Page 50 of Masterson Made

“Yes, she’s fine. She, Knox, and Juliette are on an express train bound for Thirtieth Street station. We didn’t send a car because the train is faster and there’re no planes flying out ofbumblefuck-wherever-she-isPennsylvania.”

“Call her right now.”

“No, you’re just going to make her cry all over again.”

“She was crying?” My stomach rolls from hearing that news.

“Her baby’s daddy basically flatlined on the operating table, so yeah, she was bawling.”

“I died?”

“Pretty much.”

“And you told her that shit?”

“She’s damn near your wife, so yes, I told her.”

Fuck me.

“And who’s handling—”

Jade holds her hand up to stop me from asking any more questions.

“You’re not running the show right now. You fucked around and got yourself shot, so now the rest of the grown-ups are in charge.”

I’m not in the mood for Jade’s snark. This is a serious situation.

“Listen, you little chicken nugget—”

“Uh, uh, uh.” She wags her finger at me. “I’m not the one who got tased and abducted from in front of his own neighborhood supermarket. I mean, how did you let that shit happen, anyway?” She laughs at me. “That’s some amateur shit.”

“Where’s Camden?” I ask, ignoring her dig. It’s enough that I’m going to be kicking myself in the ass for that mistake for the rest of my life. I don’t need to hear it from her. I got too comfortable. Too soft as Joseph would say. I will never make the same mistake again.

“He’s taking care of a few out-of-town guests.”

“They’re still alive?”

“Three breathing Russians are still on the menu,” she answers casually.

“Call him now, Jade. As long as they’re still breathing Elizabeth and Knox are in danger.”I grimace from a shooting pain in my stomach. “Fuck, did those quack doctors leave the slug inside me?”

“Hello?” Jade mockingly raps her knuckles on the bedside table. “Roman, are you there? You can’t even take a shit by yourself right now and you want in on the Russians? Not happening.”

“Help me get out of this bed.”

“Nope, I’ve been ordered to keep you in the hospital and quiet by any means necessary.”

“I pay you an ungodly sum of money to do whatever I tell you to do. Now get me my pants.”

“Now get me my pants,” she mimics me with a contorted look on her face.

“You’re such a bitch sometimes.”

“Actually, I’m a bitch all of the time but that’s why you hired me.”

“Did you at least take care of my phone and ID. They’ve got all my real shit.”

“We were able to salvage your wallet with your ID from the warehouse, but I’m afraid your phone took a bullet straight in the eye.”