SHIVER by Tiffinie Helmer Read Free Book Online Page B

She arranged items on the bed and then barked at Raven to hand over whatever she needed as she once again flushed the angry wounds in Aidan’s leg. The sight of them made Raven’s stomach twist. She couldn’t imagine the pain the trap had caused him. She glanced at Aidan. He was out cold. Not seeming to care what Eva was doing to him. Raven knew from experience that Eva didn’t have the softest touch. Eva was more than qualified, but she was no Mother Teresa.
    Aidan lay there. It was like he didn’t care if he lived or died. Lines etched his face, a face more ruggedly handsome after all these years. His soft brown eyes had been sad. Like his soul was dying. She shouldn’t care. He deserved whatever he got. Just like that bastard father of his.
    “Ah-ha!” Eva suddenly exclaimed, raising her tweezers with a piece of rusted metal clamped in the tines. “How did I miss this? Still, he shouldn’t be having a fever that high from this yet. What aren’t you telling me?”
    “Me?” Raven asked.
    “No.” She pointed to Aidan. “Him. There has to be more going on for him to become sick so fast.” She looked down at the swollen, bruised, and battered leg. “I really don’t think it’s broken. But I’ve been known to be wrong.” She sat back and rubbed a hand over her stomach. “There’s nothing we can do about getting him to medical care with the storm outside. So let’s concentrate on what we can do. First, the fever has got to come down.” She looked to Raven. “I’m going to need your help.”
    Raven went to interrupt, but Eva put her hand up. “Don’t even. Fiona has her hands full with the guests. Lynx is off doing who knows what in that blizzard. And I’m eight months pregnant.” She looked down her nose at Raven. “You know what they say about bad weather and labor, don’t you?”
    Raven paled. Eva was right, she could go into labor. And with the blizzard it would fall to Raven to help deliver. She’d rather not. “But I have orders to fill.”
    “They’ll have to wait.” Eva shrugged. “Sorry, but that is the way it is.” She didn’t seem sorry.
    Raven sighed. “What do I have to do?”
    Eva smiled as though she was going to enjoy this next part. “Sponge bath. We need to get his temp down, and that will be the quickest most efficient way.”
    You have got to be kidding me. “You want me to give Aidan a sponge bath.”
    “Yep. Repeated sponge baths until his temp is down under a hundred.” She rubbed her belly again. “I couldn’t reach enough of him with this beach ball in my way. You’re the next best person for the job.”
    “What did I ever do to make you hate me like this?”
    “Nothing, I just get off on making people do things they’d rather not. Call it a personality flaw. Besides, I need some entertainment. And the snow has knocked out my satellite dish.”
    “You’re sadistic.”
    “Uh-huh,” Eva agreed, giving Raven a bottle of pills. “Here. Give him one every eight hours, with food. And call me if he gets worse. Until then—” she rubbed her belly again, “—I’m going to go downstairs, have a huge stack of your mom’s sourdough pancakes and then take a mid-morning nap.” Eva stood and waddled her way out of the room.
    Raven turned to Aidan.
    Sponge bath?

C HAPTER F OUR
    Raven gathered items for Aidan’s sponge bath and approached the bed.
    “Aidan?” she called. No response. He lay there, not doing much more than showing a pulse. She set the pan of tepid water on the nightstand. A washcloth floated under the surface.
    Where to start?
    He rested fitfully in his shirt and boxers. Batman boxers. He obviously still loved his superheroes. She was not taking them off, but guessed the shirt would have to go. She slipped the fabric up his stomach, watching as she dragged the material over his abs, his ribs, waiting for any change in Aidan’s reaction. Any awareness. There wasn’t. He was sleeping like the dead. It seemed extreme that if she didn’t