Page 23 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“Yeah, watch Dre Hopper.”

“The governor’s son? Didn’t you just have me pull info on him for someone?”

“I did.”

“Ooookay, whatever you need.”

“Thanks, Mike.” I hung up and went back to the library.

Paulo had rewrapped Em’s hand—it looked a lot better—and was focusing on Em’s ankle.

“How’d this happen?” he asked Em.

“I fell down the stairs.”

When Paulo snapped his head up Em giggled. “No, seriously, I did. It’s not some excuse.”

“You weren’t pushed?”

He shook his head and softly said, “Not this time, no.”

Ramsey Brookes was going to die a thousand times before I was done with him.That motherfucker.

“It appears to just be a bad sprain, fortunately. Treatment for that is RICE.”

Em quirked a brow. “Like the food?”

Paulo chuckled. “No. R for rest, I for ice, C for compression, and E for elevation. I have compression wraps you’ll need to use. Keep this foot up to your heart level, ice twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off, and ibuprofen for the pain. For the next forty-eight hours, that’s what you have to do for this sprain. Likely longer, but we need to get the swelling under control.”

I inched closer and sat on the chair closest to the couch. “What about the hand?” I inquired.

“Right.” Paulo sighed. “Ideally, I’d need an X-ray, and I could do that but the machine is on the lower level, and I don’t want to move him right now.”

“I’ll have someone bring it up to his room. I’d like to get him settled and fed. What are you searching for on the X-ray?” I could see Em’s eyes pinging back and forth between me and Paulo.

“I’m hopeful that it doesn’t need to be reset, but I need to see the bone and joint position, fracture stability, and any other damage the naked eye can’t diagnose.”

I looked at Em. “Is it okay if I carry you to your room, get you situated? Paulo will follow behind, and all essential things I will bring to you.”

“Uh…it seems like an awful lot. I mean the last time I broke a finger, I reset it, wrapped it, and took pain meds.”

I didn’t need to meet Paulo’s gaze to know there was rage there; my whole body was shaking with it.

“Well, not this time, Em.” I shot him a tight smile. “May I please carry you?”

He lifted one shoulder. “I guess.”

Gently, I scooped Em up into my arms, and he wrapped his arms around my neck, careful not to hit his hand.

“I’ll follow behind; I just need to gather my stuff.” Paulo was tossing things into his bag.

“He’ll be on the second floor, bedroom next to mine.”

Em gasped but didn’t say anything more.

Cosmo opened the door, and Benny was right outside. “Can you get a couple of the guys to bring the X-ray machine to the bedroom next to mine?”

“The portable one is in the left corner downstairs,” Paulo said as he joined us.

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