Page 3 of Viper (The Dark Angel’s MC #4)
Lake – Age Twenty Four
“Oh god I’m going to die aren’t I?” the teenager with wild ginger hair cries and I bite my tongue to stop my laughter. My colleague turns his head to hide his, though his shoulders shaking kind of gives him away, so he’s lucky the girl’s green eyes are on her foot instead of him.
Mary is our fifth call this morning and by far she’s the most dramatic and honestly, I love my job, I really do.
Helping people is a passion of mine since I was seven and my dad cut his hand open at work and I got to try and bandage it up for him.
I thought being an EMT would be the perfect way for me to gain experience before looking further into going to medical school but it’s patients like these that really test my loyalty to becoming a doctor.
She’s eighteen but is acting like an eight year old right now.
“You’re not going to die,” I say professionally before clearing my throat, my chuckle really wanting to come out as I gently peel off the tissue she’s placed on her big toe and see her nail barely hanging on, a little bit of blood surrounding it.
Apparently she slipped on a crack on the side walk and ended up pulling her nail up from where her big toe had caught on the crack.
This kind of injury, she could have gone to the local doctor but the woman is clearly a hypochondriac, a dramatic one at that and called 911 claiming to be bleeding out. Imagine our surprise that this is what we pulled up to with sirens, flashing lights and all our equipment.
“How do you even know, you’re only an EMT!” she snaps.
Ouch.
“I know because your bleeding has already stopped and the fact I’ve just completed my degree and am getting ready to start medical school in a few weeks,” I reply calmer than my partner is looking right now, his brown eyes narrowing at the woman’s, his laughter gone.
I love my job , I repeat in my head before I continue, “You’ve managed to rip your toenail off but it will grow back.
Now, because the nail is just hanging on, I’m not going to touch it.
It needs to fall off on its own but I want you to watch for infection which will be signs of increased pain, swelling, or pus.
If you have any of that then you need to seek medical attention from your local doctor,” I look at her as I finish, “Okay?”
She glares at me then snaps loudly, “I want to go to hospital right now and see a professional!”
The people in the street that are walking past hold in their chuckles while I just tilt my head at her wondering what planet this woman actually lives on.
I don’t take her, she makes a complaint, I do take her, the hospital will be pissed.
Hmmm, decisions, decisions….
“Alright,” I say as I stand and Callum stutters, “Wait Lake –“ but I cut him off and say to a smiley Mary, “Can you confirm that you have health insurance please?”
Callum snorts but coughs to cover it seeing where I’m going while the patient’s face pales.
“Are you on your parents?” I push and she swallows hard then stammers, “I-Insurance?”
I hum and reply, “Yes insurance because without it, the ambulance coming out to see to you is over four hundred dollars already, add in a ride to the hospital then the bill after you’ve been seen by a ‘professional’ who will tell you exactly what I told you would push the bill up in the thousands.”
Callum begins packing up the equipment knowing we are not taking this girl anywhere while trying to hide his laughter.
Mary swallows, her throat visibly bobbing before she quickly grabs her phone out of her bright pink hang bag and I cross my arms over my chest waiting as she presses on the screen a few times then puts the device to her ear.
“Daddy, I uh, am I on your insurance?” she stammers a few seconds later.
I hear, “No darling, we’re currently switching providers why?”
Uh oh.
Callum chuckles seeing her freeze as he passes us and she admits, “I fell and-and tore off my toenail.”
“Please fucking tell me you didn’t go to the hospital for that?” I hear him snap and she swallows again before admitting, “No, I-I called an ambulance out.”
She pulls the phone away from her ear as her dad shouts while mine beeps and I quickly check it.
My Girls – Raya: Venom is a dick, I want nothing to do with his ass! xx
I snort and quickly type back.
My Girls – Me: More like you want his dick and don’t try and pull the wool over our eyes, your crush turned into more ages ago xx
Grinning, I press send feeling proud of my reply despite the fact I haven’t lost my virginity yet but being homeschooled would do that to you.
Heck, I only know Raya and got close with her because of Mama Lopez, something she demanded I call her after she became the female role model I lacked in my life.
After that fateful day I realized my dad was right about Cherri.
She got me in touch with Skylar who she had been raising without the club knowing, and Ivy earlier this year, claiming I’m too much of a homebody. Ivy then got me in touch with Raya and we’ve all been close since.
Ivy is Venom’s sister, the brother Raya is currently lying about hating while Skylar is the Prez’s sister but wants nothing to do with him or the club.
After she had found out Mama Lopez was not only raped which was planned by her bio mama but had been treated like crap every day since, she vowed never to give them the time of day.
I haven’t spoken to Brick since finding out that little bit of information.
“But daddy, it was bleeding!” Mary snaps with a cry as my phone beeps again.
I shake my head at the idiot girl and check it.
My Girls – Ivy: I literally just spat my drink all over a customer, thanks Lake xx
I chuckle, I can’t help it and I quickly type back.
My Girl – Me: Oh I would have loved to have seen that xx
I press send as Mary screeches and I swallow a groan. This woman is going to cause trouble, I can just see it.
Ivy has been in love with Psycho, the club’s VP for as long as she can remember.
They hooked up but the next morning he claimed it was a mistake breaking her heart thinking she deserved more than him like a dickhead.
Now she’s making a massive mistake, agreeing to marrying Hayden, the group leader to the Hyenas for her mama who has claimed to have had cancer and needed the money.
She didn’t have health insurance and didn’t want to go to her husband who she left after he messed around with a clubwhore.
If only she’d speak to Psycho…
My phone beeps again and I grin at the middle finger Ivy has sent me before it beeps again and I shake my head.
My Girls – Skylar: I think you should just bone him and get it over and done with.
My phone beeps instantly and I chuckle.
My Girl – Ivy: Eww gross that is my brother!
“But Daddy please…” I hear Mary beg and I sigh and quickly type a message back.
My Girl – Me: She has a point….. right gotta go, I have an eighteen year old who thinks she’s dying from a torn off toenail
I press send and put my phone back away before crossing my arms as Mary cries, “I need to go to hospital.”
I hear, “No you fucking don’t!” replied.
“Yes I do!” she screeches and I groan suddenly regretting missing my coffee this morning.
“Lake why don’t you pop into the café and grab two coffees,” Callum says reading my mind, “I’ll try to figure this out.”
She screeches again and I raise a brow at the man and ask, “You sure?”
He side eyes her before clearing his throat and says, “No, but go before I change my mind.”
I laugh as I quickly do as he says, not looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Looking both ways, I cross the road when clear of cars, Mary’s screams echoing behind me making me wince. I turn my head to look back at them and she her stomping her foot – her bad one – while Callum hands her a pamphlet on what to look for an infection.
I snort before I gasp as two strong hands grip my shoulders.
“Woah,” a deep voice says and I turn my head locking eyes with vibrant hazel ones. I swallow hard as my stomach tightens.
Damn his eyes are intense.
Electric shocks rush through me from his touch before he quickly lets go of me and I suddenly feel cold which is definitely weird.
Another screech echoes and I turn slightly to see a pedestrian holding Mary back from attacking Callum who is packing away the rest of our stuff.
“Ah crap,” I mutter before looking back at the man whose eyes are now on the scene, his brows furrowed.
I clear my throat and admit, “She called 911 claiming to be bleeding out when all she did was tear her toenail.”
Why…why did I just say that.
Dammit.
I face slap my forehead and the guy chuckles which goes straight through me.
“I’m guessing that is what had your focus?” he asks, his voice so deep I can feel it in my bones and my lady bits tingle.
Crap, get it together Lake!
“Uh yeah,” I reply as I look at him, actually taking in his appearance this time and damn…
Tank top stretched across his muscular chest that shows all his tattoos on his arms and collar bone, jeans and messy blond hair.
I swallow hard before clearing my throat and I apologize, “I’m sorry I nearly bumped into you.”
He gives me a tilted smile making him look boyish before he replies, “That’s alright, having a patient like that is a good excuse.”
I nod and he gives me a finger salute before walking over to a dark green car and I blink.
Disappointment fills me that he isn’t making conversation, something I haven’t had before.
“You need to start taking more risks Lake, go out more than just for work, make friends, date…”
Mama Lopez’s words when she brought the girls into my life come back.
I was hesitant with them because I don’t trust the club, except for Mama Lopez. But this man isn’t club and he is a damn fine man at that.
I take a deep breath. All he can do is say no, right?
Twitching my nose, I mumble, “Screw it,” and quickly walk over to the man.
I’m attracted to him and I don’t know, maybe I may actually like dating.
“Hey uh…” I say when close as he opens his car door and looks my way with a brow raise.
I clear my throat because well he never gave me his name and wringing my hands together, a tick I never grew out of when scared or nervous, I say, “I’ve never actually done this before but I was uh, wondering if you’d like to go out for a drink later? ”
Both his brows hit his hairline in shock and I suck in a breath and hold it.
Please don’t say no….