Page 7 of Nails
Russell laughed at her grumbling and shook his head.“Come on, tough girl.I’ll take you to the hospital myself.”
“But…” She looked at Ryan, hoping he would save her, but he just smirked.She shot him a glare, which then made him laugh.She turned her attention to Russell, who just arched an eyebrow as if saying,“Don’t even try it.”
She knew there was no getting out of it.
The hospital doors parted, and Riley emerged with Russell at her side.She welcomed the crisp spring air against her face, thankful to finally be outside after spending hours confined to the emergency room, surrounded by the sharp scent of antiseptic.
Every muscle in her body throbbed with fatigue, the ache in her chest a constant reminder of the bullet that hadn’t broken her skin but had still knocked the life out of her.Overall, she was sore, exhausted, but alive.
Apparently, the doctors didn’t play around when a bullet slammed into someone’s chest, even though they were wearing a vest.Nine hours.That’s how long she’d been stuck in the ER, stretched out under bright lights, while the doctors ran every test and scan imaginable to make sure nothing was wrong.And of course, Russell had insisted on staying the entire time, hovering like a dad on prom night to make sure she didn’t argue her way out of the ER before she was cleared.Stubborn was her specialty, but today, she let him win.
She glanced at him now, a wry smile tugging at her lips.“Are you happy?I let them poke and prod without a single complaint.”
Russell shot her a look.“You may have kept your mouth shut, but if eye-rolling were a medical emergency, you’d be in the ICU right now.”
Riley laughed, but it quickly turned into a hiss of pain as she clutched her chest.“Shit!Okay, laughing hurts.You’re a menace.”
Russell grinned.“Yeah?Well, next time I’ll bring a clown and a medic.One to entertain you, the other to put you back together from giggling.”
She shot him a look through narrowed eyes, still smiling.“You’re the worst.”
“Maybe,” he shrugged.“But I’m also the one who stopped you from telling the doctor to go fuck himself when he suggested that they keep you overnight for observation.So, technically, I’m a hero.”
Riley grinned, remembering that moment.Russell wasn’t lying.She almost did say that.
His black SUV came into view, and Riley climbed in carefully, adjusting her seatbelt so it wouldn’t sit too hard against her chest.
Russell slid into the driver’s seat.As he started the engine, he glanced over at her.
“Do you want me to take you home?I can have one of the guys bring your Jeep to you?”
“Nah.Just take me back to the office.I’ll be okay to drive.”
The look he was giving her made Riley think that he was going to say no.But he surprised her.
“All right.But your ass better go straight home and rest.That was the doctor’s orders.”
She gave him a deadpan stare.“Define rest.”
He snorted, shaking his head.“Don’t make me do it, Riley,” he warned.
“Do what?”
“Place you on paid leave.House arrest, even.I’ll put a goddamn ankle monitor on you if I have to.”
She chuckled, but then winced.“Ow.Okay, okay.Easy on the jokes.I promise that I’ll rest.”
He gave her a smirk but said nothing more as they pulled out of the lot.
The hum of the tires on the road gave her just enough quiet to let her mind drift back to the raid and the moment she felt the impact of the bullet.For a heartbeat, she literally thought that was it, that she was going to die.
“Feels weird, doesn’t it?”Russell asked, his voice softer now.
“What?”she asked, not fully understanding what he was asking.
“Surviving what you did.”
She nodded slowly.“Yeah.It wasn’t the pain at first.It was the force, and then the pain followed.I seriously was waiting for my heart to stop.”
