Page 13 of Dark Alleys

I lit up a smoke and closed my eyes while I decided what to do with the long night ahead. It was close to midnight, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep, even with the strong meds.

A glance at the bloody bandage told me there’d been some oozing and by morning I’d need a new one. Impossible to do on my own.

I might have to go back to the clinic and get the nurse to do it.

While I thought about that, and tried to forget about the pain, I almost dozed off.

Until the pounding started.

Comfortable at last in my chair, I hated to get up, but I had to stop the noise. “I’m coming. Stop fuckin’ pounding on my goddamned door.”

I glanced through the peephole and saw Brandy’s scratched up face screaming at me. She was going to wake up my landlord and get me kicked out of a place I loved.

I unlocked the door, jerked it open and grabbed her by the arm. “You get down those steps and leave me alone or I’m gonna call the cops and have you arrested for soliciting.”

Brandy sobbed and I wanted to push her down the steps in the worst way, but I couldn’t do it. Against my better judgement, I let her in just to stop the noise.

“Shut the hell up, Brandy. I don’t want you here. I’ve got to sleep, and I’m sleeping alone. What don’t you get about that? Are you fuckin’ brain dead?”

By this time more blood had seeped through the bandage and Brandy saw it. “I’m sorry Lukas. I didn’t know you were hurt so bad.”

“Now you know, so please go home and leave me alone. I’ve had more from you than I can take in one day.”

I opened the door, and she left without making any more fuss.

I locked up, turned out the lights and moaned as I lay down on my messed-up bed.

Chapter Four

Thursday, June 5th.

Riverside District. Austin.

I woke up in a blood bath again this morning, and I had no spare sheets or blankets. My laundry hadn’t been done from the day before and I kind of wished I was in my room at my Aunt Gail’s house where she did everything for me—but that was my other life.

In Cherrywood, I was Lukas Donovan, but not here in Riverside. Here, I was Lukas Weaver, undercover cop—no ties and no family. I was completely on my own.

I had bled a lot during the night and then rolled in my own blood while I was sleeping. Patches of crimson were randomly splattered and dried, all over my body. What a fuckin’ mess.

Like a pig rolling in fuckin’ mud.

Jesus.

I spent an hour in the bathroom cleaning up blood.

After that ordeal ended, I shoved all my laundry into a black trash bag and headed out. I’d find coffee and breakfast first and then sit in the laundromat and rest my broken body until the job was done.

A solid plan.

Riverside Medical Clinic. Austin.

My arm was causing me so much pain, I figured there was a problem, so I drove by the clinic to let the nurse have a look at it.

“How is the healing coming along?” asked the nurse.

“Not so good. Could you have a look at it for me and possibly change the bandage? I’ve been cleaning up a lot of blood.”

“The bleeding should’ve stopped by now,” she said. “Let’s go look at your arm in one of the treatment rooms.”

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