Healing Touch

¤Chapter 23¤

Roman paced up and down his hotel room as Eleanor sat immobile on the couch. She had blood on her one cheek, hands, clothes and legs.

Gabriel and his men were out on the street cleaning up any sort off evidence before NYPD could get.

Romaine sat watching the woman sit and stare at one spot. As she held onto the fabric of her dress.

"Elley." Roman called her as he sat on the coffee table infront of her.Her eyes met he's. "Tell me what happened from the time you left here."

He watched her swallow a lump as tears weld up in her eyes but none were shead." I-we were at this pancake place because I-I hadn't e-e-eaten yet so-" she created her throat so she could speak much more clearly. "Paul was sitting across from me drinking coffee and I was eating when bullets came flying through the window. Paul got hit in the chest." She looked up at the ceiling blinking away the tears.

She cleared her throat once again. "I tried to help him but they kept shooting and they got him in the chest again and he died in-in my arms. They shot shot me in the shoulder so I grabbed his gun and started to run. They were following me so I went on the roof tops because I didn't expect them to know parkour but one did so he kept following me. I saw the hotel so I went back on the street and he caught me so I fought him off and you showed up." She stated now looking up at him.

"Do you know who they are?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "There was so much blood." Tears began to flow out her eyes as she looked at her lap. "I tried to save him bu-but I couldn't." She began to wipe the tears away viciously. "Sorry I must look like a hot messy."

"Don't apologise." Roman told her."Do you remember anything or notice anything about these men?" He asked her.

She sucked in and swallowed a lump. "Uhm...th-they all had a tattoo of uhm..." She tried to remember the specific name. "Its that bug that is the desert but also found in the jungle." She explained.

"Scorpion." Romaine said.

"Yes a scorpion just like the man who attacked me on the boat."She spoke.

Roman sat upright from his leaning position and looked at his father. His father also looked at him sharing a look.

He faced Eleanor again. "I want you to go upstairs into the bathroom. Danielle will be there in a few moments, ok?"

Eleanor nodded before she got up and made her way upstairs. Roman got off the coffee table and faced his father who'd made his way towards him.

"She's a very tough woman." He stated looking at the staircase as if she were still there. "Tougher than she seems."

Before Roman could comment on what he's father had said a knock echoed throughout the room. Roman went to answer the door.

"Where is she?" Danielle asked him.

"She's upstairs in the bathroom." He told her.

Danielle nodded before going upstairs. He made his way towards his father once again.

"I see you've began to trust Danielle Rodriguez." He grinned.

"Only to a certain extent." Roman added.

"Listen my son. These men have gone too far." Romaine stated with all seriousness. "I'm pretty sure Elley had noticed more than she's saying but due to her state of shock she can't say."

Roman nodded listening intently. "I'll try again tomorrow but for the rest of the day I suggest we let her rest and calm down." He announced.

"Tomorrow bring her to the meeting, so she will be able to tell everyone about what happened on the yatch and today." Romaine told him.

"Everyone?" His brow arched.

"Yes all the Mafia leaders from all over the world are coming to New York tomorrow morning." Romaine explained. "I'll have one of my men e-mail you the details."

Roman nodded. "Alright but I don't want Elley in any sort of involvement with the activities we do."

"Roman," his father let out a breath and placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's already too late for that. She's too involved to get out of it."

Roman knew this was anything but good. The last thing he wanted for Elley was to be involved and she already is...

~¤~

Eleanor flinched once again as Danielle pulled the needle through he skin once again.

"I'm almost done." Danielle briefly glanced up at her.

Eleanor nodded as she watched her finish up stitching her leg. Once she was done she cleaned around the wound.

"When you're done taking a shower I will help you put the bandage on it, ok?" Danielle said as she got up.

"How is she?" Roman asked as he entered the bathroom.

"She's going to be fine. She got so many stitches. She got 87 stitches on her leg and 7 for the bullet wound on her shoulder." She stated. "I just need her to get all cleaned up so I can see if she needs any other wounds treated." She told him.

Roman nodded. "Alright just wait downstairs and don't break anything."

"I'm not a child Roman." She rolled her eyes walking out.

Roman huffed and closed the door behind her. He walked over to the bathtub and began to fill it with warm water.

Eleanor sat watching him intently. She watched as he turned around and held his hands out to her. Shaking, she took a hold of his hands. She stood to her feet.

"I'm going to need all your clothes. Everything you wore today, so I can dispose of them." He explained.

"I don't have my shoes." She whispered.

"I'm pretty sure Gabriel would've found them by now." He stated. "I'm going to undress you ok."

Eleanor breath hitched as she looked into his blue stormy eyes. She nodded followed by a release of a long deep breath.

Roman began to unzip her skirt and allowed it to fall to the ground. He pulled her top off her head carefully so he doesn't hurt her arm. She now stood in her black matching underwear.

Roman leaned over and closed the faucet. "Even my underwear?" Eleanor asked.

"What about it?" He asked standing up straight.

"Do you have to dispose of it?" She asked him because this was her favourite pair.

"Yes." He nodded. "I'll get you new ones if that's what you're worried about."

Her cheeks heated up as she looked down shaking her head. "No its fine." She mumbled.

Eleanor couldn't imagine a man shopping for her undergarments. She felt that it would be awkward.

Roman shook his head with a slight smile. Even though she stood covered in blood he found it cute as how she could be so fierce and rebellious one moment then the other shy and quiet.

"What are you doing?" Eleanor asked him as she felt him unclasp her bra. She held the bra to her chest as she watched him wide eyed.

"Elley don't be ridiculous." Roman shook his head. "I've seen what woman have under their bras."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better how?" She arched her brow.

Roman huffed running his hand through his hair. He knew he'd have to take a different approach if she were to get comfortable with him being around while she's nude.

He slowly began to pull the straps down. "It's ok." He assured her. "Just relax. I won't do anything." He assured her.

At his assurance her arms slowly relaxed and soon dropped allowing him to see her bare chest. His eyes lingered on her chest making her blush as she watched his eyes darken.

"Fučk." He growled.

She bit her lip as he began to pull down her panties. She praised the heavens that she waxed each week so she was clean of hair.

Roman stepped back and looked at her body from head to toe. He ignored the blood and noticed how well she took care of her body.

Once he was done raking his eyes over her body shamelessly he helped her into the tub. Roman sat on the side of the tub as he watched her begin to scrub herself clean.