Page 36 (1/2)

I backed up a half step

"I’m sorry"

"No, don’t

Shit

I’m - " His eyes closed

"I’ scrubs decorated with cartoon tongue depressors and ani and pretty, with dark hair and sloe eyes

She checked Cary over, took his blood pressure, then pressed the button on a reuardrail

"You can self-administer every thirty minutes for pain," she told him

"Just press this button

It won’t dispense a dose if it’s not ti it too often"

"Once is too often," heat me

I understood his reluctance; he had an addictive personality

He’d traveled a short ways down the junkie road before I kicked some sense into him

But it was a relief to see the lines of pain on his forehead s settle into a deeper rhythm

The nurse looked atvisiting hours"

Cary looked atanywhere," Gideon said, reentering the rooht"

I didn’t think it was possible to love Gideonways to prove

The nurse smiled shyly at Gideon

"Cary could use aze reluctantly away frorabbed the pitcher and left the room

Gideon stepped closer to the bed and spoke to Cary

"Tell hed

"Trey and I went out Friday, but he had to bail early

I walked hiht in front of the club, so ent around the corner

He’d just taken off when I got nailed in the back of the head

Took ot a chance to defend an to shake, and Cary’s thuly over the back

"Hey," he mur chick"

"What?" I watched Cary’s eyes drift shut, and a lanced helplessly across the bed at Gideon

"I’ll look into it," he said

"Step out withback to Cary

When the door closed behind us, I said, "God, Gideon

He looks terrible"

"He got knocked around good," he said griot a skull fracture, a nasty concussion, three cracked ribs, and a broken arm"

The list of injuries was horribly painful to listen to

"I don’t understand why someone would do this"

He pulled me close and pressed his lips to my forehead

"The doctor said it’s possible Cary will be allowed to leave in a day or two, so I’ll ements for home care

I’ll also let your work know you won’t be coency needs to know"

"I’ll see to it"

"Thank you"

I hugged hioing to find out"

Myfretfully into Cary’s rooan

She pulledthe attention of everyone in the i in eye-catching red-soled Louboutins and an ivory sleeveless sheath dress

"Eva

I can’t believe you went the entire weekend without your cell phone! What were you thinking? What if there had been an eency"

"Exactly!" She threw up one hand, since the other aret hold of you or Gideon

He left ayou away for the weekend, but no one knehere you were

I can’t believe he was so irresponsible! What was he thinking?" "Thank you," I interjected, because she was getting wound up and repeating herself, "for taking care of Cary

It means a lot to me"

"Well, of course"

My mother took it down a notch

"We love him, too, you know

I’m devastated this happened"

Her lower lip tre for her ever-ready handkerchief

"Are the police investigating?" I asked