing more by the second. “Who did this?”
She didn’t answer.
“Maybe later?” He dipped the washcloth in the water. “Sit still. I’ll try not to hurt you.” His lips tightened. “Though I don’t know how I’m going to do that. You look…raw.” He was dabbing carefully at her breasts. “You should probably go to a doctor. I’m tempted to take you with me when I go.”
“No!” She was frantically shaking her head. “I’m fine. She’d be angry. It won’t matter. She said it wouldn’t. Some men aren’t like you. Some men like to see—” She broke off. “Why don’t you just go away?”
“Easy.” He lifted his eyes to her face. “I went away a long time ago and that’s why I don’t want to do it now. I was thinking about that when I saw you downstairs. I was such a selfish bastard, just out of college, and I didn’t care about anyone but myself. I thought you’d be okay, but what did I know? I broke with her and went my merry way. Hell, I’ve hardly thought of you all these years.”
“Why should you?” She was looking at him with bewilderment again.
“That’s right, you don’t expect anyone to think about you or watch out for you.” He held up his hand as she opened her lips. “But I’m not going to make it difficult for you. I can see this isn’t the time. Do you have any salves you can use on these wounds?”
She nodded jerkily.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” His lips twisted. “Then I’ll let you do it so that Zahra won’t be angry with you. Just let me finish this bit to make sure you won’t get rabies from the son of a bitch.”
She nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on his face. She sat very still while he finished washing and drying her upper body. Then, when he sat back on his heels, she asked quietly, “Is that all? I can see you’re angry. Have you changed your mind? Do you wish anything else of me?”
It was clear what she meant, and he felt another ripple of rage mixed with pity. He shook his head. “Just get your damn salve.”
He watched as she dropped the sheet, got to her feet, and walked naked across the room to a drawer beneath the washstand. Her body was exquisitely fragile, and he realized that there were more bruises than he had thought. That delicate gold skin had to have been brutally beaten. She took a small round tube of salve from a drawer and rubbed it over her wounds. Then she turned to face him. “It’s done. But it might be a waste if she wishes me to bathe later to prepare myself again.”