Page 89 of Harmless
“Nicely done, Dev,” I overheard the woman say as the two of them ran past me yet again.
“Can’t say I’ve ever hit my target while runningandhauling a sack of potatoes before, but there’s a first time for everything.”
“Excuse you, I am not a mere sack of potatoes.”
“Right, you’re a sack of potatoes that’s bleeding all over me.”
What in the everloving fuck had Devin and Santos gotten into since they were taken from here?
“Oh, thank fuck, there’s Torr,” the woman said, hissing through her pain.
Another man ran up to her and Devin, who transferred the woman to him. “What the hell happened?” asked the new guy.
“Oh nothing,” the woman deadpanned. “The guy we’re rescuing just decided to shoot me.”
“What?!” He looked ready to set the woman down and take me on himself.
“I’ll handle Hudson, you take her,” Devin said. “You signal the others yet?”
“Yeah, they’re coming. She’s not fucking riding like this, though.”
The woman waved him off. “I’ll be fine for a few miles.”
“Like hell you will be,” the other guy argued. “Let me drive your ride.”
“Fine,” she grimaced, wincing as she became even paler.
I had no regrets about shooting her, but everyone else was looking at me like I’d committed some kind of capital offense.
“What are we doing with him?” The guy jerked his chin at me, staring daggers in my direction.
“I’m keeping an eye on him,” Devin said, also glaring at me. “You cool if Santos rides your bike solo? That way Hudson stays with me, and you and Rori can double up on hers.”
“Sure, that’s fuckin’ peachy.”
It was like listening to a foreign language, and as growling engines became increasingly louder, I knew I was about to enter a world of serious culture shock.
30
RORI
It turned out to be a good thing that I didn’t drive myself. My lower leg was numb by the time we made it to the clearing where we’d camped the night before. If Torr hadn’t insisted I keep my leg elevated and in his lap, I wondered if I might have passed out from blood loss.
Our campfire was still there, the circle of stones and ashes within a testament to how recently we’d been here. Was it only two days ago?
Torr circled around the campfire to face the others, cut the engine on my bike, and waited for everyone else to do the same. “We’re not staying,” he announced. “No more than an hour. Have a bite, take a piss, stretch your legs. But we’re going straight to the safe houses after this.”
Santos came over to help Torr get me off the bike, despite my effort to wave him off. “I’m okay. I’m okay, really—aw, fuck!”
The second my heel touched the ground, fiery hot pain lanced up my leg and the guys gave me patronizing I-told-you-so looks.
“Get Val over here,” Torr ordered, bracing my dead weight against his body. “She’ll know what to do.”
While Santos left to do just that, Torr had me lean against the bike while he got out a blanket to spread on the ground. He also pulled out a fifth of vodka, and I would’ve swayed if I wasn’t already hanging over the seat. That shit was gonna hurt.
“Come here.” Torr manipulated me like a doll, letting me hang all over him while he eased me down to the blanket with the least amount of impact.
“Look at that, you get to save me for once.” I grimaced.
