Page 138 of Death Wish

A snort. “If you’re still conscious.”

Jesse frowned. “What are you yammering on about?”

“Look down at your shirt, buddy.”

He did and made a face. Great. Looks like he’s be needing more stitches himself and probably a pint or two or blood. What a fine pair he and Simone made.

“Jesse.” Simone’s voice broke. “I can’t lose you.”

He cradled her against him, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “You won’t. A few stitches broke loose. I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“Does this mean you get more time off before you’re deployed again?”

“That’s right. For the first time since Brent hired me, I’m going to take every day the doc says I need to be off work.”

“Good. I want to go on a date when I won’t scare little kids with my bruised face.”

“Yeah? My choice or do you have something in mind?”

“I want to do something normal.”

Sounded good to him. “Name it.”

“Dinner and a movie.” She sighed. “As soon as I can eat.”

“Any time you’re ready, I’d be honored to take you on a date. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Do you care what kind of movie?”

Although he wasn’t a fan of sappy romance movies, he’d watch a hundred of them as long as they made Simone happy. “Nope. Anything that you want.”

“Including an art film?”

He froze. “You want to watch an art film? I don’t think Hartman has one in the theater at the moment.” Man, really? What ever happened to a good old action film?

Simone snorted. “Gotcha.”

Jesse mock frowned at her. “Seriously, woman? That wasn’t nice.”

“Deal with it, tough guy.”

Minutes later, Sawyer pulled up to the emergency room entrance and came around to open the door for Jesse and Simone. “You guys look like refugees from a war,” he murmured. “We’re going to cause quite a stir in there.”

He wasn’t wrong.

As soon as Jesse carried Simone into the emergency room, the nursing staff hustled them into an exam room. A doctor soon hurried in.

“What happened?”

In clear, concise terms, he explained Simone’s injuries.

The physician, a man named Forrest, frowned. “You’re a paramedic?”

He nodded.

“Why is she in this shape?” Suspicion filled his gaze as he looked from Jesse to Simone and back.

“My ex-boyfriend kidnapped me,” Simone said. “Jesse and his friends rescued me.”

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