Page 96 of Hidden Resolution

Christ alive, he’d never seen a more beautiful woman!

Dane left to admit the police, as Shonda whipped off her shirt and tied off Mason’s wound.

Later, he might blame it on the dizziness, claim he was out of his gourd, but he couldn’t hold back his sudden anger.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he shouted. “You could have gotten us all killed. Yourself included.”

Dane returned in time to hear. “Shut the fuck up! She saved your ungrateful ass along with everyone else in this room. Her shot was true.Twice!”

But Shonda didn’t defend herself. She remained silent as she applied pressure to his wound until the paramedics assumed control.

And when Bucky questioned her, she relayed her version of the story with admirable calm. After, she was handcuffed, with the officer apologizing for needing to take her into custody.

“What the fuck?” Mason scowled. “She stopped a human barbecue.”

“Procedure. We’re taking her for further questioning.” Bucky replied, grimacing.

“I don’t gi?—”

“It’s fine,” Shonda said, not sparing Mason a glance. “Let’s go.”

“No!No!” It required two paramedics and an officer to restrain him. “You aren’t going to treat her like a fucking criminal for being a hero.”

“Mason, if you don’t knock it the fuck off, we’re going to sedate you.”

He whipped his head around and groaned when he saw Phillip.

His cousin served as a paramedic and was voted least likely to take shit from a patient.

“Lip, she did nothing wrong. She shouldn’t be treated like a damn criminal.”

“Tommy told me you had it bad. I didn’t believe him.” Lip glanced at his partner. “We lift him on three.”

“Lip—”

“She’ll be treated like a princess, Mason. No worries, okay?”

“And I don’t have it bad. We?—”

Again, his cousin cut him off. “You can deny it all you want, man. We all have eyes and ears.”

They rolled Mason out to the waiting transport.

When he opened his mouth to argue, Lip slapped an oxygen mask over his face.

“Hey Mike, you have any elephant tranqs in your bag?”

Mason glowered.

“Ah, the man doth protest too much.”

He ripped the mask back long enough to snarl. “Bite me.”

28

The detectives and milling police were courteous, providing Shonda with the opportunity to call a lawyer and an unlimited supply of police station coffee. Bucky claimed the inquisition was informal, and they only needed to line up all the events with the crime scene. In a separate room at the station, Dane detailed his own account. Detectives were also sent to question Mason, Zack, Jacob, and Erica at the hospital about whether or when they would be able to provide details for a statement.

It seemed like a lot for two psychos, but who was she to judge?