Page 128 of Toxic Salvation
“Get in line. She already called dibs.”
Vesper’s waiting for us in the emergency bay when we arrive. Even at two in the morning, exhausted from a double shift, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Her scrubs are wrinkled, her hair frizzing in its ponytail, but her blue eyes are sharp and alert.
And absolutely furious.
“Oh my God!” She rushes toward me as I climb out of the SUV, her gaze immediately locking onto the blood soaking my shirt.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“Is that a gunshot wound?”
“Listen, baby?—”
“Don’t you ‘baby’ me. You didn’t tell me you had something dangerous planned tonight.”
“There was nothing planned,” I growl. “We got an alert about a break-in at one of the warehouses. Osip and I went to check it out.”
“Alone?”
“We had backup.”
“How many men?” She looks past me to Osip, who suddenly finds the asphalt fascinating. “How many, Kovan?”
“Vesper, maybe we can discuss this after?—”
She holds up a finger to cut me off, then points toward the doors. “You’re coming inside with me right now, so I can examine that wound properly.”
“I really don’t need?—”
The look she gives me is scathing. “If you expect to share my bed tonight or any other night ever again, you’ll follow me. Now.”
I glance back at Osip and Pavel, both of whom are trying very hard not to smile.
“Traitors,” I mutter, then follow my very pregnant, very angry girlfriend into the hospital.
She leads me to an empty examination room and shuts the door. The click of the lock sounds ominous.
“You know,” I remark, “you’re really hot when you’re pissed off.”
Her expression doesn’t soften one bit. She’s examining my makeshift bandage, her touch clinical and impersonal. “Is the bullet still in there?”
“No. It just grazed. It’s really not that bad, Vesper.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” She starts pulling supplies from drawers—gauze, antiseptic, suture kit. “Take off your shirt.”
I comply, watching her face as she gets her first good look at the damage. The wound is clean, but I’ve lost more blood than I initially thought.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
“I already told you. Security alert, break-in, gunfight.”
“Ihor’s people?”
“Has to be,” I say. “No one else would be stupid enough to hit us directly.”
“You should have waited for more backup.” She starts cleaning the wound, her movements efficient but not particularly gentle.
“I didn’t expect to find anyone there.”
