Page 111 of Reverb
Hearing him ask the question like that didn’t help the ache in her lungs. “I’m fine.”
“You got him?” His voice was rough, as if speaking pulled out all his strength.
“Yeah.” She finally raised her hand to look at it—and it wasn’t pretty. Some cuts and a lot of bruising. But all the fingers worked. “Ray’s gonna chew me out again.”
“Am not.” Quiet, sweet words from Ray. “Love you too much.”
Her sight wavered again. David coughed a laugh, then winced. “You’ve got a mean hook.”
“I hate him.” That came out as a whisper. “You were right. I knew him. Fucker dated my mom.”
A small nod of understanding.
Then there was a bunch of commotion and some sort of medical personnel swarmed around David. EMTs or paramedics. God, the déjà vu wasawful, except this time Ray was behind her. He tried to draw her away, but she could be unmovable when she wanted. He meant well, but she needed more time, so she shrugged off his touch.
Zavier spoke, but the words made no sense, because every one of her senses was tuned in to David, who pushed the hands of one of the paramedics away and reached toward her.
“Princess?” His voice was shaky and rough as they worked on him.
Mish’s heart rammed against her ribs. Seeing him like that, laid out on the floor as they peeled Adrian’s T-shirt away, was too much. The ache in her chest threatened to tear her apart.
“Not a princess,” she said, all husk and unshed tears.
He smiled for an instant, then followed that with a deep wince. “Rock queen.” His eyes were dark and wet. Despite the noise and people all around, only they existed in the world in that moment.
“Yeah.” She took his hand and squeezed it, relishing the warmth and the pulse. “What do you need, David?”
He blinked a few times and blew out a breath. “Marly’s gonna get lonely. Would you to look after him? He’s in—” He waved in the direction of the exits.
The tears Mish didn’t want came so fast, she barely had time to breathe. They ran down her cheeks and it took everything in her to keep her voice steady and not let it turn into sobs. “I can do that, sure. Keep him safe until you come home.”
“Home,” he murmured. “I wish...” He gritted his teeth then and grunted, low and guttural.
“Ma’am,” one of the paramedics said, and gestured for her to stand back.
“Hey, come on. Gotta let them work.” This time, she let Ray draw her away, because he was right. She loathed leaving David in the hands of strangers, even professional, well-meaning ones. “One of us needs to go with him.”
Ray helped her to her feet and didn’t let go, though his touch was gentle and unobtrusive. This man was their spine and heart. Their leader through and through. They’d all be lost without him. “Marcella’s going with the ambulance. She’s got David’s medical history.”
Of course Marcella would. She had all of their shit. “It should be me.”
“Mish.” A deeper voice—Zavier’s. He gave her name such weight and care, as if his heart were breaking, too. She met his gaze and opened her arms—and he folded her into tight hug. A brother, a friend. “Believe me, I know. Iunderstand. But Marcella will take care of him. And you and us.”
“Okay.” She pressed her face down onto Zavier’s shoulder. “How about getting me out of here, then?”
Zavier flinched. “You’re gonna have to talk to the police first.”
“Shit.” She’d forgotten about them. And momentarily about the monster she’d defeated. Tremors threatened to take over.
Zav must have felt them, because he melted a little. “I understand that, too.” He loosened his hold. “You don’t have to tell them much. We’ll get the lawyer on the phone.”
“But I kinda punched that shithead out.”
“Yeah.” He flashed a smile. “Honestly, I don’t think you’re gonna catch any flak for that.”
In the end, she didn’t, not from the police, nor from anyone else, though a paramedic did give her a cold pack for her hand and admonished her to have it checked out.
She almost wanted them to haul her away to the hospital, but the cops did have a few questions about the whole incident. She answered most of them, shaking off a few, like how she knew the man, with more vague answers. She’d have to answer more later, but when they’d gotten enough of a statement from her, she held up her hand. “Guys, I’m tired and rattled and someone I care about was stabbed. Can this wait?”
