CHAPTER 7 OZ #3
After a moment of hesitation where Fortuno’s eyes darted between Manny and Andrew several times, he nodded. He dropped the hand he’d been holding and moved to Andrew’s shoulder, tilting his head back with one hand and using the other to pry his mouth open.
I placed the handle of the scalpel in Manny’s right hand, and he didn’t hesitate to slice his left wrist open.
Blood welled immediately. I took the scalpel back, wrapping it in some gauze and another glove for cleaning later.
Manny held his dripping wrist over Andrew’s mouth, using his other hand to massage the man’s throat to get him to swallow.
My badger chittered and paced at the smell of Manny’s blood.
I jerked my head toward the phone. “Can one of you please tell the dispatcher you’re taking Andrew to the hospital yourselves since the ambulance is delayed?
That’ll get ‘em off the line.” Fortuno jerked his chin at one of the enforcers, who did as asked.
After he hung up, we all went back to staring at Manny’s blood dripping into Andrew’s mouth.
“Come on, Andrew. You can do it.” Manny kept his gaze on Andrew’s magical core. I found some gauze and medical tape in the first aid kit so it’d be ready when Manny was done.
Fortuno seemed to be holding his breath.
I cleared my throat, drawing his eyes to me.
“You and your people have seen the guards outside Manny’s house.
And I’m sure you’ve seen random people visit like the old man and the little girl this morning.
That kid had cancer, but she doesn’t anymore.
Manny’s healing magic only works on magical people, but it works.
” What I thought was hope flared in Fortuno’s eyes, then he closed them and bowed his head, as if in prayer.
“Yes!” Manny grinned down at Andrew. “Look at his magic! It’s working!” Andrew’s core was spinning faster, sparkling a bit brighter. “Oz, hand me some gauze, please?”
I handed him a pad. After he pressed it to his wrist, I tore off some tape for him as well.
He winked at me. “Thanks, big guy.” The circles under his eyes were deeper than before, and his magic was what I estimated to be about ninety percent depleted.
Andrew had better not need any further treatment.
Fortuno closed Andrew’s mouth and placed his hand on the man’s chest, right where their romantic connection emerged. “What happens now?”
Manny held up two fingers. “Give it another couple of minutes, then I’ll take a peek at his wound.
He’ll have a scar, but the internal damage will be healed completely in an hour or so.
” I passed him another glove, which he snapped on expertly, making sure it covered the bandage on his wrist. Then he reached for the wadded-up suit jacket.
The enforcer who’d been holding it to Andrew’s side released it and sat back.
Manny peeled it up, then handed it to the enforcer.
Everyone standing around gasped in shock.
The wound appeared freshly healed, as if it had been stitched shut with invisible thread.
Bullet fragments littered his skin. Manny brushed these to the ground and poked at the entry wound scar gently with one finger.
He looked up at the enforcers. “Y’all got something like a stretcher, or a door even, that you can put him on to move him?
I don’t want him sitting up or bending for a few more hours. ”
Two of them conferred in whispers, then left at a run.
Manny told Fortuno, “Feed him as much as he’ll eat for the next few days.
Water too. He’ll need to hydrate. Let him sleep when he wants to.
But by this time next week he’ll be feeling back to his usual self.
If he’s in a lot of pain tomorrow, come see me, but he shouldn’t be. ”
Fortuno brushed Andrew’s hair back from his face, then he gazed at Manny with a fierce expression.
“I have asked Andrew out once a month for almost two years. He works for me as an accountant, and he said no every single time. Until last week, when he allowed me to take him out to dinner.” He smiled wistfully before his face turned hard.
“And tonight he was targeted, I can only assume to send me a message. I will have vengeance, and Andrew will be protected going forward, even if he doesn’t wish to see me anymore.
” He took a deep breath. “But he is alive, thanks to you. I owe you everything, anything you want, it’s yours. ”
Manny’s eyes went wide, and he held up his hands. “Oh, no. No, thanks. I don’t charge for healing. It makes me feel... weird.” His stomach growled, and he perked up. “Food’s good though. If you want to send a couple of pizzas to my house sometime, I’d love that.”
Fortuno’s expression turned incredulous. “A... couple of pizzas? For saving my Andrew’s life?” Uh oh, he sounded kind of insulted.
I held up a hand. “I’ll tell you what you can do.
Not pizzas.” I threw Manny yet another exasperated glance, and he smirked back at me.
“Manny’s healing abilities make him a target.
Magical people, Wonders mostly, are getting trafficked, and it’s only a matter of time before the traffickers find out about Manny.
The wolf pack has been providing twenty-four hour guards, but one person in a car in front of his house isn’t enough.
If your people could be on the lookout for anyone with bad intentions, that would be the best thing you could offer. ”
Fortuno had started nodding after my first sentence. “Consider it done.”
The men who’d gone off to get something to carry Andrew on were back with what appeared to be the top of a dining table. After Manny supervised Andrew being lifted onto the tabletop, Fortuno shook our hands and delegated two of his guys to escort us home—back to Manny’s place at least.
No way was I letting Manny walk. I handed him the first aid kit. “Here. Keep hold of this. I’ll carry you.”
He held up a hand and backed up a step. “No, Oz. No carrying. I’ll be fine walking, I promise.” His face had gone even paler.
I scowled at him but took the first aid kit back. “Okay, but if you get dizzy, we’re renegotiating.”
He grinned, his tired eyes seeming to sparkle in the streetlights. “Agreed.”
We headed down the sidewalk, one enforcer in front of us and one behind. I took Manny’s hand in mine, which I hoped he thought was a romantic gesture, but mostly it was to keep my badger from going apeshit about how tired Manny was and why was he walking when he could be in our arms?
The enforcers wished us goodnight at the front gate. I didn’t pay attention to what they did after that. I hustled Manny inside, set his first aid kit down inside the front door, then dragged him to the bedroom.
He laughed. “Whoa there, big guy, don’t I get dinner first?”
I almost growled at his innuendo. “You’ll get dinner. But first you’re going to get out of those clothes, and I’m going to clean the blood off you.
He sighed. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”
I helped him strip down to his boxers, leaving the bandage on his wrist. He’d know better than I would about when to take it off. Some of Andrew’s blood had soaked through his jeans, so I wiped it off his legs with a washcloth.
Did I want to bury my face in his groin? You bet I did. But I behaved myself, only taking a few discreet sniffs that I’d think about later when I was alone.
When he was clean, Manny put on sweatpants and a t-shirt, and we went to the kitchen.
Remembering his advice to Fortuno, I got him a big glass of water before serving up a bowl of stew.
“Start with that. I saw some bread in your pantry. I’ll heat it up.
” I’d meant to make biscuits earlier, but they’d have to wait.
He pulled the bowl of stew closer. “This smells amazing, Oz, thanks.” Then he proceeded to make sex noises as he ate. I knew he was doing it on purpose, but my badger preened at the compliment on our cooking.
I buttered some toast for him, and after checking that Manny didn’t need another serving, I finally dished up some stew for myself and sat down.
Which was when the gate buzzer sounded. Fuck, what now? I pulled out my phone, and the security camera app showed me a pizza delivery guy. I chuckled and showed Manny. “I guess Fortuno took you seriously about the pizza.”
I went outside and relieved the delivery guy of his burden. He said he’d already been tipped and wished me goodnight. Inside, Manny lit up when he saw the boxes. “Star Pizza! Nice. Can you put them in the fridge for lunch tomorrow?”
Obediently I rearranged a few things in the refrigerator so the boxes would fit, and then I was able to sit back down to my meal.
Manny waited until I’d eaten a couple of bites before pointing his spoon at me. “I never answered your question.”
I stared at him, my mind blank. “Question?”
“Yeah, right before we were interrupted by the gunshots, you said you wanted to have a date night tonight.”
Oh. Right. Shit. “Yeah?”
He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “I’d love to have a date with you.”