20. Dragon #3
She smiled. “He risked himself. My plan was to create a diversion that didn’t involve him getting himself beaten bloody. Not for him, because you know I can’t stand your husband, but for you, because seeing him like that would flip your switch.”
“Mm hm. You hate him so much. That’s why you’re working together.”
She rolled her eyes and turned away to shoot someone in the leg who was crawling towards the stairwell.
“I can’t hate my best friend’s husband. He’s like family.
Not that I know, but your brothers were very insightful.
” She nodded at Joey who was putting heavy-duty manacles on Lucas, looking positively gleeful about it.
“Joey helped you set this whole thing up,” I said, scowling at Jezabel.
She pulled a long coat out of her bag and handed it to me. “Not Joey, your mother. Put this on before everything flakes off. And for the record, those pajamas are hideous.”
“They’re so pretty,” Horse said, and then he was there, his hands smoothing down my spine, my whole body coming alive, coming home.
I burrowed my face into his neck and just breathed in the smell of him. Blood, sweat, and tears, because I was crying, and my whole body was trembling like I was going into shock.
“Shh, pretty princess. You’re okay,” he soothed in his low rumble. “Everything’s okay.”
I collapsed, and he fell with me, like he’d been beaten really badly and couldn’t hold me up.
I didn’t care. I just snuggled against him on the rough carpet, crying and being so happy and overwhelmed. I was one of the monsters. A real dragon. But I was with him, so everything was okay.
“Do we need two stretchers?” a cheerful voice asked.
I looked up and saw the prettiest man, hair so black it was blue, eyes like aqua waters that would drown you in their hidden, deadly depths, and a smile that leaned towards sadistic.
“Who are you?” I demanded, suddenly ready to rip his pretty head off his shoulders and bowl with it.
He grinned at me. “I’m one of his. I helped redecorate his apartment so you wouldn’t know what a rich SOB he was. I did good work, right? Almost as good at redecorating as I am at healing. I’m actually a doctor.”
I rolled away from Horse and gestured the pretty boy closer.
“Why didn’t you say so? Internal bleeding, that’s a given, but he also has some fractures on his skull.
I heard it. I think most of his bones are broken, but he stood on them anyway, and that means they’ll set badly if you aren’t careful. ”
The doctor gave me a look and then slowly nodded. “I’ll be careful. He’s hurt badly enough that I don’t need to hurt him more.”
I nodded, but what kind of psycho would say something like that?
One of Horse’s psychos. The stretcher was there, and with Jezabel’s help, the doctor was able to get Horse strapped on it.
He was so big, he completely dwarfed the thing, so his feet hung off the end.
His shoes were so nice, but the best were his orange socks.
Argyle. That streak of whimsical was so irresistible.
He looked up at me smiling, but then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he was out.
I walked with him to the elevator, past the family, my brothers giving orders. I held onto Horse’s hand. Good thing he was unconscious so he couldn’t feel me squeezing too tight.
Looks like there was another shift in the family power dynamic. How would Dad be with my brothers taking over? I still had things to talk to my mother about. Had she really planted a bomb on a Horse’s go-kart? She wouldn’t do that, and yet, if his mom was involved in my aunt’s death…
Jezabel squeezed my shoulder through the long black coat. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“How long did you know about the fire thing?”
She flashed me a sharp smile. “Your aunt was a legend, so I hunted you down. But you’re more than a legend.
I was going to kill you as soon as it looked like you’d be a threat, but instead I just let you grow in power because you’re the best friend I ever had.
I mean, you’re a friend when I never had any friends before, much less a best friend.
You’re actually family to me. And now Horse is an annoying brother, and Minx is across the street with her rifle. ”
I almost laughed. “Of course she is. And Felicia?”
“She’ll erase anything incriminating. We wouldn’t want anyone else to think that you’re a disaster that needs to be unplugged.”
I leaned my head on her head while we walked, feeling so many things, a messy mix that I wasn’t going to run away from to try to escape. “I love you, Jezabel. You’re the best friend I ever had, too.”
She sniffed and then pulled away. “I can’t cry, I’ll ruin my makeup. And I promised the girls we’d go out for New York street food. Stay with Horse and his people. Keep him safe.”
I gave her a nod as the elevator doors closed, leaving me with Horse, the sadistic doctor, and Charles, who looked more like an assassin than a secretary. People were like that.
I squeezed Horse’s hand and just held on, like I’d hold on for the rest of my life.