Page 108 of A Twisted Arrangement

“We can just wait for our doctor. He can stitch me up.”

“Matthias Helios Everette. Do not argue with me right now.”

My mouth twitches, but I bite back my smile. She’d probably kill me if I did.

“Of course. I’ll do whatever you say.”

Damon glances between us. “My car’s around the side. Follow me.”

Xander and Bash are waiting by the Range Rover when we exit the building. Neither of them has a scratch on them.

Bash crosses his arms. “Don’t tell me you actually got hurt, Matthias? I’m disappointed in you.”

“Fuck off.” The pain is getting worse, but I refuse to let Scarlet see it. She’s already white as a ghost.

She climbs into the back seat of the SUV after me, tucking herself into my side.

Damon gets into the front, and Bash and Xander follow behind us in Damon’s car.

“Apply as much pressure as you can,” Damon calls out from the front.

Scarlet doesn’t need to be told again and pushes hard.

“Fuck.” A hiss escapes my lips as the pain burns all the way up my back. “Go easy on me.”

She presses harder. “I’ll never forgive you if you die.”

I wipe away the tears flowing down her cheeks. “I’m fine, Little Sparrow. I promise.”

With the way Damon’s driving, it takes less than ten minutes for us to pull up to the emergency room. Someone must have called ahead because there’s already a team waiting with a gurney when I get out.

I hold my hand up, stopping their approach. “I can walk.”

Scarlet’s not screwing around when she says, “If you ever want to touch me again, you’ll get on the damn gurney, Matthias.”

I’m laid out on the gurney immediately—I’m not going to risk the chance she’ll follow through with that threat. I think I’d rather die than have her close and not be able to touch her.

A firm hand pushes me against the hard mattress. The woman’s wearing green scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck. “Don’t move. We’re heading in.”

“I said I was fine.”

“We’ll be the judge of that.” She commands her team like a drill sergeant as they move me into the hospital.

I twist, ignoring the pain, and call back to Damon. “Take care of her.”

“I’ll protect her with my life, brother.”

Scarlet runs up to me and grips my hand. “Don’t you dare die.”

I squeeze her fingers. “Only because you asked.”

Chapter 51

Scarlet

It’s beenan hour since Matthias disappeared through those double doors. Misty brought me a change of clothes, and I washed off as much blood as I could, but I refused to go when they suggested I leave and take a shower.

I can see I’m scaring a few of the other people waiting here too, but all that I can think about is getting back to him.