Page 31 of Anger

“Reporters tried to get in to see him,” Mac said.

“Leeches,” Lanie hissed, and a ghost of a smile crossed Mac’s lips. They entered Ranson’s room.

“Please pull the blinds. This is personal, and I don’t want people watching,” Lanie asked as Mac wheeled her to the bed.

“Yeah. I’ll wait outside and give you a few minutes to say your goodbyes,” Mac muttered and left the room. In the dim light, Lanie studied Ranson.

“Somehow, bud, you got under my skin,” Lanie said and leaned forward and grasped his hand.

Their Sins killed. They took life and feasted on the Sin residing in a human body. Anger needed to feed on Anger to keep strong.

But what nobody discussed was… on rare occasions, their Sin would heal. If the host could bend it to their will.

Lanie already felt Anger bucking against her idea, and she silently started wrestling it for control. She struggled and bit her lip, making it bleed, but she was determined.

Five minutes later, her hands glowed a soft blue, and she placed them on Ranson. Anger gave one last attempt at breaking from her will and then began to heal Ranson.

Lanie fed the energy slowly into him. She didn’t want him to suddenly jump up and dance around. She sought the worst injuries that would lead to his death and healed them to the point they’d finish healing on their own. By her reckoning, Ranson now had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving.

Lanie left little healing bombs inside his body and timed them to go off over the next forty-eight hours. Should Ranson start to fade again, those bursts would stop his decline. And if he stayed stable, then they would just leak over time and speed his healing up.

Lanie looked up tiredly, and she blew the hair from her face.

Mac stood inside the door, watching her. His eyes were focused on her hands, which still glowed blue. Lanie put them out and held his gaze.

“I’ll take you to your room, Miss Cross. Thank you for caring for Ranson,” he said.

That was it? Lanie wondered, aghast that he’d seen her. No questions, no explanation demands. Mac would wheel her back to bed?

Shockingly, Mac did that. He called a nurse to help get Lanie comfortable and kissed her forehead before walking out.

Lanie stared at the door and pondered what the hell just happened. Had Mac missed her glowing blue hands?

McIntyre

That had been a shock. He’d no idea Lanie’s kind could heal. But he was intensely grateful to her. Somehow, Mac knew his cousin would survive now. When he arrived back, he was unsurprised to see doctors and a nurse inside with Ranson.

“Is everything okay?” Mac asked.

“Your cousin is doing better than we expected, Mr McIntyre. His vitals are not only stable, but they have increased. I won’t lie. I didn’t expect Mr Ranson to live this long. He’s not out of danger yet, but I’d give him a fifty-fifty chance now,” a doctor said.

“That is great news. I have been told it’s okay if I stay with him?”

“Yes, that’s not an issue. I believe a nurse is bringing you a cot to put up. They’re not very comfortable, but it is all we can do,” the doctor continued.

“A cot is fine. I’ve slept on far worse. I’m ex-navy,” Mac explained.

“Thank you for your service,” the doctor said and shook his hand.

“Thank you for my cousin,” Mac replied and settled down in an armchair next to Ranson’s bed.

His mind wandered to Lanie as everyone left. For all his knowledge of Lanie’s kind, healing had not been something he had come across. None of the verbal legends handed down had mentioned healing. Saving someone, yes, not healing. Why Lanie had exposed herself, he did not know. It had seemed an out-of-character thing for her.

Lanie didn’t show a different side to herself at all. He’d been surprised when she bled red as he knew she bled green usually. It’s why he had been so panicked to keep her behind him. And then he realised. The entire world had seen her shot and hurt. It would put any Hunters off chasing her.

And even better, with Simon screaming she should be bleeding green, not only had it made him look crazy, but it would cast doubts on her being what she was. Her blood had definitely been red.

Mac wondered what she would do next. Would Lanie confront him about what he’d witnessed, or would she act ignorant? Lanie was a conundrum—and one he wanted to figure out. And in time, he would. Mac was damn sure of that.

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