Page 30 of Blood Money

Knowing there was no reasoning with her, I sighed. “Where is it?”

“There’s one under the register and another in the kitchen.”

Stretching, I grabbed the red metal box I saw on the shelf under the cash register. I set it beside me and opened the latches, then lifted the lid, rummaging inside until I saw the three little packets labeled as Tylenol and grabbed one.

If she were my woman, she wouldn’t have a goddamn choice—she’d be going in.

But she’s not, that little voice said.

I hated that voice.

“I’ll get her something to drink. Will you be okay?” Dario asked as he scanned the large glass storefront. Where we were behind the counter, we weren’t visible to passersby.

“I’m good.”

He went to the back, and I heard him opening and closing cupboards.

“Kendall, I think you need—”

“No,” she practically growled. She shook her head, but the movement caused her face to pinch with pain. Her hand flew to her head as she whimpered.

“Fine,” I muttered and reluctantly set my phone down. “Where is Mrs. Romano?”

“She’s still in the hospital,” she murmured with a wince.

Though I hated that she was still hospitalized, at least I knew the old woman was safe.

“I called Santino. He’s on his way to check her over,” Dario announced as he came back and handed me a measuring cup with water in it. When I cocked my brow at him, he shrugged. “It was all I could find.”

She lifted her head enough to drink from the cup and popped the two white pills.

Santino was one of our soldiers who’d been a combat medic in the Army. He was who we called when we had a wound we didn’t want documented. He was also the next best thing we had to an ER in this case, and since she was being stubborn as hell, it would have to do.

Thankful for Dario’s foresight while she had my normally calm brain in chaos, I gave him a curt nod. I wished Angel and the RBMC boys were closer.

What I wanted to do was pack her up and drag her to my condo, where I could keep her safe and all to myself, but that wasn’t likely to happen. And if she wouldn’t go to the ER, then there was no need to call law enforcement in—I’d be handling this personally. I’d get further than they would anyway.

And my justice wouldn’t take as long.

“Let me up,” she grumbled.

Despite her protests, I wouldn’t let her get up until Santino signed off on her moving.

Once he arrived, Dario let him in. The first thing he did was close the wound on her temple with a butterfly bandage. Then he did what seemed like a million things with her eyes and face, along with asking her a hundred different questions. He then sat her up and checked a few more things, then did it again with her on her feet.

“I don’t have a built-in CT scanner or MRI, but so far everything looks good,” he explained. “Personally, I recommend you go to the ER, but I understand your reluctance.”

While Santino was talking to her, Dario motioned me into the kitchen. Reluctantly, I left Kendall to Santino’s capable hands. Hands I wanted to cut off for touching her, but I kept that to myself.

“The cameras weren’t recording. They only show live feeds,” Dario told me.

Gripping my hair in a frustrated hand, I huffed. “Of course they weren’t. Goddamn it.”

“Is there something I should know, boss?” Dario asked with an assessing stare.

Immediately, I wiped all expression from my face. “I don’t like that someone is robbing businesses in our area.”

Dario gave me a deadpan stare, but I didn’t give him any more.

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