Page 113 of Seduction

Her name is past my lips before I even open my eyes.

“I’m here, Jon. I’m okay.”

My lids flutter open, her face the first thing I see when my vision comes into focus. She’s okay. We saved her.

“You’re going to be okay, too. Dr. Manning is working on your wounds.”

“You’re lucky, Emerson,” Darren speaks above me. “The vest stopped most of them. Bullets didn’t hit anything vital. I got them out, just need to stitch you up. You lost a lot of blood, though.”

Thank God. Iwaslucky. Shit.

“Allah?”

“Sorry, man. Nothing I could do for him. He took one in the throat. He was gone before he even got here.”

Fuck.

My brother’s death weighs on my mind as the darkness pulls me under once more.

***

Jo-on… you need to wake up….

Ellen’s voice slowly brings me into consciousness. She’s next to me on the bed, leaning over me, eyes wide and glassy.

She’s high as fuck.

Darren must have given her some good meds. Me, on the other hand? My arm and back are on fire.

“You’re awake!” She hops off the bed. “I’m gonna get Gage!”

She scurries from the room, returning seconds later with her brother. He has a small pouch in his hand, from which he removes a hypodermic needle. With a devious smirk, he moves toward me.

“In pain?” he asks.

“You’ve been shot before. What do you think?”

“Darren gave me this for you, but I’m contemplating if I should. Pain builds character, you know.”

“Fuck you, asshole. Give me the drugs.”

Chuckling, he injects it into the IV attached to my arm. “You need anything?”

“How long I been out?”

“Two days.”

“Shit. I’m starving. Could use a shower, too.”

“Food I can help you with. You’re on your own with the shower.”

“I can help with that!” Ellen exclaims, jumping back onto the bed.

Gage shakes his head in amusement. “I’ll get you something to eat, brother.”

By the time he leaves the room, the drugs have started to kick in. I lie back, letting them do their work.

“You’ve been sleeping fortwodays. I missed you.”