Page 59 of I Can't Even

And from that moment on, a new routine was set.

I went to his place after work, we’d spend most of the night making out or my new favorite, fucking each other to death, reports would be written, tests and studying were done, and the next morning he’d bring me coffee, my birth control pill, and a kiss goodbye.

It went on like that for three blissful weeks.

Until the serial killer decided to circle back around to me all over again.

Stop blaming video games. Some of you played Mortal Kombat your whole lives and never learned how to finish her.

—Quaid, Carter family group text

QUAID

3 weeks later

“Hey,” I said distractedly. “I can’t talk right now. I’m in the middle of a traffic stop.”

There was a lengthy pause and then a frustrated, “Call me back as soon as you’re done.”

The way Ellodie’s voice shook had my stomach in knots the rest of the way through the stop.

By the time I called her back, she didn’t answer, which only made me even more worried.

After debating with myself for all of five minutes, I decided to take an early lunch, skipping lunch with my brothers and dad, to head to the hospital to see Ellodie.

And thank God I did.

I arrived in the middle of chaos.

There were people everywhere, and not the good kind of people.

The gang kind of people.

Why wasn’t this called in?

“What’s going on?” I growled to the first nurse I saw.

The nurse looked flustered as she said, “It’s a full moon.”

As if that explained everything.

Truthfully, it kind of did.

“What’s going on with the gang members?” I asked.

“Two separate things that collided,” she explained. “One came in with what we suspect is appendicitis. The other came in for a finger being smashed in a car door.”

I looked between the two groups, feeling like shit could hit the fan at any second.

Reaching for my mic, I spoke into it. “This is unit 1093. I’m going to need some blue uniforms at Dallas Memorial. Also, make sure that you let Quinn Carter know his presence is required.”

I’d text him individually, but I wasn’t liking the way this was building.

Heading farther into the depth of the ER, I found myself looking around and wondering where to go first.

The question was answered when there were raised voices behind a closed off curtain.

Then, a very familiar female voice saying, “Keep your hands off of me!”

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