Page 17 of Spider
They halted and looked at me, Bear’s look clearly saying he thought I was losing my mind.
“You need to lie flat.”Bear folded his arms and his jaw went tense, as if he were expecting a fight.He would get one too, if he insisted I go to my room down the hall.
“Not in that damn bed I don’t.”
I heard booted steps, then Fox peered down at me.“Not the bed?”
“No.”
He tipped his head to the side and then understanding lit his eyes.“Right.Lay him out on the bar.Won’t be comfortable, but Dread can get to him easily there.Once he’s patched up, we’ll worry about getting him home.”
“Should we call Ryker?”Shooter asked.
“Not dying, you fuckers.”My voice was getting weaker.I could tell I was losing too much blood.Cold was seeping into me, and it felt like my heart was racing.Shit.“Get Luciana.”
Fox’s jaw tightened, but he nodded.
“On it,” Slider said.
“Dread is on his way,” Shooter said.“Just hang in there, Pres.We’ll have you patched up in no time.Then that pretty little woman of yours can give you sponge baths and shit.”
I managed to lift my arm enough to flip him off, but what should have taken no effort at all made me feel like I’d just run a damn marathon.
“What the fuck did he do now?”I heard Dread’s voice boom through the room.
“Got shot.Twice,” Fox said.
Dread glared at me and shook his head.“You take too many fucking chances with your life, Pres.You have other priorities now.Can’t be rushing off into danger.”
“Fuck you,” I mumbled.
“Stay with me.”Dread checked my pulse, then shined one of those damn pen lights in my eyes.
Someone lifted me enough to ease my cut off and I fought to remain conscious.Dread pulled out some scissors and cut my shirt off, then let out a long whistle.
“Through and through in the shoulder.”Dread prodded the area.
“Got shot in the back too,” Bear said.
Dread rolled me onto my side and the silence was telling enough.I could feel the cold wetness on my skin and knew it was a fuck ton of blood.Mine.
“This is going to hurt.”And that was all the warning I had.I bellowed out my pain and rage as he tried to work the bullet out of my body.It felt like forever before I heard the wet suction of the bullet popping free of my skin.“Missed the important things in there.You got lucky.”
“Just stitch me up and shut up,” I said.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood,” Dread said.
He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t know already, but a hospital was out of the damn question.They’d notify the police, and then I’d have other problems to deal with.No, I’d recover at home like I always did.
“Spider!”I wanted to turn toward Luciana’s voice, but Dread’s hand, along with Shooter and Fox, kept me immobile.The hole in my back burned like shit when Dread poured something over it.Likely alcohol.
“How close are you to passing out?”Dread asked.
“Not close enough,” I said.
“No drugs.Not until we’re done.I need you alert, which means…”
“Just do it,” I said.
