May Contain Wine (SWAT Generation 2.0 5)

I grinned. “Laric, the guy that runs the dogs, did tell me that these dogs were the ‘bad ones.’ Or the ones that couldn’t find homes because they were considered too traumatized or too rough. They need to go to homes where there’s only ever going to be an adult couple and the dog. No other dogs. No other cats. No other animals at all.”

“Oh, wow,” Rowen said. “That’s… that’s kind of scary. Are they that rough?”

Meaning, were they rough enough that the dogs probably should’ve been euthanized instead of finding homes? That was what I wanted to find out.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “That was why the story intrigued me. Also, it’s why I think Laric agreed to do the magazine article. He wanted to give his dogs a fighting chance. And I’m sure there are those couples out there that could take in a dog that needs some work and special attention.”

“You definitely have me intrigued,” Avery muttered.

“You about to fall asleep down there?” Ares asked, gently nudging me with her foot.

“I don’t know who I was fooling,” I said through tired, heavily drooping eyes. “Then again, as long as I was moving, I was doing pretty good. But yeah, sitting still like this? It’s making me extra sleepy.”

“Now, tell me why, exactly, you have to have transfusions. Is that why you’re so sleepy? Or is it something else?” Avery asked. “I know you explained a bit about it before, but it doesn’t make sense to me completely.”

Instead of me having to answer, Ares did.

“Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If you have anemia, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, which can lead to tiredness and weakness. Also, an irregular heartbeat, headaches, and other things such as her being cold all the time,” Ares explained.

“Is that why you’re wearing a sweater when it’s hot as balls outside?” Rowen snickered.

“Yep,” I said. “I’m always cold.”

“You should steal Louis’ SWAT hoodie. It’s really warm, and would fit you like a parka,” Avery suggested.

“Oh, I agree,” Rowen said. “Even pregnant with Dax’s fathead, it still fits me. And she’s right. It’s super soft and warm.”

I grinned at that.

“So back to the anemia thing. Do they say they have a cause for it?” Avery asked.

I shook my head, my hair brushing against Ares’ foot, causing it to twitch.

“As of right now, they don’t. Just something that I have to deal with. Ultimately, it’s my period that makes my anemia worse to the point that I’m needing transfusions,” I answered. “They’re ‘abnormally heavy’ according to the doctor. Years ago, when I was a teen, we tried multiple birth controls to hopefully help control them, but nothing worked. Not until I started getting regular blood transfusions.”

Ashe shook her head. “Maybe you should just get pregnant. It might solve a whole lot of things.”

“Might,” Ashe said suggestively. “I can just see you suggesting this to Louis. ‘Hey, Louie? Can we have a baby? I mean, you’re already donating blood to me once every month or two. Why not your sperm? It’s for a good cause.’”

I cracked up but stopped to yawn halfway through my laugh. “Yeah, let’s tell him that.”

“Didn’t we just do that with the texting thing earlier?” Avery asked.

I yawned again. “Yep.”

“Tell him you were serious.” Avery urged.

Based on the look on his face, I just fucking might.

The women in the room kept talking, but I eventually went so still that I just couldn’t fight it anymore. With my head leaning against Ares’s calf, I fell asleep, sitting up, in the middle of a bar brawl.Chapter 8

When you make me mad, I look at your photo through a fork and pretend you’re in jail. It heals me spiritually.

-Text from Calloway to Louis

Calloway

What felt like hours later, I felt myself being lifted from my spot.

“Thanks, man. My leg was going to sleep,” I heard Ares say.

I didn’t bother opening my eyes. Couldn’t really, even if I wanted to. I was just that tired.

“Glad I found the keys,” Louis mumbled.

“What’s wrong with her?” a familiar voice asked.

I peeled my eyes open by sheer force of will to see Malachi standing there with a worried look on his face.

“Nothing,” Louis answered. “She’s just tired.”

Malachi frowned, his eyes meeting mine.

So I decided for levity and stuck my tongue out at him.

He grinned. “She’s awake.”

Louis’ head tipped down, his eyes amused.

“You want to walk?” he asked curiously.

I shook my head. “Not particularly. Oh, and I’m also freezing my ass off. That bathroom tiled floor was cold as hell.”

In fact, I couldn’t feel my ass.

“I have a hoodie in the truck, I think. It might not be clean,” he said as he led us out of the bathroom.

As we moved through the now mostly empty bar, I saw a few familiar faces.