Page 224 of Reaper

Then.

Then I can enact my vengeance on Zac.

Chapter 85

Lark

AfterI’vechangedandfreshened up a bit, Anthony carries me down to Doc’s medical room and sets me down on the bed. Patch is rummaging through the cabinets and starts setting things out on a tray for Doc. As for Doc, he carefully takes off my sock and a slight pain runs through my foot when he pulls my sock loose from the dried blood. Instantly, I can feel fresh blood oozing out of the cuts.

After a few moments, Doc nods.

“Well, it looks like they were both clean cuts and I don’t see any glass in either one. I do see a lot of dirt in both of them, though. We’ll get it all cleaned up but you’ll need to keep a very close eye on them for an infection. If you notice the wound becoming red, puffy, or starting to seep puss, come and see me,” Doc says as he takes a few alcohol packets from Patch. I wince when he starts cleaning it, but I don’t pull away. This needs to be done. I just hate how much it stings.

“Will she need stitches?” Anthony asks and I hold my breath as I wait for Doc to answer. Please say no.

He shakes his head and I exhale in relief. “No, they aren’t that bad. I’ll use a bit of skin glue and that should take care of everything.”

I look up at Anthony, a silent question in my eyes and bite my lip nervously while I wait for his reply.

“Will she be able to walk on it?” he asks Doc, but he doesn’t look away from me.

“Yes, she will be able to walk but I recommend staying off her foot as much as possible since the cuts are near the ball of her foot. The motion of walking normally could cause the wounds to repeatedly reopen and prolong the healing.” Doc’s hand pauses mid-stroke with the alcohol wipe before looking up at Anthony. They seem to have a silent conversation and after a while, Doc finally nods. “It will need to be wrapped to protect it against anything that might get into it.”

Excitement and anticipation bubbles up inside me. Is he going to allow me to do it?

“Do you think you can manage to wear your boots for a little while, Darlin’?

Instantly, I nod. “Yeah, I’ll just be careful with how I walk to try and not disturb the wounds or the glue. I’ll keep most of my weight on my other leg as much as possible.”

Anthony steps up to me and cups my cheeks, his calloused thumbs rubbing back and forth on my cheeks. “If things get too heavy or if the pain gets to be too much, tell me and I’ll get you upstairs.”

My resolve hardens as I think about Zac and the others, and I nod. “I will, but I don’t think that will happen. I want to make them pay for what they did to me and for what they would have done to me.”

His eyes gleam with approval and the corner of his lips twitch as he winks at me. “Knew you were perfect for me, Darlin’.”

Frowning, I think back to that guy. “Do you have a picture of X? I wonder if the guy I saw was really him.”

Anthony starts to shake his head but then stops. “I don’t but Python does. Just a second, Darlin’.”

He texts Python and after a few moments, his phone dings. He hands me his phone and I flip through the pictures as I nod. “It’s him. He was there.”

My knuckles turn white as I grip the phone hard.

X.

One of the men who was responsible for everything Mae went through.

One of the men who was responsible for a lot of what Mary went through since her so-called uncle, Diego, was in partnership with him.

And the man that wanted to steal my child away from me should his and Zac’s plans succeed.

I hand Anthony back his phone and grip the edges of the bed as I try to process and sort through my thoughts. Anthony leans against the bed and I lean into him, letting his warmth and strong arms soothe me while Doc works on cleaning out my wounds. Then, once my skin is dry, he applies the glue. A couple of minutes later when the glue is dry, he wraps my foot so that no… ahem… bodily fluids… can get into them. When he’s done, I carefully slide my foot into my boot but then pause as I take a closer look at them. These are the boots I was wearing earlier today. I know they weren’t in the warehouse, so where were they?

“Where’d you find my boots?”

Anthony fishes something out of his pocket and I’m relieved when he hands me back my phone. The screen is slightly scratched, but other than that, it’s surprisingly undamaged.

“Zac tossed your phone and boots out along the road from the tavern back into town. I grabbed your purse, cut, and jacket from your office. They’re in my office right now.”