Page 14 of Razor
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“Hey, Razor. Want a beer?” the bartender asked.
Razor struggled to remember her name. Inferno was a pass-through zone for him. The path to see Lucien in his office or to check on someone he’d treated in the clinic. The Devil Daddies were notorious for ghosting him after an injury and not returning for their follow-up. Razor didn’t hesitate to track them down.
“I’m Dakota,” the bartender told him.
“Thanks, Dakota. I’ll take a cup of coffee if you have one around.”
“You’ve got it, Doc. I’ll remember how you like coffee next time.” Dakota obviously recognized him.
“Thank you, Dakota.”
His phone buzzed in his hand. Honey? Instant disappointment flooded him. It was a message from Wraith about tonight. He opened it and read more details.
Razor wasn’t worried about the meeting with the Ravagers. He would be on high alert and focus on keeping everyone healthy. As for the result, it would go well or to hell. Lucien always had contingency plans for all the possible outcomes.
“Here you go, Razor. I got it from the server’s station, so it’s fresher. My pot smells like they brewed it hours ago,” Dakota announced as she placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.
“Thank you.” Razor lifted the cup to his lips and drank a healthy swallow of the hot brew. “It’s perfect.”
Dakota hovered nearby, making small talk off and on as Razor sat there, eyes glued on his phone. Each second clicking past made it more likely that she was upset. It took several minutes before he realized Dakota hovered nearby, cleaning the counter around him repeatedly. Did she need to talk with him?
“Is something wrong, Dakota?”
“Can I ask you a medical question? I’m sure you get tired of everyone deluging you with symptoms and looking for information,” she blurted.
“It’s not a problem. What’s going on?”
“My two-year-old keeps getting nosebleeds at night. It’s so scary to walk in there and see all that.”
“It’s probably nothing. Start with something easy. Put a small humidifier in his room at night. Don’t have it blow on him but add some moisture to the area. He may simply have a dry nose.”
“Oh! I have one I used when he was a small baby,” Dakota said.
“If that doesn’t work, add socks on his hands,” Razor suggested.
“You think he’s picking his nose.”
“Probably. If those two remedies don’t stop it, call and make an appointment. I’ll be glad to check him out,” Razor told her.
“I’m always short on cash, Razor. I’ll give you everything I can, but I may have to pay in installments,” Dakota said with pleading eyes.
“Not a problem, Dakota. I’ll see him without charge. Consider it the tip for this cup of coffee.”
“Really? Thanks, Razor. I’ll try the other things first. I bet they’ll work.”
“If not, make an appointment,” Razor told her.
“You like kids?” she asked, bracing her forearms on the bar and leaning over to display her breasts.
He didn’t feel an inkling of interest toward the attractive server. Honey already held his complete attention. “Sorry, Dakota. I just met the one I’ve been waiting for,” Razor said gently.
“That’s how it always is. I’m a dollar short and a day late.” Dakota straightened up and winked, showcasing her good nature. “It was worth a chance. If things go sour….”
“They won’t,” Razor said, returning her smile. Honey might not have answered yet, but he had confidence in his ability to convince her. “Let me know how everything goes with your son.”
“I will.”
