Page 6 of Lure

“Still hurts,” I admitted, sliding past the idea that I needed to clean up too, especially since my back was sticky. “Hurts a lot.”

“Keep hydrating,” Alphabet advised as he studied his arms before wiping them down again. He glanced over at me. “Sit on the ground if you need it or sit in the back of the van. I don’t want you to fall or pass out.”

I’d have argued that I wasn’t likely to pass out, but somehow, I didn’t have it in me to pick the fight. With Goblin planted next to me, I took a seat on the hard packed earth. The dog leaned into me, his tongue lolling in that happy grin he wore.

With a sigh, I glanced back at Alphabet as I took another swallow of water. He wore a gun strapped to his hip. I somehow doubted he planned to change his jeans out here. Hopefully, they weren’t as bloody.

I avoided looking at his crotch as I swept my gaze lower and then froze. “Oh my god…”

“What?” He was two strides away from the van and the gun that had been holstered was now in his hand. He swept the area with a look before he focused on me. Even Goblin had gone still and alert next to me. “What did you see?”

“You have a knife in your leg—and your foot.” I gawked at him. There was no mistaking the hilt that jutted upwards from his boot and lower shin. How the hell was he even walking around like… “I don’t really know first aid, but we need to do something.”

There was a brief pause as Alphabet glanced down at his leg and then back at me. “Oh. That’s not a problem.” His faint smile held no amusement or comfort. “I thought something was really wrong.”

He slid the gun away with a sigh, then made a flat hand motion and Goblin went back to panting and relaxed against me.

“Nota problem?” I stared at him. “You have aknifein your foot.” Yes, my head was killing me but was heinsane?

“Easy, Gracie,” Alphabet said, making that same flat hand gesture even as his voice took on a soothing note. “Come here.”

“Why?” Instantly suspicious, I put the cap back on the water bottle.

“I’d say trust me, but I know we’ve lost a few steps there. So just come here and I’ll show you why it’s not a problem.”

He was going to show me why…

Maybe I’d just taken one too many blows over the past few days, or the latest concussion had knocked something loose in my brain. Pushing up from the ground, I rose carefully.

Hand extended, he took a step toward me and I had to repress a shudder at the fact he was putting weight on that leg. Still, I took a beat to make sure I wasn’t going to fall on my face before I headed toward him.

Goblin trotted next to me, seemingly unconcerned. Once I made it to the back of the van, Alphabet backed up a couple of steps and motioned to me to sit. At my bland stare, he gazed back—waiting.

Right, if I wanted to know, I had to cooperate. “I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but I’m really not good with orders.”

“You’re not?” He even managed to sound scandalized. “Total shocker, Gracie-girl.” I rolled my eyes and sat.

“Ass.”

“Sometimes,” he said, and this time there was a real hint of humor in his smile. “Now, take a breath. The knife is fine and I kind of forgot it was there.”

How the hell did youforgetsomething like that?

He braced his foot on the back of the open van next to me. Yes, it gave me awonderfulup close and personal view of the hilt of the blade, the bloody smears on the handle and the fact that his jeans did have blood on them—only none near his lower leg or foot.

“Gonna yank it out,” he warned me about two seconds before he jerked the blade out. It took some effort for him to get it out and there had to have been four or five inches of steel embedded in him.

No blood sprayed.

He didn’t make a sound.

And the knife was out.

“Like I said, not a problem,” Alphabet said. When I lifted my gaze to him, he set the knife aside and then rolled up his pant leg to reveal the prosthetic beneath. “See?”

Chapter

Three

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