Page 70 of Our Blood, Our Pain

“Thank god you’re here. My baby,” she cries into my neck and sobs uncontrollably. I don’t feel anything. I hold onto her, but my focus is only on one thing and one person. Emotion doesn’t come into this now. Answers and consequences do.

I peel Jenny away from me, impatient to know what the hell is going on.

“Where is he?” I demand.

“He’s in surgery. They had to start a blood transfusion because he’s lost so much blood. We’re just waiting for more news, but they said it could be hours, depending on what they find,” she says. A tall broad man stands behind her and rests his hands on her shoulders. Quite an average guy, I’d say he was mid forties. His brown hair graying, deep smile lines around kind hazel eyes.

“Hey, I’m Tim, Jenny’s friend,” he says, extending his hand over her shoulder toward me.

“Hey, she’s mentioned you. You found Kai?”

“Yeah, I dropped by just on my break to return Jenny’s jacket, the door was ajar and then I walked in and saw Kai bleeding out on the floor.”

“Did he say anything?”

“No, he was drifting in and out of consciousness until the paramedics arrived. Then he was out of it.”

I nod, but all I can see in my mind is images of Kai on the floor of his home. Scared, bleeding. Dying.

“Any leads?” I ask. Tim raises a brow at me.

“Not yet. We haven’t been able to talk to Kai. Officers have been checking over the scene. Don’t worry, we’ll get who did this,” Tim assures, and I don’t believe him.

“Jules, who are they?” Jenny asks, looking over my shoulder at Lev and Ivan who look like they’re standing guard.

“The one with the man bun is Ivan, a work associate. The scowling one is Lev, my boss.”

Jenny looks back at Tim and then back to the guys before settling her eyes on me.

“They’re not the kind of men I expected you to work with,” she whispers.

“What were you expecting?” Lev says from behind me. The guy has the hearing of an owl.

“I didn’t mean any offense, it’s just you look, you know…” she stutters.

“Hot?” Ivan says, not helping. I turn to stare him down.

“Not the time. Why don’t you both go get some coffee or something,” I say.

“Good idea. Call me if you have any news,” Lev says as they turn to leave.

“They’re quite scary, Jules,” Jenny says.

“Yeah,” is all I can say before I collapse into one of the chairs.

“Who do you work for?” Tim asks, and I don’t like his tone. It’s a formal cop tone.

“Security.”

“Oh yeah? What kind?” I turn to look up at him and want to punch him.

“The none of your fucking business kind.”

“Jules! Don’t talk to him like that,” Jenny scolds.

“I’ll talk to him how I want.”

“Look, I didn’t mean any offense. I was just making conversation.”

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