Page 121 of Tail, Dark and Handsome: Celestial Mates
“Conspiracy to commit murder, which I heard you confess. Come with me. We can have a catch at the Watchtower and a judge will be happy to issue the necessary warrants, I’m sure.” Merit cuffed Chase, who howled and threatened a barrage of legal actions.
Winter would have more evidence to add additional charges, if Peaceable finished her tasks, namely fraud and embezzlement.
As Merit passed Zero, he paused. “Are you well?”
Zero, his eyes wide and his face unusually pale, nodded. Then he rushed to Winter, knocking him back a step from the force of his hug. “I was so worried! Mr. Isteimlas drove as fast as he could but we were so far away and you were already headed to the hospital.”
“Thank you,” Marigold said, as Merit dragged Chase away.
“I am well,” Winter said, stroking his kit’s back.
“No, you’re not! You’re bleeding and Marigold almost died—and then what would happen to me? Don’t let Uncle Chase take me. I don’t care if he is my bio-dad. I hate him.”
Winter did not know how to address any of that.
“Hey, hey,” Marigold said, taking Zero’s hand and drawing him to her. “We’re okay. No one is taking you from us.”
“Promise?” His eyes watered, and he sniffed loudly.
“I will fight with every breath in my body,” Winter said, meaning it. No one would take his kit.
“But how did you know we were here?” Marigold asked.
“Oh, um,” he said, casting his eyes down. “You never changed the command codes from the factory setting on the vehicle.”
“What now?” Marigold asked. This was perilously close to the mischief Zero caused on the ship.
“You were told not to interfere,” Winter said.
“I didn’t change anything! And I wasn’t spying! I just set an alert for emergencies, so when the vehicle sent a medical emergency alert to the hospital, I got the message too.” He paused, eyes cast down. “I’m sorry. I know it was wrong, but I was worried something would happen, and then somethingdidhappen.”
“Sorry, not sorry,” Marigold muttered. She sighed, then leaned back. “I say we give him a pass. It was a good idea, and if he had asked, I would have said yes.”
“Acceptance will encourage his behavior—”
“I don’t care, Winter. I’m stoned out of my gourd on painkillers and I want a hamburger and a nap. No, a milkshake. Do they have those here?”
“We have yogurt drinks with crushed ice,” Zero supplied. “I’ll run to the cafeteria and get some for all of us.”
He took off before Winter could say no. Not that he would, because the emergency alert on the vehicle was a good idea—one that should be implemented as a standard feature on all CayneTech vehicles—and he’d like a drink too.
Marigold grinned at him from the bed, still pale. Circles hung under her eyes. “We’re fine.”
He wanted to grumble that they very nearly were not fine.
“And I cannot wait to watch karma fuck up Chase and Tomas. Like, you don’t even know. I’ll need to realign my aura or whatever, but it’s gonna be so worth it.”
And he knew then that they would, indeed, be fine.
Marigold
The hospital discharged her the next morning. Despite the party and subsequent night of terror feeling like it lasted for-freaking-ever, it was all over before midnight.
She came home, collapsed into bed, slept the dreamless sleep of those on pain medication, and woke when her stomach rumbled. Something smelled delicious.
Stumbling to her feet, she shrugged on a robe, and she found Winter balancing a tray laden with food in the sitting room. He motioned her to a chair and moved a table close. “Eat,” he ordered.
Despite feeling ravenous, the first bite of toast turned to ash in her mouth. She chewed mechanically, chasing it down with overly sweet juice.
