Page 13 of Black Curtain

“You’re feeling bratty. I can tell.”

“I want my honeymoon. I want Fiji. Can we skip the wedding?”

He grunted an outraged laugh. “No! Anyway, would you really do that to poor Jem?Twice?”

“Ugh. Fine. I guess not.” Folding my arms, I gave him a mock glare. “Can we go at least?” I motioned my jaw towards the door. “Find a doctor. A nurse. Someone.”

“I’m not going to go raise hell on the ward again, doc. Rules are rules. We’re playing nice and normal now. Remember? As in, don’t have a fit when they treat us like humans in their hospital.”

He tilted his head sideways, clearing his throat apologetically.

“Also… Imayhave put the fear of God in them, back when we still weren’t exactly sure what was wrong with you. I might have been just atiny bitunreasonable and, well, psychotic, when I thought you might be in danger. When I didn’t react super well to you not waking up when I did… before Yarli told me you were all right.”

I grunted, rolling my eyes. “Great.”

Making another apologetic gesture, Black tilted his head again.

“It’spossiblethat I threatened them. While I was losing my shit. It’spossiblethat they’re slightly afraid of a lawsuit. Just slightly.”

I snorted for real that time.

“Possible?” I scoffed. “Did you scare the nice hospital people, Black?”

“Maybe,” he said meekly. “Just a little.”

“What happened to playing normal, Black? Playing nice?”

“I can only be who I am, doc.”

I let out another scoffing sort of laugh. “Well, that’s for sure.”

Instead of answering, he leaned down, about to kiss me––

––when someone pushed open the door.

* * *

“Jesus H., Black! What on Earth are you doing?”

Before either of us could change positions, or even look at the door, a familiar voice half-shouted the words.

“Are you trying to kill her all over again? Get off her, you weirdo horndog! Are you drunk?”

I looked over, then immediately laughed, seeing Angel standing there.

She met my gaze, grinning at me from ear to ear.

She rested her hands on her slim hips.

Her voice remained mock stern.

“Get up,” she snapped. “Both of you! I’ve postponed my honeymoon because of you jerks! Get your asses out of that bed! Pronto!”

“Yeah,” Black grunted. “I’m sure you’ve been justsuffering,Ange. Hanging out at a high-end resort in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico on my dime. You poor, poor baby.”

“Hey, this is the second time we’ve flown out here in the past two weeks! Both times, you snap your fingers, and me and Cowboy are expected to just drop everything and come running!”

“Come running,” Black snorted. “On my private plane. With full meal and drink service. And a state of the art media hook-up. Not to mention a full shower and two king-sized beds. Again, I amweepingfor you, Ange. I’m playing the world’s tiniest violin.”

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