Beautifully Broken

Cooper’s passed out on the bed, one hand down his pants, drool leaking out his mouth. Bane shakes his head. “No. Fucking. Clue. Dude came here with a purpose, pounding on my door, yelling things I couldn't understand, then asked to take a piss. When I checked on him a few minutes later, he was passed out on my bed.” He holds his hand out. “Like this.”

“And he can’t sleep it off here why?” I ask.

Piper wipes Cooper’s mouth with the bottom of her shirt. His lips press together a time or two before falling open again with a snore. She pulls her hair tie out and twists her long locks up again a second later. “His car’s too expensive. Parked out front for a few minutes, not a big deal. But unmoved for this long, people take notice. They talk. This isn’t the kind of place you want to stand out in.” She looks from Bane to me to Cooper and then back to me. “Let’s load him in the back of your car. It’s bigger. I’ll follow you in his.”

“You can't take him home,” Bane says, a worry line between his brows. “Where are you gonna go?”

Piper looks at me, her big eyes begging without words.

Fuck. “He can sleep in the guest room.” Not like I don’t have enough space in the house.

Piper smiles. “Thanks.”

I nod, hiding my irritation. I don’t like Cooper. He has a thing for my girl. They shared a bed most nights, and have enough history to write a book, but Piper cares for him. I guess that means I have to play nice. “You grab his arms,” I tell Bane. “I’ll take his feet.”

Five minutes later, Cooper’s drooling on my leather seats. He’s going to pay to get my backseat detailed after this shit. Piper faces Bane, her back to me, saying a goodbye I can’t hear. He bends low, whispering into her ear. She nods, her shoulders slumping forward, then raises her hand for a fist bump. She turns, walking in my direction. Bane raises his hand, a silent goodbye to me. I give a one fingered salute and turn my attention to Piper.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The sound echoes in the night. One pop of a gun bouncing off the other, milliseconds apart. I hurl myself onto Piper, knocking her to the ground. We lay there until the sound of tires squealing against the pavement fade into silence. “Sorry,” I say getting to my feet. I extend a hand for Piper. She takes it, letting me help her up. “I heard the first pop and didn’t think.”

“It’s fine,” she says brush

ing dirt off her ass. “Bane?” Piper looks over her shoulder and shrieks. “Bane!” She runs the ten steps to him. He leans against his door, a trail of blood leading down to his spot on the ground.

“I’m good,” he grunts.

“The fuck you are!” Piper tugs at his hand. “Get up. You’re going to the hospital.”

Bane pushes against the ground with his good arm and stands. His left arm covers his side, a puddle of blood seeping from the hole, drenching his shirt. “It’s not like I have a few grand lying around to cover the bill, Pipes.”

“Screw the money, Bane. You can’t die on me!” Piper shoves him in the chest. He winces but she’s too emotional to notice.

“I’ll be fine!” he insists. “Rita can stitch me up.”

“With what? Her heroine needles?”

I exhale through my nose. Piper’s becoming more frantic by the minute and we can’t risk the shooters circling back. “Get in the car, Bane.”

“You too?”

I step forward until we’re nose to nose. “This can go two ways. One you get in and let them fix your gut, my treat. Or two I knock your ass out and they treat you for a concussion too. Either way your ass is going to the damn hospital.”

Four hours, eight thousand dollars, and one pissed off doctor later, Bane is passed out in the upstairs guest room. The one Piper’s been sleeping in. Cooper’s still knocked out in the downstairs room. Reason for their placement? Bane, while groggy, can walk. I didn’t want to carry Cooper’s heavy ass up the stairs by myself.

“Hell of a night,” Piper says sliding a plate across the kitchen counter.

I grab two cups from the cabinet, fill them with water, then sit beside her. “You’re telling me.” We sit in silence, eating our sandwiches until our bellies are full and the plates are in the dishwasher. “So.”

“So,” she says with a smile.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.”

Piper pulls her hair from her ponytail and slips the tie around her wrists. Her fingers run across her scalp, pushing her long bangs from her eyes. “Yeah, I’m exhausted. I guess we should go to bed.”