The first thing I see is my best friend Nova standing outside the car. She’s holding Harley in her arms.
“Nova?” I go for the door, but it won’t open. “Open it,” I order. Logan gives Ben a nod, and the locks click. “Oh my gosh, Nova! What are you doing here? Were you attacked too?” I rush over to her, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. She stiffens as Harley wiggles between us. He’s not too happy about being squished.
“Something like that.” She gives me a sad smile. Had Logan asked her to go get Harley for us or something? That must be it. He’s always thinking ahead.
“Are you okay?” I break the hug to check her and Harley over. Nova is pale, her eyes almost hollow.
“We’re both okay.” She hands me my little fur baby. I kiss his head.
She sways a little. Something is definitely off.
“Ben, Logan.” Nova gives them a stiff nod before she stumbles back a few steps and collapses.
Ben moves faster than me, catching her before she can hit the ground. Her black shirt rides up, and that's when I see the blood.
“Don’t let them hurt her. She’s not like us,” she whispers before her eyes fall closed, and her body goes completely limp in Ben’s arms.
14
Logan
Nova lies still as Ben sits beside her, his eyes on her vitals. Doctor Lewis fires off a text for some more meds, then leans over to check his work on Nova’s wound.
The Red Dragoons almost gutted her, a ragged cut in her abdomen their goddamn calling card. She almost died. If Ben hadn’t kept pressure on her wounds, she would’ve bled out before the doctor got here.
Quinn clings to Harley, her eyes brimming with tears though she isn’t sobbing or even making a noise as she watches Nova sleep.
“She’s stable.” I put my arm around Quinn’s shoulders. “She’ll pull through.”
“She’s tough.” Ben flips through video on his phone. “Looks like she took down three guys before she got the knife in her gut, and she still managed to grab the cat and make it here. Toughest merc I’ve ever met.” Ben shows me a live video feed of two dead men in my foyer, and the feet of a third at the edge of the frame.
“She’ll live?” Quinn directs her question to Doctor Lewis.
“All signs point to yes.” He walks to the other side of the bed and sits on the couch in the corner of the room. “I’ll hang out for a while longer and keep an eye on her. My plug should be here in a few minutes with the rest of the meds she’ll need. Though it’s not medically necessary, I’d like to keep her sedated for a while.”
“Why?” Ben gives him a suspicious glance.
“Because I’ve treated Ms. Braithwaite before, and she’ll try to be on her feet long before she’s ready. Best if she sleeps off some of the pain and lets herself heal.”
Ben considers for a moment, then gives him a quick nod. “Fair assessment.”
Doc Lewis stretches out on the couch and drapes one arm across his eyes. “Wake me when the drugs get here.”
Quinn sniffles, but she’s been scarily quiet. One of the many things I love about her is the way she can always make others feel at ease by simply talking. She has a particularly melodic voice, and she’s so damn good at striking up conversations. But not now. Now she simply stares and clutches Harley to her chest as tears roll down her cheeks. I wipe them away, but more slide through her lashes.
I give Nova one more glance. “Let me know if anything changes.”
“I’ve got her.” Ben opens his phone and scrolls through some more footage. “And I’ll get the cleanup crew over to the penthouse. Once Nova’s awake, I’ll get her story, then head over and take care of whoever let those bastards into your home.”
“Thanks.” I don’t have to tell him that I’ll be spending the next while with Quinn. She doesn’t realize it, but she’s still in shock. I don’t know how much she saw, but I’m guessing it was enough. I can’t hide from her anymore. And for some reason, it almost feels like a relief. As if telling her the truth might be more freeing than damning. Then again, that all depends on how she reacts.
“Come on.” I guide her from the room.
She lets me, though she looks back at Nova one more time.
“My doc is the best in the business.” I try to reassure her as I guide her through the upper level of the warehouse. It’s a high-tech escape, a safehouse that no one even knows exists. From the outside, it’s a decrepit warehouse, long-abandoned and rundown. But that’s simply the outer shell. A smoke screen for anyone looking.
The razor wire keeps out any curious hooligans with spray cans, and we can come and go without anyone raising an eyebrow. Nobody snitches on this side of the tracks. Inside, the place is almost posh. Nova set it up with all the creature comforts we could need. I’ve been in and out of here after jobs plenty of times. I never want to bring blood home to my sweet Quinn.