Play Dirty (Wages of Sin #2) - Neve Wilder Page 0,80
Run Over by a Reindeer’ will be playing and I’m going to lose my shit.”
“Well, that solves my question of what to get you for Christmas this year. Depends it is,” Jonah said drolly.
“Very thoughtful, brother, but you’d probably be better off giving those to Cas. Help him get a head start on stocking the massive supply he’ll need for your old ass in about ten years. Consider it the grown-up version of a savings account.”
“You’re no longer invited to Christmas dinner,” Cas grumbled.
“As if you would ever step foot in a mall, anyway.” Madigan snorted as Sadie kicked the door wider and entered the room.
“Fair assessment,” she demurred, and then whipped her gun up and shot the Santa ornament Madigan grabbed off the floor and lobbed in her direction. A confetti of red and white plastic rained down to the floor. “The fuck was that?”
“Christmas spirit reflex check. Yours is dead.”
“Jonah,” Sadie spoke into the comm. “New plan. I’m going to need two body bags down here.”
“Hey,” Az protested. “I’ve not said a word. I’m with you on Christmas.”
“You’re guilty by association. Oh, yes, I heard that sweet little exchange between you two earlier. We all did.” She made a retching sound. “After we get out of here, I’m flying directly to fucking Germany and finding some death metal bands to tour with for a solid month until I feel fucking normal again.”
“That stuff about the reward was what you’d consider sweet?” Cas sounded horrified.
“Gave me a toothache, yeah,” Sadie grumbled.
“We’re officially all-clear,” Jonah jumped in. “Fuzz is on the way, but Ronin’s moving the van. You still want those body bags, or can you muster the strength within yourself to tough it out for another half hour?”
23
Azrael
“Bhenchod!”
Doctor Farnsworth continued to clean the wound just beneath Azrael’s shoulder. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
Madi scowled at him, and Az would have laughed if he were able, but his ability to remain good-humored was getting harder with each passing moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate what the doctor was doing. The guy, one of Ronin’s contacts, had managed to sneak a truckload of medical supplies and equipment, as well as a nurse, into the safe house with the other apartment dwellers none the wiser. Creating a pop-up hospital for people like Az and Madi was lucrative but likely thankless work. And Madi’s threats and scowls were not making the man’s job easier.
Az had done his best to reassure Madi he was fine while they were still at Bennington’s, but it was getting harder to act like he was still okay. He wasn’t in danger of dying, but the pain was excruciating. He was slick with perspiration, his mouth was a desert, his lips dry as ancient papyrus. Still, he attempted a smile before turning his attention to the doctor. “My mother is dead. You speak Urdu?”
The doctor scoffed. “No, but I know a curse word when I hear one. I imagine you called me a motherfucker,” he said conversationally before applying pressure that sent Az’s painfully empty stomach rolling and his vision tunneling.
“Sister fucker,” Az confirmed with a pained gasp.
“I don’t have a sister, but consider me scandalized,” Farnsworth deadpanned.
“Stay with me, baby,” Madi crooned, brushing a cool hand over the overheated skin of his cheek.
“It’s worse than I thought if you are calling me baby, jaanum,” Az choked out, doing his best to focus on Madi’s pretty mouth.
It wasn’t Madi who answered, but the doctor. “The bullet missed the shoulder joint, but it must have ricocheted off the scapula, because it came out just under your armpit. You lost a lot of blood. You should be in the hospital. You likely need a transfusion.” Before either of them could interrupt, he lifted a hand. “Yeah, I know. No hospitals. You’re honestly in better shape than your friend in there.”
“That is because my man is an excellent marksman. The same can’t be said for the man who shot our friend. Right, motek?”
“You shot him?” the doctor asked, then snorted. “You know what? None of my business. I really don’t want to know. With you people, pain is like foreplay. I’ve done as much as I can. Your friend in the other room is sleeping off the pain meds I gave him. I’m leaving my nurse to supervise his transfusion and to monitor his IV medications. I’m going to give you something, too, so you can rest. Rest and fluids and these antibiotics. Change