Mad Gold (Providence Gold 2)

“I’m tying you to the bed and never letting you go outside ever again,” I warned her, my expression assuring her how serious I was.

“Kinky,” Levi chuckled as he walked closer to Dahlia and then leaned down and tapped her nose. “If you need help, blink once. If you want me to help you disappear, blink twice.”

I’d never been more relieved in my life to see her smile, even if it was shaky and weak. But sure enough, as her lips tipped up either side and her beautiful smile graced her face, I did something I’d never done before and thanked the big man above.

Jesus Christ, could I get more melodramatic?

And there I was taking the Lord’s name in vain when I’d just thanked him for saving Dahlia’s life.

Sorry, Jesus!TwentyMadix“A re you saying he shot my fat?” I heard Dahlia screech as I got close to the room she was being treated in.

We’d been held back to answer the Sheriff's questions, but seeing as how I hadn’t fired my weapon, I was allowed to leave before the others. This had meant an uncomfortable drive to the hospital in Dahlia’s car – this time with the roof closed because it had started raining. When I’d pulled into a space, people had stared at me in humor and horror as I’d pried my body out of the tiny tin can on wheels and walked awkwardly toward the entrance of the building. I was sure I looked like I was drunk or something seeing as how I was walking slightly at an angle because I’d lost some of the feeling in my legs and they weren’t all working how my brain was telling them to. Even now, after I’d walked about a hundred miles to find her room, I still couldn’t feel my feet.

Getting to her door, I walked in and peered around the curtain that was hiding her from the rest of the world. She was lying with her leg in some sort of bright orange brace as Parker and another man assessed her bullet wound. Ariana was sitting beside her head, holding her hand and whispering quietly to her.

“It was a through and through,” Parker told the other man who was nodding as he looked too. “But it was definitely through the fatty tissue.”

“Could you stop calling it fatty tissue, you insensitive bastard,” Dahlia snapped as Ariana glared at him. “You could call it flesh. Or just skin. Or perhaps my dove flaps.”

“That last one’s disgusting,” Ariana muttered, screwing her face up and sticking her tongue out. “Dove flaps.”

“They could be called dove flaps,” Dahlia insisted indignantly. “Beautiful little bird wings.”

“It sounds like you’re talking about your vagina,” Ariana told her. “I’d rather have angel wings.”

I noticed that Parker had stopped moving completely and was staring at Ari while the other man worked on Dahlia. Ariana was blatantly avoiding looking back at him, unless it was to glare at him or, on the odd occasion, with a blank look on her face.

“I’ll bet you have a Jabba-The-Hut vagina,” Dahlia snorted, then burst out laughing at the look on Ari’s face.

“I’ll bet it’s perfect,” Parker muttered, most likely to himself, but because everyone had suddenly gone quiet, we all heard it.

“You’ll never know,” Ari replied, looking and sounding more serious than I’d ever heard her sound in all the months I’d known her.

Figuring that now was the best time to make myself known, and much to the relief of the other doctor in the room, I cleared my throat and focused on Dahlia who was looking between the two… lovebirds? Enemies? Would-be-shaggers (something I’d heard Luna call a couple on a reality TV program she was watching recently)? Wanna-shag-a-lots? Who knew what to call them, but it all fit.

“How are you feeling, baby?” I asked her softly, leaning down and resting my head on the bed beside her.

I’d been told she would be okay, but it’s one thing hearing it, another thing actually seeing it for yourself. Now that I was, I felt the weight lifting off my shoulders.

Until she winced, and then it all came back.

“Would it kill you to be careful with her?” I snapped at the doctors, giving them my best glare.

The unknown one paled and gulped when I stood up to my full height, but Parker just snorted and went back to cleaning out the wound.

“Calm yourself, Harambe,” he chuckled, making me glare at the two women who were now looking anywhere but in my direction.

“You told him?” I crossed my arms and watched as they went from picking at the sheet, to admiring each other’s nails.

“Indeed, they did,” Parker nodded, picking up a syringe and moving it toward Dahlia’s back.

I couldn’t watch this bit. I wasn’t squeamish, but anything to do with needles was a hard no for me.