Page 23 of Guarding Grace

Mario pulled Gio to his feet, and the pair stumbled down the street.

It seemed too obvious, but I had to say it. “You saved me. Thank you.”

He squeezed my hand. “It’s my duty. I promised Pete.”

I’d hoped for a better reason.

“You were supposed to stay put with Serena and Duke,” he added after a moment.

There it was, the recrimination I’d expected. It was always my fault. “I couldn’t. I had to…help Elliot.”

“Yeah, right.” Derision coated his words. “And where is the little pussy now?”

A man came out of the Burger King. “Hey, you all right? Want me to call 9-1-1?”

“I’ve got her, thanks,” Terry responded as he took my hands. “I’m going to help you up. Okay?”

Some muscle control had returned, so I nodded. “I’ll try.” My back, my ass, my head, every damned thing hurt like a thousand bee stings.

After helping me up, Terry turned us toward his Porsche. When I stumbled, he caught me and helped me to the car, opening the back door instead of the front. “Lie down on your stomach in here.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I have to get the barbs out right away. Do you want me pulling your pants down in public?”

I grumbled, but did as he said and folded my knees so he could close the door.

He came around to the other side after retrieving a first aid kit from the back. “He got you in the back and the ass.”

“Thanks for the news flash. They’re starting to hurt.”

He placed a hand on my lower back. “When the barbs come out, it will just be a little prick. On three. One…two?—”

“Shit,” I screamed. “What happened to three?” He’d yanked it out without warning. “You did that on purpose.”

“Yeah.”

“You said little.” It felt like he’d pulled off a pound of flesh.

He huffed and tore open an antiseptic pad. “Stop being a baby.” He lifted my top and rubbed antiseptic on the spot.

That stung, but after the baby comment, I wasn’t telling him so. “Is it going to heal?”

“You’ll be fine. It came out clean. See?” He held the barb attachment in front of my face. It didn’t have the flesh hanging from it I’d expected, so that was good. After another swipe of the antiseptic pad, he tore open a bandage and applied it.

“The other one hurts more.”

“Hang on.”

I felt his hand on my ass and then a very slight tug.

“Crap.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s wrong?”

“The tip broke off.”

“What does that mean?”