Page 64 of Mr. Perfect

More cops arrived on the scene. Some navigated the gawkers who’d appeared out of nowhere while others talked to the firemen spraying water on what remained of Felix’s beloved Fusion. The first officers to arrive, Ramos and Hamilton, hovered nearby, waiting for an opportunity to question him further.

Felix had no intention of lying to the officers, but he also wasn’t sure how much information he wanted to divulge right then. Obviously, Spencer was more dangerous than Felix had given him credit for, and he needed to rethink his investigation strategy going forward.

“Okay, I’ll go to the hospital,” Felix said. “But an ambulance isn’t necessary.”

“I thought you were worried about internal bleeding,” Jude countered.

Felix grinned for the first time since… He couldn’t remember. “I just wanted you to kiss me.”

Nobel giggled while Barns shook his head.

“I’ll drive you,” Jude said.

Officer Ramos stepped forward. “We can take you,” he said.

“No offense, but the back of your cruiser wouldn’t be very sterile,” Felix said. “I’d prefer if Jude took me.” It would give them a chance to talk.

Hamilton tipped his head to the side. “We can get you into an exam room quicker.”

“Not as fast as we can,” Nobel countered. Felix was starting to like her a lot.

“I’ll ride with Jude,” Felix said firmly.

“We’ll follow,” Ramos stated.

Barns and Nobel didn’t agree with Felix’s decision, but he signed a waiver and followed Jude to his car. Each step sent a jolt of pain radiating through his body.

“I think I bruised my tailbone,” Felix said.

“I think you’ve bruised everything.” Jude helped him get settled in the passenger seat before getting behind the wheel. He started the car but didn’t put it in drive right away. “I could’ve lost you.”

“You didn’t.”

“I could have. There’s so much I want to say.” Jude turned his head and stared into Felix’s eyes. “I don’t know where to begin.”

Felix wanted to focus on the tender expression on Jude’s face and in his voice, but he couldn’t afford to. One misstep and maybe the next accident would have deadlier consequences. “Let’s start with what I should say to the police. Do I tell them Cameron Spencer is trying to kill me, or do I play dumb and pretend it has to be a mechanical malfunction?”

Jude quirked a brow. “Do I really need to answer that question?”

Jude’s avoidance was Felix’s answer. “Mechanical malfunction, it is.”Live to investigate another day.

Getting Ramos and Hamilton to buy into his desired theory was easy. After all, the vehicle had just come back from the dealership. A leak of flammable fluids was highly plausible. Navigating the medical personnel who questioned his refusal of certain medications was tougher.

“No pain meds,” he said for what seemed like the millionth time. This time it was to the ER doctor and not a nurse or PA.

“You’re going to be in a lot of pain when the adrenaline wears off,” Dr. Laurens said in her matter-of-fact voice.

“It will remind me that I’m alive,” Felix countered.

A dark eyebrow went up.

“My mother is an addict.”

Not was. Is. Addiction wasn’t a hobby; it was a disease. Kelly told him the cravings would go away, and she’d celebrate turning a corner. Then she’d wake up one day, and they’d be back with a vengeance. The battle to stay on the right path would be harder. Once Kelly caught onto addiction’s evil games, it got easier for her to manage the highs and the lows. Once she had accepted the road before her would never be easy, the twists and turns became easier for Kelly to navigate.

“A person can learn from someone else’s mistakes.” There was no scorn in Felix’s voice, only open honesty.

“How do you feel about using anti-bacterial cream with lidocaine?” Dr. Laurens asked.