Page 12 of Steel

I’m fucking weak when it comes to my pretty Hummingbird, and it’s liable to eventually get us killed.

Chapter three

“You got lucky. Fromwhat I’m able to see without my equipment, the bullets missed anything vital. No major blood vessels were hit, and you have no broken or shattered bones. They went straight through, which means we don’t have to worry about digging out some bullets,” the doctor says, snapping off his bloody gloves and tossing them in the trash can Steel set up beside him. “I’m going to leave some antibiotics with you and some medicine to help ease your pain. It’s only to be taken every four to six hours, as needed. Make sure the wounds stay clean and dry. Wash them with soap and water daily, then pat the area dry. Do not use peroxide or alcohol because it can slow down the healing process. You can apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, and I’m leaving some non-stick bandages for you to use.” He pulls gauze, Band-Aids, gloves, and other items from his medical bag and sets them at the foot of the bed, then he continues to deliver his precise and standard instructions in a flat voice.

“You can use an ice pack for fifteen to twenty minutes every hour to help with the swelling. Just a bag of crushed ice covered with a towel will do. Whoever changes the bandages needs tomake sure to wash their hands after removing an old dressing and before cleaning the wounds. No shower for twenty-four hours, and when you take one, don’t soak the area. If you need to get clean tonight, you’ll have to take a sponge bath.”

“What about movin’ around, doc?” Steel asks.

“Ideally, she’d keep it elevated for at least three days before doing much to help reduce the swelling, but considering the life you lead and the way you wanted this hushed, that’s not going to be possible.” He glances up at Steel. “Is that correct?”

Steel’s eyes turn flinty, and he drawls, “Well, doc, considerin’ the life I lead and the way I wanted this hushed, I’d say you’re probably correct in that assumption.” I didn’t know it was possible for someone’s eyes to turn harder, but those green orbs darken with anger and become concrete. “What you’re not correct in assumin’ is, just because you’re friends with my parents, don’t mean I won’t erase you from the equation if you don’t learn some goddamn respect. You don’t get to judge any fuckin’ thing I do considerin’ the reason you owed me the favor.”

The doctor’s face flushes and fear flashes in his eyes for a split second before he blanks them, giving Steel a nod. “Understood. Rest your leg as much as possible, don’t lift anything heavy, and try not to overexert it.” After snapping on a clean pair of gloves, he begins to pull out the IV for my dehydration, antibiotics, and pain medicine. “How long will you be here? I’d like to bring my portable X-ray machine just to be sure I didn’t miss anything. I may be a trauma surgeon, but I’ve never had to do this in a setting that wasn’t my hospital.”

“Can you get it here in the morning?”

Doctor Tom’s lips tighten, but he gives a sharp nod. “If that’s what I have to work with, I’ll make it happen. I’m going to get these vials to the lab for a blood count and metabolic panel. I’ve got a few people in there who owe me favors and will keep this between us, so I’ll have them put a rush on it. They should beable to get it back to me before I get out here in the morning. We were lucky tonight that she didn’t lose enough blood to need a transfusion.”

“Fuckin’ looked like she did,” Steel snaps. “Her pulse was weak, and you see the color of her skin.”

Tom gives a tight smile. “You were also in a tense situation, which was going to make it seem grimmer than it was.” He holds up a hand when Steel opens his mouth, and I have to fight a smile when he narrows his eyes at the ballsy man. “Don’t get me wrong, Steel. Her wounds are not something to take lightly, but it would’ve been a lot worse if the bullet had hit something vital. Her pulse was slightly elevated and her blood pressure was a bit high when I got here, but they’re back to normal now.”

Once he has his supplies cleaned and put back in his case, except for what he’s leaving for us, he snaps it closed and stands. “You’re not out of the woods yet, ma’am.”

I wince at his phrase. Oh, if only he knew how true his statement is.

“I know. I’ll take it easy the best I can. Trust me, I don’t want to make it any worse than it already is.”

“Keep an eye out for infections. If you end up with one, you’re going to need to get to a doctor. Any redness or swelling around the wound or red streaks that lead away from the wound, you need to get to emergency. Be on the lookout for an increased amount of drainage. If it becomes thick, has a foul odor, or is green, yellow, or tan. Running a fever that’s one hundred degrees or more for longer than four hours is also a concern.”

He walks into the bathroom, and I hear the water turn on in the sink.

Well, that was a rather abrupt ending, but I can’t really blame him. He’s here under duress because he owed Steel a favor. There’s not a lot I know about the Dirty Mavericks because that’s a part of himself that Steel has kept away from me for somereason. I know the minimum, which is who they are, where they’re from, and their names. Well, the only one I know by their real name is Steel. One night, when we were fucking and I screamed out his name, he growled, “Jericho,” and demanded that anytime we’re in the bed, that’s what I better be crying out.

Does Emmy Lou know his real name?

My drowsy eyes slide over to where he’s leaned against the wall. His broody green eyes are locked onto me, and he’s got a sharp scowl on his face while his arms are folded across his thick chest.

The chest that is bare under his cut.

Oh, he’s freaking gorgeous, and that tattoo in the middle of his chest wasn’t there the last time I had him naked in my bed. Neither was the one that I catch peeking out along the right side of his ribs.

I run my tongue across my lips.

What is that one playing peek-a-boo?

“Keep lookin’ at me like that, Hummingbird, and I’m liable to eat you for dinner,” Steel rumbles.

His words startle me, and I jerk my eyes to his as a deep, wanton need settles into my core. He doesn’t look away from me, letting me see the fire that burns deep in the depths of his eyes.

I’m about to say to hell with it and beg him to fuck me, but the damn doctor chooses that moment to stroll back in from the bathroom.

“Last thing before I leave, and I’m sure this is common sense if you hang out with Steel. If you feel short of breath, lightheaded, any chest pains, cough up blood, or are bleeding excessively, make sure to call nine-one-one. You’ll also want immediate care if your leg or arm is numb, pale, or cool to the touch as well as if it feels warm, tender, and painful. You’ve got the pain medicine and antibiotics I’m leaving you, but you can also take ibuprofen in between your dosage hours to help decrease any pain. He hasmy number if you run into any issues. I’ll be back in the morning to get some X-rays and to go over the results of your lab work. Have a good night, miss.”

“You too,” I murmur.

Steel straightens from his perch against the wall. “Walk you out, doc.” He glances at me. “Only be a few minutes.”

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