Seth (Damage Control 3)

The bad news is… The shoulder needs to be set.

Shit.

I know the drill. Sit still as the doc injects the sedative, barely flinch when he takes my arm and pulls hard.

Fucking ow. Hurts in spite of the sedative, probably because this time I have a fracture to go with it, but the pain lessens almost immediately as the joint settles in its natural position.

Manon’s face grays a little, though, and she takes a step back. From the corner of my eye, I see Shane and I nod at him. He approaches, takes Manon’s elbow, tugging her away.

She shakes her head, pulls her arm free and comes to sit beside me on the bed. She laces her hand with mine. I look down at our intertwined fingers, vaguely aware of the doc talking, checking my shoulder.

“You said Fred and you broke up?” Need to be sure I didn’t imagine this.

“That’s right.” She squeezes my fingers. “Fred and I decided to be friends. Truth is, what I feel for him is more sisterly love than anything else. I can’t even think about kissing him or touching him.” She lifts my hands, kiss my knuckles. “Not like I kiss and touch you.”

My mouth goes dry. I want to kiss her. Dying to kiss her. “So you’re not with Fred. Or anyone else?”

She huffs a breath of laughter. “Well, to be honest, I am with someone.”

“Fuck.” My stomach plunges. “Who?”

“You may know him. Tall, handsome, kind. Strong and sexy. A little banged up and down on his luck, but I sense things are about to change.”

I blink at her, unable to speak.

“I’ve been his for a while, without realizing,” she goes on, her long lashes sweeping low over

her eyes, hiding them. “But I don’t know if he wants me with him for real.”

“He’d be…” My breath catches. “He’d be an idiot if he didn’t want you. Manon… I have a record, no money, no job. Are you sure?”

“I know all this,” she whispers. “Do you want me? Am I yours?”

“Fuck yeah, you are.” I lift both our hands to her face. My pulse is roaring in my ears. “You are.”

And I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy.

***

Shoulder immobilizer in place, with a prescription and forms to fill out, I leave the hospital with strict instructions to return if the fever persists and if I notice any swelling, discoloration or numbness in my arm.

Pumped full of sedatives and painkillers, with my shoulder fixed and my arm steadied, the pain dropping to a bearable level, I can breathe again. I can think.

And I realize Manon is still there with me. As are the other guys. Shane, Zane, Rafe. In fact, more have appeared since last I looked: Jesse is there, with Amber, Micah and Ev.

What the hell? They all know about my record now. Why would they bother to come check on me?

They are quiet as they surround us, clapping each other’s backs. One by one they come to me. Ev kisses my cheek. Micah nods and squeezes my forearm.

Jesse pulls me in for a quick hug, pats my back. “Glad you’re okay, man. When I heard they couldn’t find you, I just about punched a hole in the wall.”

“J.” I wait until he lets go. “You know about me. I don’t fucking get it.”

“Did you do it?” He’s staring steadily back at me, right there on the street outside the hospital, and there’s a challenge in his gaze. “Back at Damage, you claimed you were set up. Was that true?”

I swallow hard. “Yes, it was.”

“Then I believe you.” He grabs my hand, squeezes. “I trust you, Seth. You believed me when I needed you, had my back. If you say you’re innocent, then I believe you, man. We all do. Because we are your friends, and we fucking love you, man.”