Page 50 of Walk on the Wilde Side
"What?" Ronan asks.
"Just fucking zip it, you idiot," Colin says. "Z, sorry about your shoulder and all that. I'm sure you got in a few good blows first. You know, before they tossed you overboard."
I look at Jameson again. "When my shoulder's back in place, I'm going to fucking kill both of them."
"Both?" Ronan asks. "Thought you said there were seven?"
Jameson looks up in the mirror again. "Don't think he's talking about Chug and his gang."
"Oh," Ronan says quietly. It seems he's finally taken the hint to shut up. "Hey, you know what? I don't want to hang out at the emergency room. It always takes forever. Cindy's house is on the way. Just drop me off there."
"What about me?" Colin asks.
"Dropping you both off and good fucking riddance," Jameson says.
The twins get out at Cindy's house, and Jameson drives around the corner to the ER entrance.
"If it's crowded, then we're going home," I say.
"Really? You're dragging your arm around like it came from someone else's body. Don't think it's something we can treat at home. Although, I'm sure Dad will be happy to try."
"Fuck, just better not be crowded. Are the girls coming? Nev needs to be looked at, too."
"Yep, Indi's driving her here after she's done with her statement."
Jameson's phone rings as he parks the truck. He pulls it out. "Hey, Dad, yeah, he took a hit to the head, and his shoulder's out of whack. We're just getting to the hospital." Jameson nods as if Dad can see through the phone. "Yep, I'll let you know." He hangs up and looks at me. "Who the fuck is that man living in the old man suit back at the ranch? I was in the hospital for three days after I wrecked on my motorcycle, and he didn't even call until they were ready to discharge me. It's like his own mortality just smacked him into being an actual human."
"That's what I figure. Would have been nice to see that human when we were young."
The ground seems to be moving like I'm still on a boat. I'm glad to see a mostly empty waiting room, and the triage nurse decides to send me straight in, not because of the shoulder but because of the blow to my head. She says I'm showing definite signs of concussion. I could have told her that, and I didn't even need to shine a light in my eyes.
They numbed my shoulder just enough to make the realignment bearable. A CT scan confirmed the concussion and I was given the usual readout that tells you all the things to look out for. It's not my first concussion rodeo, and knowing the way my life usually plays out, I know it won't be my last. All I want now is to see that Nev is all right and to go home. My clothes are still damp, and they stink like a mix of diesel and fish.
Jameson comes in with a sweatshirt. "Forgot I had this jammed behind the seat in the truck."
"Thanks, I'm starting to smell pretty fucking rank." I pull off my shirt and pull over his sweatshirt. It's tight and short.
Jameson laughs. "Sorry, I didn't have one in Hulk size. So that big guy on the boat—" he starts.
"Fucking made the boat rock back and forth with his footsteps. Like some freak from a circus of giants. Don't want to talk about him. His fist was the thing that's making my skull feel like it's split in two. Is Nev here? Did you see her?"
"Yeah. Her cheek took two stitches, so I teased her that she'll only be semi-gorgeous now. Otherwise, she's fine. She's always been so fucking solid."
"You don't have to tell me." I take a deep breath, and Jameson catches on that something is gnawing at me.
"If it's about the money—don't worry. I'll find a way to get what we're owed. I've been trying that asshole's phone, but he's not answering. Left a voicemail that he nearly got Nev killed but still no reply."
I nod. That's not what's gnawing at me, but Jameson doesn't need to know that. The money isn't what's on my mind at all, although visions of me beating the shit out of Hoffman have passed through my foggy head more than once.
"Oh hey, almost forgot to tell you. Ernie called while you were in getting the scan on your noggin. By the way, it's been confirmed that you do have a brain."
"Fuck off. What did Ernie say?"
"Coast guard brought them in, and they're all under arrest for kidnapping. Hoffman owed Chug for a shipment of illegal arms, and when he didn't pay, Chug decided to kidnap Nev. I guess Hoffman's buyer must have fallen through. Seems like he was into all kinds of shady shit."
"So Chug thought he could get a ransom out of Hoffman. Chug always was an idiot. And Hoffman is a bigger asshole than I thought, and that's saying a lot."
Jameson walks over and is about to touch my shoulder but thinks better of it. "Good thing you got out there in time to save her."
