Page 13 of Ozzie

“Nothing happened! I slept in your bed and then got up to make coffee before my shower. That’s it.”

Durango frowns. “You slept in my bed?”

“Jesus! What is with everyone?”

“Well, it is kind of personal,” Axel says.

Durango stands up, and I tense at what’s coming. “Look, I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. When I asked you to keep an eye on her while I was gone, I didn’t mean you needed to stay here. And I certainly don’t want you walking around here in your underwear ever again. Now, go put on some pants.”

Before he changes his mind, I rush to his bedroom and get dressed. When I return to the kitchen, all three of them are sitting at the table. Piper looks miserable as Durango and Axel joke about something.

Piper must not have told her cousin about John yet because he wouldn’t be smiling if she had. Whatever Axel has said, he seems to have changed Durango’s mood completely. Maybe he could be a mediator for us. I decide this is the best time to bring up dating Piper. Before she tells Durango about John.

“Durango, there’s something Piper and I wanted to talk to you about,” I say as I sit in the last chair.

Piper sits up straighter. “I got blood all over his car and can’t afford to have it cleaned. Can I borrow money from you?”

Durango looks at me, and that’s when Piper shakes her head. As much as I don’t like going with her lie, I don’t have a choice.

“Hey, I told you not to worry about that. I’ll take care of it.”

Durango’s grin drops. “How did she get blood all over your car?”

She tells him about John trying to kidnap her and howshe fought him off. Then about the ambulance prioritizing John.

“What the fuck?” Durango asks. “The medics thought John was a higher priority than a gunshot?”

“They thought he might have a brain bleed or something,” Piper says.

“That’s why I took her to the hospital in my car,” I say. “And no one needs to worry about the blood. What you need to worry about, Piper, is healing fast.”

I turn to Durango. “And we need to keep an eye on John. He’s in the hospital but being released and transferred to jail sometime today.”

Durango leans back and shakes his head. “I hope so, but his family is pretty well connected. I’m glad I’m home now. Thank God it was a short assignment. I wish I had known. I wouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about you two.”

I stifle my chuckle. He still would have jumped.

Axel leans forward. “You’re protective of your cousin, but would it really be so bad if she ended up with one of us?”

I freeze, waiting for Durango’s answer.

He stares at the table, then up at Axel. “Yeah, it would. By one of us, you mean you or Ozzie because you are the only other single guys. Both of you are too old for her. And I’ve been Ozzie’s wingman plenty of times. He’s a player.”

Piper’s eyes are glassy as she struggles to hide her emotions.

“Huh. I don’t think Ozzie’s even tried to pick up a woman in over a year.”

I’ll have to thank Axel for trying later. While he’sworried about me getting hurt by Piper, he’s still going to bat for me.

“How the hell would you know if he picked up a woman lately?” Durango asks.

Axel grins. “Because whenever either of us gets free time, we playMortal Kombat,and based on his standing, that’s about all he’s been doing.”

Durango rolls his eyes. “I need some sleep. You two can go. Piper will be safe with me. I’ll check on John’s whereabouts later today.”

He walks back to his bedroom, grumbling about having to change the sheets. Once he’s out of earshot, I stand up.

“Thanks for trying, Axel.”

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