Page 71 of Sweet Harmony

“Hey, did Iwake you?”

“No, I’m anearly riser, even on the weekends. How’s your knee?”

“Uh, not great.I can’t, um, actually get out of bed or walk on it. I hate to ask,but do you think you could, uh, pop by and…”

“Text me youraddress. I’ll be right over.”

“Thanks,Kira.”

“Wait, if youcan’t walk… how will I get into your apartment?” she said.

“Shit. I don’tsuppose you’re any good at picking locks, huh?”

“Nope. But doyou have a building supervisor or manager in the actual apartmentbuilding? Maybe you could text them and have them open the door forme?”

“You’rebrilliant.” He shifted on the bed, grunting with pain.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I’lltext Arnold and have him meet you downstairs in the lobby.Okay?”

“Text me youraddress and I’ll be there in about ten,” she said.

* * *

She was therein thirteen minutes. He heard his front door open and he could havewept with relief when Kira said. “Thank you so much, Arnold. It wasvery nice to meet you.”

The door shutand she called his name. “Connor?”

“Hey,” heshouted. “The bedroom is the last door on the left.”

Ten secondslater, the door opened, and both Kira and Gideon walked into theroom. Kira crossed the room and stared horrified at his knee. “Oh,Connor.”

“It’s not asbad as it looks,” he said.

“I callbullshit on that,” Gideon said.

“Hey, Gideon,”Connor said.

“I calledGideon and asked him to meet me here because I don’t think I’mstrong enough to help support you,” Kira said. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that wasa good idea.” Shit, she really was fucking brilliant. “Not to berude, but I really need to use the bathroom.”

“Right, ofcourse.” She stepped back. “Gideon, can you help him?”

“Sure.” Gideonstepped closer to the bed and studied his knee. “Christ, that looksfucking painful. You gonna pass out on me when I get youstanding?”

“No,” Connorsaid.

“You sure?”

“Mostly. But Iam going to piss the damn bed in about two minutes.”

“Well, in thatcase,” Gideon said, “let’s get your ass to the bathroom.”

* * *

“Hey, rememberlast night when I was crouching over your body and telling you thatyou needed to go to the hospital? Is this a good time to tell you Itold you so?” Jack ducked past the curtain in the emergency roomand grinned at Connor.

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