Page 53 of Absinthe Dreams
“What’s the word?” I asked, carefully neutral.
“Oh, he’s toast,” he said back casually. “There was visible brain matter from a blunt force trauma to the temporal bone. There was nothing to be done, no way to stabilize. Time of death was eighteen thirty-two.”
I swallowed hard.
“He was the one who?—”
“Yeah,” I said quickly.
“Guess the cops don’t have to worry about finding him. Not sure what happened, but hopefully they don’t go looking too hard for whoever did that to him. If anything, that guy deserves a medal,” he said.
I swallowed hard and nodded mutely, knowing my eyes were growing glassy.
“Hey, no – don’t do that,” Kincannon said, gripping my shoulder to turn me away from the hall. “Go punch out, get your shit together, and save it for out in the parking lot,” he said low and careful. I nodded. I liked Kincannon. He was solid, even if he was steeped in being tough and not showing any emotion on the floor if you could help it. Something about not wanting to appear weak in front of subordinates.
“Thanks,” I said, breathing through it and getting it together.
“Anytime. Don’t forget your script at the pharmacy,” he reminded me, and truthfully, I’d forgotten all about it. In the hustle of daily emergency department operations, I’d forgotten all about my impending UTI ramping up into full swing.
I looked back at the central desk, and ReJeanne looked back at me, a considering look in her eyes as she measured me up to make sure I was okay. I gave her a thumbs-up, and she nodded and went back to pulling something off the printer to hand to LeRoy. Likely discharge papers for one of the bays.
I swallowed hard and went to clock out and gather my stuff.
“You good?” she asked me.
“Yeah.” I lied about my impending hurricane of emotions when it came to my serial killer stalker lying dead the next room over. “Thanks for the pro tip on the Alka-Seltzer,” I said. “Worked like a charm.”
“Told ya,” ReJeanne said lightly, but she wasn’t smiling. All her eyes held was concern for me.
“I’m good,” I promised. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded, and I left.
I boarded the elevator to go up to the hospital’s pharmacy on the second floor, went through the motions of signing for and paying the minuscule co-pay for my script, and shoved it into the top of my tote bag, which I had slung over my shoulder.
Taking up my helmet from the counter where I’d set it, I forced a smile at Orion, the pharmacy tech on duty, and went back down the elevator and out through the main lobby of the ER.
Chainsaw was waiting for me, sitting nonchalantly on his bike.
“Hey, baby,” he said, and I went to him, careful of the pipes and bent down to kiss him, and put my arms around him.
“Thank you,” I whispered in his ear, and he patted my ribs a little awkwardly in our hug. I pulled back.
He winked at me and said, “I’ll always have your back, and I’m happy to pick you up.”
I smiled then, put my helmet on, and got onto the bike behind my ol’ man. My tote hitched high onto my shoulder, and my arms locked firmly around his waist, he put the bike in gear, and we surged forward into whatever unknown future we were going to have together – and honestly? It felt right.
He rode us into the French Quarter and slow-walked us through intersections and toward what, I didn’t know and didn’t care as long as it was food. I wasstarving.
Lo-and-behold, itwasfood, bless his heart, as he tapped me to get off so he could back the bike against the curb between two cars that had left more than enough room between them for a bike, but not for another car.
I looked up at the little bistro sign and readLandry’s Cajun Café,and that sounded about right. It wasn’t but a moment after Chainsaw cut the engine that he joined me on the sidewalk and pressed a hand to my back, guiding me in the front door.
“Hey, yo! Chain!” someone called out further into the place, set back into the gloom. Chainsaw threw some chin, and with a nod to the host, we bypassed the little podium he stood at and disappeared deeper into the restaurant and bar.
Chainsaw pulled out a chair for me, and I sank into it gratefully. One of the Voodoo Bastards brothers smiled at me politely, and another rose to give Chainsaw a back-slapping hug.
He sat down next to me and made introductions, “Genesis, this is Axeman and you know Cypress.”
