Page 15 of Beautiful Defiance

The door opens, and the curtains part. A guy wheels in one of those portable x-ray machines. The doctor and I step out. He thanks me for bringing her to the ER.

“You saved her life, son. Had you waited any longer, she could’ve gone into septic shock.”

I don’t want to minimize how sick Leigh is, but that girl has as many lives as a cat. The x-ray guy backs out of the room. A nurse rushes past me with another bag in her hand. I’m guessing it’s Leigh’s antibiotic.

“We’ll work on getting her a room. I’ll check on her again before they take her to the unit.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I head back inside the room, grab a chair, and bring it to the side of the bed.

“Should I text Hannah? Or Thomas? My dad has his number.” In case of an emergency.

“Can we keep this between us?”

“They’d want to know.”

“Please, Seven.”

Again, she’s begging. The bastard in me wants to pounce on her fear, but I don’t have it in me to kick her when she’s down. What’s the fun in that?

“Fine, but this is your one pass. Don’t ever beg or ask for a favor again unless you’re willing to work for it or give up something in return. Deal?”

She closes her eyes and smiles. “No mercy. I like that. It’s a deal. Thanks, Seven, for not making it easy for me.”

A girl thanking me for giving her grief?

Doesn’t happen, and that’s how I know Beautiful Defiance plans on wrecking my world, smashing to smithereens my bastardly heart.

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