Page 48 of Demon
“Here.”He pulled down a glass and poured a finger in the bottom.“Drink this.”He slid the cup in front of her and considered putting it away, but decided not yet.Her brother might want some after he heard what was going on.
“Who’s going to tell me what happened?”Gavin’s tone said his patience wouldn’t be endless.
Demon glanced at him, then turned his attention back to Ronnie.Her color wasn’t good, and he didn’t like the glassy, lost look in her eyes.“Things were fine until we got about a quarter of a mile from here.Then someone took a shot at her.”
“WHAT?”
Demon turned and pinned him with the look that earned him his road name.“That’s not helping.Let me make sure she’s okay, then we’ll go into all the details.”He looked back to Ronnie, gentling his gaze as he found her staring sightless at the glass he’d set in front of her.
He went to her, twisted the bar stool around so she faced him and stepped between her knees.He wanted to be close enough she couldn’t escape him.Then, with one knuckle, he lifted her chin so her head was tilted back.He knew he had her attention when her gaze flicked to his face.
“Come on.I need to see just a little bit of that firecracker in there.”
Ronnie blinked but otherwise, didn’t respond.
“You’re sure she’s not hurt?”Gavin stood and moved around the bar to the side where they were.
“Bruises from where I knocked her down, but she wasn’t hit.They only fired once and I saw it hit, behind her.”Come to think of it, that was probably why she didn’t see where the bullet had hit the ground.
She blinked, her eyes still on him but not moving or speaking.
“Come on.Take a drink of this for me.”He took her hand and placed the glass with the whiskey in it, wrapping her fingers around the glass.“Don’t make me pour it down you.”
She frowned.She was getting some of this, at least.She lifted her hand.Demon released her chin, but stayed where he was, her knees on either side of his hips as he watched her bring the glass up and tip it back.
He couldn’t help but be glad he hadn’t put more whiskey in the glass, because as soon as she swallowed, she was coughing, and he would have ended up wearing it.He grabbed the water bottle and handed it to her.
“Here, now this.”He took the glass with his other hand and watched as she didn’t hesitate to take several long pulls.
“Good girl.How are you feeling now?”
She glared up at him for a moment, but he couldn’t help but smile.He loved her sass and hated when she’d gone distant and hollow.At least if she was mad at him, she was all here.
“Feeling better?”He couldn’t help but smile as he asked her.
“Fuck you.”
Demon laughed.“Yeah, you’re better.You want to tell your brother what you saw, then I’ll fill in with my perspective?”
“Can I get coffee while I do?Not that it will take long, I didn’t see much.”
Demon searched her face once more, looking for any sign she wasn’t fully here with them, or that she might be shutting down again.Only when he was sure she would be okay did he take a step back and go to start her coffee.
“Finish that.”He stabbed one finger at her water bottle, “And talk to your brother.”
He listened as he started the coffee maker.She told her story, stopping here and there to answer whatever questions her brother asked.When the coffee was done, he carried the mug to the bar, then pulled the creamer that had come with the groceries and set it beside the cup.That done, he turned to face Gavin, who had leaned against the arm of the couch, arms folded across his chest as he listened to Ronnie.When she was done, he only turned his head to look at Demon.
Demon didn’t want Ronnie to feel like she was being watched so he leaned one hip against the counter and folded his own arms across his chest, mirroring Gavin.“What she thought was a backfire was gunfire.She says she hears backfire through that area all the time, I get why she would assume that’s what it was.I saw the dirt kick up behind her.I’d say it was a pistol, not sure where from, but it wouldn’t be too far away, but they’ll be long gone by now.”He glanced at Ronnie again.Assured she was drinking her coffee and watching them, he turned his attention back to her brother.
“As soon as I registered the gunshot, I took Ronnie down and covered her until I was sure there wasn’t going to be another shot.When I decided it was clear, we got up and came back.She’s good in a crisis.”
Ronnie snorted.“I totally checked out.”
He turned to look at her.“No, you stayed in the moment, doing what needed to be done, until the crisis was over.Then it’s okay to break down or check out.You did what needed to be done in the moment.”
“You didn’t see anyone moving, trying to get out of the area?”
Demon shook his head.“I was more concerned with making sure she was safe.I was more concerned with not hurting her as she tried to get free, than looking around.”
