Page 81 of Ferocious Nightmare

“He’ll have to go through me first.”

"We need to move him," Dante’s rough voice cut through our conversation. "When will it be safe to move him?"

"Let's wait until this bag is empty,” Marie adjusted the saline bag on the IV, “then he'll be stable enough to move."

“Coulter," I whispered, their conversation fading away as I bent over him. I traced his face with my finger. His skin was so alive under my touch. “I was so worried."

He cupped my jaw, pulling me closer to kiss me.

It was soft and sweet, slow and full of promise. A warmth slowly unfurled in my chest. My cheeks were wet. He was alive.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Marie's voice broke through the haze of my mind. I jerked upwards as Marie reached over to the doctor on the other side of Coulter’s bed.

Working quickly, the doctor flicked off the top of a needle. He raised his arm, trying to jab it into Coulter's shoulder. I leaped across the bed. At the same time, Dante rushed the doctor.

Dante got there first. Grabbing the doctor’s wrist, he snapped it upwards. Howling in pain, the needle fell on Coulter’s chest. Marie grabbed it, walking backwards and towards a shiny, chrome sink. I ran around the bed and joined Dante, pushing the doctor away from Coulter.

He was a doctor, not an athlete, and no match for Dante and me. He still fought us - I had to give him points for effort. His glasses fell to the floor, and they crunched under our feet.

The doctor groaned. "Fine, Fine!" He held his hands up, just as Dante pushed him to the floor. His forearm into the man's neck made the doctor still.

"Tell me what the hell you're doing."

"I'm not doing anything.” The doctor's voice was high pitched. "I'm just trying to help him."

“This smells like almonds," Marie squirted a little bit of the liquid into the sink, taking care not to touch it. "You tried to kill him."

"It was the boss' orders, I swear." The man easily confessed, his sentence ending on an exhale as Dante pressed down on his windpipe. His next words came out a gasping grunt. "I swear. Nero told me if he ever woke, to finish him off."

“Say your prayers.” Dante snarled, leaning forward to choke him out. The doctor began to struggle but his strength was nothing compared to Dante.

"Let him speak," I knelt by Dante. “He might have information we need.”

Growling, Dante stood, but then his gun was in his hand, pointing down. "Tell us exactly what Nero told you to do.”

The man shook his head, sweat pouring down his temple. His wide eyes wouldn’t look away from the gun, even after he began to explain. “He told me not to kill him in front of the men. To do it when no one was watching." His gaze finally moved away and towards Marie. “But she wouldn't leave. And when you guys got here, I texted him. Told him you'd showed up, and were talking about moving him.” He hesitated, but when Dante leaned over, pressing the gun to his cheek, his next words rushed out. “He texted me back. Told me to do it, no matter what."

"Shit," Dante cursed, looking up at me.

"Come on," I stood, “We can’t wait, we have to leave now."

Marie rushed to get rid of the cyanide, then smashed the needle with her foot.

Coulter yanked out the needles in his arm, and I grabbed his hand, helping him up. As Marie rushed to help him to his feet, I gushed my gratitude. "You saved him."

She pressed her lips in a thin line. "If we get out of here alive, I’ll find a way for you to thank me."

I nodded, and Coulter groaned as he stood, but forced himself to his feet.

"What do we do with that guy?" I asked Coulter, jerking my head towards the other doctor.

"Don't worry about him," Dante directed us, still holding the man down. "Just get Coulter out the back, kitchen door. Knight is waiting for you there." At Coulter's confused look, Dante explained. "He just got in."

Coulter nodded, leaning heavily on me as we lumbered up the stairs and then out the kitchen door.

“You look like shit, man.” Knight was leaning against the back wall, looking devilishly handsome in his custom suit, disheveled copper hair, and a crooked smile. His fingers were at his lips, revealing an old, faded ribbon tied around his wrist, holding a joint.

"Glad to have you back. Now, get your ass over here,” I directed Knight, who chucked his joint, smashing it under his toe. He grabbed Coulter's arm and draped it over his shoulder. Just as I was ducking into the car, I heard a gun go off. I jumped back on my feet, my heart racing until, only a few seconds later, Dante came running out, yelling at us to get going.

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