Saving Grace

Chapter 10

"Grace."

She could hear a muffled voice.

"Grace?"

It was distant, but quickly coming closer.

"Grace."

It sounded worried.

Her eyes opened. Oswald was kneeling over her. She could feel his hand on her cheek, then her forehead. She was on the floor.

"What…Did I—?" She didn't know what she wanted to say.

She tried to move. When she did, she felt a warm, sticky sensation. She glanced down at herself and fear gripped her heart. She was covered in blood, and there was blooding pooling all over the floor around her. Oswald had blood on him, too. Probably from touching her. A couple of tears escaped her eyes and her breathing became erratic as she began to panic.

But then he was pulling her up into a sitting position and holding her tightly. "Sshhh," he comforted, "You're alright. It's okay…You saved us."

She trembled, still feeling the sensation of warm blood cooling on her skin. "I killed…I killed him. I've never—" The lump in her throat choked out her words.

He only held her tighter. "Hush…It's always hardest the first time. You did what you had to do."

The first time…Will I have to kill again?

Approaching footsteps startled her, and she huddled further into him. She didn't see the gun he held in his other hand. But a second later, she felt him relax and she heard Shani's voice.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. Just…a little shaken. She took down this last one herself." He nodded to the dead man.

The butler's voice was relieved. "Good. Very good. Well done, Grace."

"Did you take anyone alive?" Now Oswald sounded sort of angry, but the way he was holding her made her feel secure.

"Victor's got one now." The dark-skinned woman gave a hint of a smile. "He's like a cat playing with a mouse. We should be updated on the situation in no time."

"Good." He turned his attention back to Grace. "Can you stand?"

Shani helped them both to their feet. Grace almost slipped in the blood, though she had removed her shoes before she'd come back downstairs to help.

The blood…

Oh God. It's everywhere. I'm covered.

Her stomach lurched and she broke away from her protectors, going as quickly as she could to the bathroom down the hall. She barely made it to the toilet before she spilled her guts.

There goes the tea. And the toast. Oh, and there's the apple.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body forcefully purged itself. It was all she could do to keep her hair out of it. But then she felt cool fingers on her neck and her hair was swept back. It was Oswald. He pulled the rose out of her hair and set it aside. There were flecks of blood on it. She retched again.

This is so embarrassing. So unattractive. He'll never look at me the same after this.

Finally, there was simply nothing left for her stomach to eject. She went limp, trying to catch her breath, her eyes still squeezed shut. After a pause, Oswald reached over and flushed the toilet, then stood. She heard him turn on the sink. She peeked up at him. He had a wet washcloth in his hand and was kneeling beside her again. Then her eyes drifted to her bloodstained hand and she felt queasy once more.

"Don't look at it," he said, "Just keep your eyes closed…I'm here."

She closed her eyes as he put the cloth to her face. The coolness felt wonderful against her skin and the queasiness dissipated.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Don't apologize."

After another moment, he moved away again and Grace heard him turn on the bathtub faucet.

"Come here."

She followed his voice and scooted over to the edge of the tub. He guided her hands into the water and began to scrub off the thick blood. When she was clean—her hands anyway—he shut the water off.

"I'll get Shani to help you with your dress."

He was about to get up, but she stopped him. "No, wait." Somehow, the thought of Shani seeing her so vulnerable, so squeamish and weak, seemed worse than Oswald seeing her this way. "Don't leave me."

He hesitated. "I don't think you want me to help you."

She tilted her head down. He was being such a gentleman. Meanwhile, she felt like anything but a lady right now.

A lady stays calm and collected. Like Shani.

"It's okay. Please don't go."

I'm not as strong as Shani.

He sighed through his nose and took a moment to think. "Then I have two questions. One, are you comfortable with me…undressing you?"

Am I?

She opened her eyes briefly. He was staring into her face, awaiting her answer with uncertainty. Then she glimpsed the state of her dress and closed her eyes again.

It's better than dealing with that myself…And I trust him.

She nodded. He made a tiny whimpering noise in the back of his throat, but recovered quickly and asked his next question.

"Two, will you be able to handle seeing the blood as you rinse it off in the shower?"

Good question.

Okay, Grace, just pull yourself together for a second and think.

"…I don't…regret killing that man. Because he would've killed you."

"I'm glad you see it that way."

"But…I'm really reacting badly to all this blood…I'm afraid I'll freak out again." Tears pricked at her eyes.

He exhaled a laugh. "Don't be afraid of freaking out. That just makes you freak out."

"…What should I do?"

She could practically hear the gears in his mind turning.

"There are a few options." He cleared his throat. "One might be that I switch off the lights. But…if you can't see, how will you know you're getting all the blood off?"

"…What's another option?"

"I could still get Shani for you. She's…a woman. You might be more comfortable if she helped you wash up."

Nope. Highly uncomfortable.

"What else?"

She felt him tense up.

He spoke more shyly this time. "I could help you…" He paused. "In a purely professional sort of way, of course. I would barely even need to touch you. I would just…need to see you."

He would see me naked.

We're barely together. He really only just started wooing me. It's too soon to get naked.

But, well…

He did say he would be professional about it. And we're both mature adults, right? We could do this without being sexual.

…And I want to do this.

"Okay," she said.

He exhaled as if he'd been holding his breath. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Alright. Okay. I'll be right back. Don't move."

He stood and exited the bathroom. She heard his voice just down the hall. He was saying something, probably to Shani. She couldn't make it out. Then he was back and she heard him lock the door. She wondered briefly if she had ever felt shyer in her entire life.

A man's never seen me naked before…What if he doesn't like what he sees?

She felt him take her hands and pull her gently to her feet. Her heart was starting to pound.

He held her by the shoulders and spoke softly. "Just relax. I'm…not going to do anything that you don't want me to."

She nodded hesitantly. He let her go and got the shower going. Then one hand was on her shoulder again.

"Turn around," he said near her ear.

She did so, and felt him slowly unzip her dress. She could feel his eyes gazing at the bare flesh of her back and it made her blush from head to toe. Her breathing was shallow now. So was his.

He spoke in her ear again. "Stay calm." She heard him swallow and take a slow, deep breath. Then he brushed the dress from her shoulders and pulled it down, gently tugging at the places where the blood made it stick to her skin. She was turned away from him, but still she covered her breasts. She couldn't help it.

He placed his cheek right next to hers. She then felt his hands at her hips, about to remove her underwear. She gasped.

"My eyes are up here," he said, pushing his cheek briefly against hers, "I'm not looking. I promise."

Then her panties were around her ankles. She inhaled sharply.

"You're…You're okay. I'm still not looking. You can…open your eyes long enough to step into the shower, I think."

The shower curtain was open. Looking straight ahead, she jumped in quickly and closed it, going right into the soothing hot water. The first thing she did was rinse the taste of bile thoroughly out of her mouth, which immediately made her feel all the better. The blood caught her eye again as it began to swirl around the drain.

That's…not so bad. I can handle this. I guess he distracted me enough and I calmed down.

"Are you…acclimating alright in there?" came his voice.

I should tell him that I'm alright now. He can go.

"…Yes. I'm alright…um…I guess you can help me now." She covered her breasts with her arms again.

What are you doing, Grace?

She barely had her eyes closed again before he pulled aside the shower curtain. She turned away from him a bit, but there was no hiding from him now. He took in a breath and there was a pause.

He's staring at me.

She could hear her pulse in her ears.

It's…exciting.

Oswald found his words then. "There's…There's not really anything on your back." He cleared his throat. "Turn please…Just a bit."

She did, but still tried to preserve some of her modesty, keeping her hips twisted away.

"Most of it is on your chest. And under your arms, from what I can see. Just…get what you can, and I'll…make certain you don't miss anything."

She nodded and started to scrub at the dried blood. It was plastered all over her chest, and she couldn't really keep her breasts covered as she worked. And it was easy to sense that he was still watching.

Just go with it. Be bold. You know you want to. He's been so sweet.

Taking a deep breath, she stopped trying to cover herself. It freed her arms, making washing easier, but it also left her breasts exposed to Oswald—her boss…her boyfriend?—and she heard him stifle a quiet moan.

She tried not to smile.

After another moment of washing and rinsing, she turned just a bit more towards him. "Did I miss anything?"

His breath seemed to catch in his throat again. "Uh…no. Actually, no, I don't…see anything."

He was trying, really trying, but the longing was apparent in his voice.

I'm being mean. I'm just teasing him now. I could've done this without him. I could've opened my eyes this whole time.

And then Grace did open her eyes. She hadn't exactly meant to, but she did, and it made the whole situation feel a hundred times more real. And awkward. His own icy blue ones locked on to hers.

He looked as vulnerable as she felt.

"…Oswald?"

"Yes?" He barely had a voice anymore.

"Did I…do the wrong thing? Is this…too much too soon?"

He glanced at her breasts again, just for a split second, but she could see he was trying not to. And she wasn't making it any easier. She hadn't covered herself again.

"…Is it…too much for you?" His eyes begged her to say no.

Slowly, she shook her head. Relief flashed across his face and he let out a breath.

"Then it's not too much for me," he said, smiling shyly.

Don't do it, Grace. Don't push him any further.

"Would you…care to join me?"

Grace!

His eyes couldn't have gotten any wider. "…What?"

She immediately felt awkward, her face hot. "I mean…there's blood on you, too. And, um, it would, like…save water?"

I'm making a fool of myself.

He smiled. He was stunned, to say the least, but suddenly very excited.

"Y-You make an excellent point. I…I admit, a similar idea did cross my mind." He gave a nervous chuckle. He was about to unbutton his vest then, but stopped, then shrugged slightly. "…How shall we go about this?"

She started to close the shower curtain. "You just…get undressed, and come in when you're ready." She finished closing it and turned back into the water.

I'm completely out of my mind!

She put her face in the stream and bounced a little on the balls of her feet. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this.

After a moment of listening for him, Grace couldn't resist. Ever so carefully, she peeked out to see how far he had progressed in shedding his clothes. Almost everything was off and on the floor. Only his underwear remained. He was holding his pants, looking vaguely displeased at the bloodstains on them. He had probably paid a lot for that ensemble, and now it was ruined.

Then he turned and caught her eye. She dodged back behind the curtain, and he chuckled to himself. Judging from his shadow, he was going to get in behind her, so she turned quickly to face the water, suddenly tense.

Just breathe. This is too exciting to be wrong.

She closed her eyes when she heard him come in.

So here we are, naked in the shower together. What is this, our second date?

Grace felt so very naked in that moment. She felt his eyes lingering all over her. She felt frozen in place. If he was waiting for her to turn around, he would be waiting forever.

He didn't wait long, however. Cautiously, he stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She gasped softly, her eyes still closed. With his other hand, he pushed her wet hair away from the left side of her neck, and then he kissed her there. She gasped again. Tingles were suddenly going all over the place.

As he continued to plant kisses on her warm skin, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, just above her breasts, pulling their bodies closer. A quiet moan escaped her lips, which inspired a deep sigh from him. He spoke in her ear then, never loosening his hold.

"Grace…" He kissed her cheek. "I want you…You're so perfect." Another kiss. "You're driving me mad."

What have I gotten myself into?

Grace didn't know what to say, but she didn't get the chance to speak. Suddenly, he turned her by the shoulders and made her face him directly. For a moment, they only stared into each other's eyes. She had never seen him look so strained.

Or so affectionate.

He took a breath. "Grace…You can look at me…It's okay. You can look down."

She started with a shy glance. He took half a step back to give her a better view. Having never seen a naked man in this sort of situation, she didn't know what she expected. His body seemed normal. His skin was pale all over, though not entirely devoid of freckles. He was really smooth, but everywhere there was hair, it was black, in sharp contrast with his complexion. He wasn't particularly muscular, but he was lean and trim.

But all of that was just fleeting observation…

Grace knew what an erection was. She also knew what it was for. And, from what she had heard, some men had bigger ones than others. But she had never seen one, so she had nothing to compare this to. She didn't know if his would be considered "big" or not. All she knew was that it looked too big to go comfortably inside of her.

I'm in over my head right now. I can't keep this going.

Oswald must have seen her anxiety, because he pulled himself close to her again. "What's wrong?" he asked gently. There was a hint of self-consciousness betrayed in his voice.

"…I can't do this. I'm…I'm not ready. I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead. "I told you I wouldn't do anything you didn't want me to…And, in the spirit of being open with one another, I couldn't have allowed myself…even if you were ready."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm determined to do this right, Grace. And the timing would be terrible if we…made love right this second."

The blood rushed to her cheeks. "Yeah. It's too soon."

"Well, that, and I don't have any protection."

She winced. "So it was pretty lousy of me to tempt you in here, wasn't it?"

"God, no. Not at all. It's been…a privilege to see you like this. And to touch you. It really turned this day around."

She smirked. "Who knew me stabbing a guy in the neck three or four times would lead us here?"

He shrugged, smiling. "It's a crazy, mixed-up world."

"So what should we do now? Should I get out and let you, um, rinse off?"

He didn't look too keen on that suggestion. "Here…turn around again."

She obeyed and turned into the water. He placed himself behind her, just as close as he dared, and then reached for the shampoo. Seconds later, he was massaging a palm-full of it into her hair. It caught her a little off guard. Grace had never fathomed the idea of a man washing her hair…but she liked it.

When he was done, she turned around and leaned back, rinsing out the lather. She smiled up at him when she was through.

"Thanks. That was…a nice surprise."

"Oh, but I had a sneaky, ulterior motive," he replied.

"What was it?"

Instead of answering, he leaned forward. At first, she thought he was going to kiss her, but his head went past her and into the water. When he emerged, his hair sopping wet, he wiped his eyes and then handed her the shampoo bottle. She laughed a little and planted a tiny kiss on his cheek. Then they switched and she lathered up his hair.

We're going to smell the same after this.

When they were all done, they hesitated. And then, like magnets, they came together. He kissed her until she was breathless, and he could hardly breathe himself. His hands drifted over her body, skirting her intimate areas, but never touching anything inappropriate. She appreciated his control, but it was also maddening.

At last, he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers, catching his breath. "We have to stop. It's…bad timing, remember?"

"Right," she panted, "Yeah. Time to get out…What are we going to do after this?"

He frowned slightly. "Well, a fairly strong attempt has been made on my life, so…I have work to do. That is to say, we have work to do."

"Right." She scoffed at herself. "Duh. I knew that."

At first, Oswald wasn't certain that she should be there when they interrogated their captive. After all, she had fainted and thrown up just a couple hours earlier. He made a good point, but Grace wanted to stay by his side just the same. If he was serious about having a relationship with her, then she needed to be equally serious about it. And there was no changing his line of work. She would have to become accustomed to the violent side of it. So she assured Oswald that she was totally fine, that the blood really wasn't bothering her anymore.

It was mostly true.

The man was taken to a back room, one that had been built by the previous owner, Carmine Falcone, specifically for this kind of business. Grace had only been in there once, when Oswald had killed Justin, the rat. She had handled that alright, but she had a feeling it might be a little gorier this time. Already, this guy was pretty banged up. Bracing herself for whatever she was about to witness, she took a seat near the wall and quietly observed.

What's-his-name was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, looking terrified, which was appropriate. Zsasz stood to the side, just behind him. Oswald stood directly in front of him.

"Well well well," he said mockingly, "Here we are. I'm alive, your comrades are dead, and…you're tied to a chair. This morning just hasn't worked out like any of us thought it would, has it?" He glanced back at Grace. "Luckily for you, I'm in an unexpectedly good humor today. So if you would please just answer all of my questions, we can get through this as painlessly as possible."

"I…I can't. Listen, you've gotta believe me. I told your guy already. I can't say anything…No matter what you do to me." The man swallowed.

"…Well that's very brave of you. Unfortunately, it just means we have to do this the hard way."

He started to shake. "Please. The…the people I work for…They would kill my family if I told you so much as my name."

"That's interesting." Oswald considered for a moment. "Let me ask you this. If you told me what I wanted to know, and then I killed you, how would they know you told me anything?"

"I…can't say any more."

Oswald huffed in frustration. "Well…of course it needed to be complicated…Fine." He leaned down to meet the man's eyes. "You have my condolences, but I'm not responsible for the situation you've put your family in…Now-" He pulled a pair of gardening clippers out of his pocket. "Let's see how much you really love them, shall we?"

Grace flinched when the first couple of fingers came off. It wasn't because of the snipping sound, or even the blood really. It was the screaming that was bothersome. But at one point, she made eye contact with Victor, and he nodded towards a supply wrack to her left. When she looked, she spotted a pair of sound-blocking headphones and quietly stood to retrieve them. When they were on, she immediately felt better, and mouthed a 'thank you' to Zsasz. He looked away and didn't acknowledge her, but she smiled at him anyway.

That was maybe the most human thing I've ever seen him do. He must be in a crazy good mood.

The screaming was only a faint noise in the distance now. She could just pretend she was watching a movie with the volume turned down low. And it was a pretty graphic movie. The guy didn't give anything away through all of his fingers, which Grace found to be impressive.

I don't think I could last through even one finger. I'd sing like a canary…Does that make me a coward?

She tried to focus mostly on Oswald instead of the guy he was torturing. The boss honestly seemed to enjoy his work. He alternated between asking forceful questions, concentrating on causing pain, and smiling deviously.

Should I find that disturbing?

But he had seemed self-conscious when he'd first started, glancing back at her sometimes. Like he was afraid that she would get sick or upset, or maybe change her mind about staying with him. He had told her about five times that she could leave the room if she wanted to.

Maybe I shouldn't have made him let me stay…

But I really want him to know that I can handle all this.

Every time he looked, she had smiled at him and tried to look at ease. Eventually, he seemed to relax and stopped looking back, focusing solely on his work.

How can he be so gentle and sweet one minute, and so vicious the next?

Victor started to help him by the time he had finished with the first hand, in part just to staunch the bleeding. They wanted the man to suffer, but not lose consciousness. Victor was quite proficient when it came to that. Still, the guy was really holding out. And if cutting all his fingers off wasn't making him talk, Grace wondered what on earth would.

Finally, Oswald called it.

"I congratulate you, my fingerless friend. Love has obviously given you strength. And I respect that. But not getting answers isn't something I'm okay with…Victor, take him home for a while, would you?"

Zsasz turned his intense gaze to the victim. "I'll bring him back in a couple weeks."

Oswald looked at the victim with dissatisfaction. "Make it a week."

The assassin shrugged. "The work won't be as good."

"I don't need him fully trained, Victor. I just need information."

Zsasz put a hand on the tortured man's shoulder. "Sounds like you're in for quite a week."

Oswald turned from them and approached Grace, who smiled and removed her headphones. He almost reached out to her, but stopped and held up his hands apologetically. They were splattered with blood. He clasped them behind his back.

"I hope you didn't find this too disturbing. I wouldn't have advised you to watch. It can be such dirty work."

The concern in his eyes was refreshing, comforting, especially after seeing how sadistic he was just moments before. Grace stood and gave him a hug.

"I'm okay," she said, "I don't know why the blood bothered me so much before. I guess because it was all over me."

"That…must have been it. But nevertheless, I don't want you exposed to any more of this today. You haven't had time to recover."

"…Alright. What should I do?"

His eyes remained vaguely unhappy, maybe even worried. It made her nervous.

"Pack your things. We're moving to my safe-house until I can figure this out."

My charming readers :)

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LightAlpha25