Page 25 of Trigger

“You’rebleeding, dickhead. I’m trying to help you.”

Cartertouched his forehead, frowning. “It’s just a scratch.”

“It’snot a scratch,” I said, moving closer to him. “Let me look at your wound.”

“No.”

“I canoverpower you.”

Helaughed. “You can dream of overpowering me.”

I wasa big, strong dude, but I suspected he was right. He reminded me of thosepanthers in the jungle that jump on your head when you least expect them.

“Can Iat least stop the bleeding so you can help me get out of here?”

Thatgot him thinking.

“Fine,”he mumbled. “Just be quick about it.”

Iripped off a piece of my shirt and cleaned the gash on his forehead as much asthe light allowed me. He flushed, probably because his face was in line with mycrotch, but pardon the fuck me. Decorum was the last thing on my mind since Iwas too damn scared he would bleed out in this shithole.

“Ifeel stupid for asking this,” Carter said, clearing his throat, “but is it truethat you set the police station on fire?”

Iburst into laughter. “Of course not. Who said that?”

“Peopletalk.”

“Right.”

Helooked at me with narrowed eyes. “You didn’t fuck the president’s daughter,either?”

“Hmm,guilty as charged, but she was only the mayor’s daughter. She wanted to spitedaddy by doing it with a cop he hated, and Boggs hated me because I wasfollowing a trail of dirty money that led to him. Not that I could prove it.”

Hehummed thoughtfully, but remained silent.

“Myturn,” I said. “Is it true that you killed two men with one bullet?”

Now itwas Carter’s turn to laugh.

“Notlikely. But I killed one man with two bullets. Does that count?”

Ichuckled. “It does. You have a pretty smile, by the way.”

“Gee,thanks.”

“Haveyou noticed that we haven’t argued for the whole five minutes?”

“Wewill if you don’t remove your hand from my head.”

I didit reluctantly, sad that our truce had ended. And I knew it had ended because Icould see those invisible walls lifting around him until I could barely seehim.

“If itstarts bleeding again, wake me up,” I said, lying down next to him. “I’m goingto take a nap.”

“Areyou kidding me?” Carter exclaimed in disbelief. “How can you sleep in here? Howcan you sleep, period?”

“Whatelse am I supposed to do?”

I wastired… in my body, in my soul, and in my heart. I could be as optimistic as thenext person, but this time, I had a feeling we were in deep shit.

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