Page 114 of Riot's Thorn
“What does green mean?” Parker asks.
Bones wraps her swollen ankle. “It can mean a few things. Let’s see. . . transformation, growth”—he glances over at me—“falling in love.”
“Fuck me,” I curse. “Can you hurry up please? I’d like to get her home.”
The biker everyone says looks like a white biker Jesus cackles. “Yeah, yeah. She’s almost done.”
Parker presses an ice pack to her lower lip and winces as she takes in the room.“You run your practice out of a weed shop?”
“Yes and no. I technically am a private practice doctor, but the only patients I see are these idiots when they get themselves hurt. Other than that, I run Dope and grow my own crop out back. You’ll have to come check it out sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” Bones stands, his chunky silver jewelry clanking. “Since I don’t have an X-ray, I need to make sure you know everything I’ve told you is just my best guess. If you run a fever or start feeling sick, get to the hospital. The antibiotics I gave you should keep your leg from getting infected, but keep the wound clean and dry. If the swelling in your. . . well, if everything doesn’t go down or you don’t feel significantly better by the end of next week, you should get to the doctor. Again, I don’t think anything’s broken, but I can’t say for sure.”
“Okay, I think I’m fine. Now that everything is stabilized, I feel much better,” Parker says while I crack every bone in my body trying not to come out of my skin. Seeing her all beat up is testing the limits of my control. I need to talk to Killer about the next name on her list because I have some rage to let loose.
“I can get some pain meds if you need them, but I’d try some of this to start. It’ll keep your body relaxed so you can heal.” Bones hands her a bag full of joints. “You ever smoke weed before?”
“No,” she says, her cheeks heating, as if she’s embarrassed about it.
He turns to me. “Share a blunt with the girl. You could use a couple puffs yourself. Maybe it’ll loosen you up a bit.”
“Yeah, okay,” I say, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, proving his point.
It’s been years since Bones pulled me aside and asked me about some of the things he noticed—mainly my anxiety and anger, but he also asked me about sleep and my social interactions. After that conversation, he handed me a bag of flower and taught me how to make spliffs.
I haven’t been smoking much since Parker came into my life, so that’s probably why I’ve been feeling less in control of my emotions. With everything that’s happened, I should’ve been upping my intake, not lessening it. This is a good time to get backinto the habit, though I think Parker would appreciate it if I left out the tobacco.
“Hey, Parker?” Rebel, one of her security detail, pops her head inside the room. “We’re going to take off unless you need anything else?”
“No, I’m all good. Thank you. Tell the guys I said thanks too.”
“It was no problem. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry we weren’t able to keep you safe. You trusted us, and we let you down.”
“There was nothing you guys could’ve done. It was a crazy situation, and I’m the idiot who decided it was a good idea to go to a club when someone was hunting me,” Parker says. She moves to sit up, and I rush to her side to help. I’ve had cracked ribs before, and they hurt like a bitch.
“I won’t disagree there.” Rebel flashes her a wink.
“Are you sure you can take the girls?”
“Oh, yeah. Rosa and Louisa will come back to the center we run for trafficked teens. Anne called her family, and whatever reasons she had for running away, she doesn’t have them anymore. Her parents sobbed when they heard her voice for the first time. And Thea, well, her parents are donating five hundred thousand dollars to our center for bringing their daughter back safely. So, win-win.”
“Good. Now give me a hug.” The women embrace before Rebel excuses herself.
“I like her. She’s orange,” Bones says.
“What’s orange?” Parker asks, much to my dismay.
“It’s the sacral chakra. It represents sexuality and confidence.”
Parker giggles. “Makes sense. She’s in a polyamorous relationship with four men.”
“Really?” Bones mutters, more interested now. “Is she looking for a fifth?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I guess I’ll have to keep looking.”
