Page 62 of Edge

“I dropped down beside you and was digging through my purse to find my phone when Muzzle started talking behind me. I was able to get my gun without him seeing because of how I was positioned.”

A sharp knock caught our attention. “Ladies, let’s save this conversation for later,” Byte said from the other side of the door.

“I swear. I haven’t been able to fart without one of those boys knowing,” Irene grumbled.

“I’m not concerned about your farts,” Byte retorted.

“Well, I am. Sometimes a lady wants to break wind in peace,” she called back.

“We’re finished. You can come back in,” I interjected.

“You look like a new woman,” Byte said with a grin as he resumed his seat.

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“You love me,” he said.

Irene grinned. “You love me, too.”

When Edge returned with lunch, Irene was packed and ready to go. We were just waiting for the nurse to bring her papers.

“Oh, thank you, you dear, sweet man. You get to be my favorite today,” Irene said as Edge placed her meal in front of her.

“Hey!” Byte said, pretending to be offended. “I’ve been by your side the whole time you’ve been here.”

“And not once did you bring me food,” Irene quipped before taking a huge bite of her burger. “Oh,” she groaned. “This is so good.” She had just taken her second bite when a nurse walked into the room with her discharge papers. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“I can come back later,” the nurse offered.

“Nope. Let’s get this done. But I’m going to eat while we do,” Irene said and continued devouring her food like she had been starving for days.

The nurse looked around the room and seemed to hesitate. Irene swallowed the food in her mouth and gestured for her to get started. “Go ahead, honey. They’re family.”

With that, the nurse started going over Irene’s discharge instructions. I tried to listen to everything she was saying, but she lost me in the first few minutes. “Do you have any questions?” she asked when she finished.

“Yes,” I said immediately. “Is everything you said written on those papers?”

She smiled knowingly. “Yes, everything you need to know is right here.”

I relaxed a little at her words. I planned on helping Irene, and I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly.

“You can always call Gabby if you have questions,” Byte said.

“Thanks. Will you text me her phone number? I don’t think I have it.”

He nodded, and my phone dinged seconds later.

“Finished!” Irene declared and wadded her wrapper into a ball. “Let’s go.” When I glanced at my untouched food, she laughed. “It’ll keep until we get to my house.”

I didn’t argue with her. I had a feeling there was more to her urgent need to get out of the hospital and wondered if it had anything to do with the loss of her husband. She talked about him often, but not about his death. I got the impression he died suddenly and unexpectedly, though I’d never asked.

When the wheelchair arrived, Byte led the way to an SUV waiting for us at the curb in the patient pickup area with Dice behind the wheel. Somewhere along the way, Ink joined our group and helped Irene into her seat.

“Where did they come from?” I asked Edge.

He grinned. “They’ve been here the whole time.”

“Is anyone else here?”