Page 19 of Bound By Redemption
“Well, we get to have one tonight. Everyone here is gonna sleep at the clubhouse. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“Tandler pay me,” she stated with finality, but this time it was my mom to translated.
“Chandler is Deke and Riley’s little one. I don’t know if you’ve met her quite yet.”
Deke was a brute, and Riley met him while she was fighting. Their little girl had to be around four or five if I remembered right.
“I’m sure she’ll be here too.”
“Riley’s on her way here with her,” my mom shared, staring at me and my daughter. She probably never thought this would come to life, or at least it would be a while before it did. The joy in her face was something I’d never get tired of seeing.
“See. She’s gonna be here too. Maybe we can get the fire pit goin’ and roast some marshmallows later. Would you like that?”
Remy’s finger went back into her mouth as her head nodded, then she laid her head on my chest.
Austyn and Ensley were working on cleaning up the burn. There was no doubt to have a bunch of gunk in it and probably a black or white color. As long as there weren’t bones showing, I should be fine.
I made an effort not to flinch when it felt like one of the blisters popped. No, this did not feel good.
“Are you really okay?” my mom asked, coming to sit next to Remy and me. It was a bit awkward because of the way I was sitting to get worked on, but we made it happen.
“Yeah. I’m good. Got my girl in my arms. That’s all that matters.”
“And one standing behind ya,” Mom teased with raised brows.
A smile crept my lips. “Yeah. The one behind me too.”
“Not me,” Austyn declared adamantly as I heard a piece of tape coming off a roll.
“No. Not you,” I answered, giving Ensley a small wink. All I knew was when I saw her and Remy in danger, the instinct to protect them rode me hard. What that meant as of now, who knew. But nothing would happen to them on my watch.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t take you to the ER?” Ensley tried again. “You need antibiotics and probably from an IV.”
Austyn pulled out a large pill bottle, shaking it loudly. “That’s what these are for. Hospital grade.”
“I don’t want to know how you got those,” Ensley mumbled.
“I just robbed the hospital,” Austyn teased as Ensley gasped. I smiled, and Mom chuckled.
“What?” Austyn shrugged. “I’m kidding, relax. We have our ways. You know this,” Austyn said, raising her brow at Ensley. “Roll with it. You’re one of us now.”
Ensley blew out a breath. “I know. I just don’t want it to get infected and have him lose his arm.”
Austyn stuck gauze over the wound, then put tape on it. She then handed Ensley some materials stating, “That’s what your job is. You gotta keep it clean and make sure he takes these pills. If it starts to change colors, then we’ll reevaluate.”
“I work at the hospital, people. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Go. To. A. Hospital,” Ensley started, but I reached over and touched her hand.
“I’m not goin’ to the ER. Appreciate ya wantin’ to do that for me. But there are things that I need to do here. You check it, and if at any point we see it’s doin’ worse, then we’ll go. But right now, we don’t need to.”
Ensley came up to stand between legs, Remy still on one side of me. “Promise me, Micah. Promise that you’ll go if I tell you to.”
A small smile came to my lips. “We’ll see.”
Ensley started, but Austyn touched her arm. “Just be happy that he’s not throwin’ a fit about not listenin’ and doin’ what he wants. Take the ‘we’ll see’ as a good sign.”
Ensley huffed out a breath. “Right.”
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