Page 121 of The First Cut

“I’ll call the doctor back in a second to check you over now you’re awake, but all things considered, you were really fucking lucky, doll.”

“I don’t feel lucky. I feel like I got run over by a bus.”

He leans down and smooths the hair off my face. “You’re going to be sore for a while yet, but I’ll make that bastard pay for every mark he left on you.”

“I know you will.” I squeeze his hand. “Tell me the rest.”

“You have a nasty concussion, but the rest of the damage is mostly superficial. You’re covered from head to toe in bruises, some places worse than others, like your throat and face.Once the swelling goes down, you won’t feel quite so tender. Miraculously, you have no broken bones or fractures. You have some minor internal bleeding, which the doctors are keeping an eye on. As it stands right now, they don’t think you’ll need surgery. But as a precaution, you need to stay in here for the next few days so they can monitor you.”

I sigh. “I just want to go home. I don’t want to stay here without you.”

“If you think I’d let you sleep here alone after everything that happened, you’re out of your goddamn mind.”

Something settles inside me. I want to feel strong and bold, especially after I fought Driller and not only survived, but held my own against him. But I just feel vulnerable and, if I’m honest, a little breakable. Logically, I might know I’m safe, but until the man is dead, I don’t think I’ll ever stop looking over my shoulder.

“How did he even get in, and who was it I shot?” I stop abruptly as the door is pushed open, and a tired-looking Gunther walks through with a cup holder full of drinks. Behind him are Elmo and Ferris. I tensely wait for some kind of condemnation, but all I see are looks of relief and guilt.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Gunther offers me a gentle smile, handing the drinks off to Hannibal so he can give me a gentle hug.

“It’s good we’re in the hospital, Gunther. It means when I rip off your arms for touching my woman, you won’t have far to go to get help.”

Gunther chuckles, but he pulls back and looks me over, his eyes eventually settling on mine. “I won’t lie, Lola. You look like shit.”

I laugh at his unexpected words as Elmo shoves him aside.

“This is why you’re single, Gunther. You don’t tell a woman she looks like shit, even if she does.”

I shake my head at their ridiculousness, then groan when I remember why shaking my head is a bad idea.

“Shit, sorry, Lola,” Elmo apologizes before pressing a kiss to my forehead, ignoring the snarl coming from Hannibal.

“Glad to see you’re okay,” Ferris adds from across the room. I look toward the sound of his voice and just make out him giving me a nod.

“You got an update for me?” Hannibal asks as everyone grabs a seat, except Ferris, who stays by the door.

“Both dogs were drugged.”

“Oh my god.”

“They’re okay. The vet is keeping them overnight just to be on the safe side, but he doesn’t see there being any lasting issues.”

“Shit, I never even gave them a thought.” Hannibal curses. “I should have realized something was wrong when they didn’t chase after us trying to get to the house.”

“Cut yourself some slack, we had a lot going on.” Ferris tells him before looking to me. “The guy Lola killed was Manny.”

I gasp. Can’t say I was a fan of the guy in the beginning. He might not have been outwardly hostile toward me, but he was always sucking up to Driller, so I kept out of his way. It’s only since Hannibal became president that he’s been nice to me. Damn it, I knew it was fake. He gave me the same ick feeling that Khan did.

“Khan gave you an ick feeling?” Elmo says with interest.

“Crap, I didn’t mean to say all of that out loud. And it doesn’t matter. Manny?—”

“Broke into your home,” Ferris says softly. “He wasn’t there to protect you, Lola, he was there with Driller.”

“But what if Driller was forcing him?”

“There isn’t a fucking thing Driller could have threatened me with that would ever have me laying a hand on you,” Gunther grunts.

“But not everyone thinks that way, do they?”