Play Dirty (Wages of Sin #2) - Neve Wilder Page 0,81

the dressing every forty-eight hours, or if it’s looking soiled, if it starts oozing, or starts to smell, go to the ER…or don’t, but those are signs of infection.”

“I don’t want—” Az started before a wave of pleasure washed over him.

“Too late.” The doctor smacked his own thigh lightly, signaling the conversation was over. “I’ll be back to check on them late this evening.”

Az didn’t know if it was the pain medication making him feel this rush of euphoria, or if the lack of pain itself was bringing on the sensation, but the relief made him laugh, and the sound brought Madi’s attention back to him. “I like when you look at me,” Az said. “It’s like the sun has come out from behind the clouds.”

“Oh, wow. That Dilaudid works quick.” Madi’s lips quirked. “Do you feel better now?”

“When I am in your arms, I always feel better.” Az was unable to stop the silly grin from spreading across his face. “I hope to die here someday…in your arms…when we’re both old and can no longer walk without assistance.”

“You’re high as a damn weather balloon. You should probably stop talking.”

Az’s laugh sounded foreign to him, but he didn’t care, he was just so relieved. “I wasn’t sure you were going to take the shot. I had hoped that you understood it was the only way to save us both, but I was afraid you didn’t understand. I knew if I died you would blame yourself…”

Madi tsked and caressed Az’s face with a cool hand. “If there had been any other way, I wouldn’t have done it. There was no guarantee it was going to work. Bullets are funny things, it could have gone so wrong. It could have ricocheted back into your heart or your lungs. It’s blind luck that it just exited under your armpit. I could’ve lost you.”

“Careful. Somebody might think you love me.”

“I do love you,” Madi insisted as if offended.

Az exhaled a loopy chuckle that was as much from Madi’s declaration as the grumpy way he said it. “My eyes are heavy, jaanum. I just need twenty minutes before we try to question Eastman.”

“Sleep. Eastman’s not going anywhere.”

Az shifted to a more comfortable position, sighing when Madi continued to comb his fingers through his damp locks.

“Jaanum,” Madigan echoed musingly.

“My life,” Az muttered as he drifted off to sleep, suspecting Madigan already knew what it meant.

When he woke again, the night sky was pitch black except for the lights of the city outside the window. He was no longer on the couch but in bed. Alone. He was also no longer in the black tactical pants he’d worn for the mission, but the soft gray pants he’d worn to bed the night before the raid. He sat up with effort, wincing at the way his wound seemed to throb in time with his heartbeat. The bandage just under his armpit was irritating, but he left it as it was and went to the bathroom to relieve himself before walking out to find Madi standing there with his hands on his hips.

“I would’ve helped you.”

Az smiled. “While I would never refuse your hands on my cock, I assure you I’m perfectly capable of pissing alone.”

Madi arched a brow. “I have three days of anecdotal evidence that says otherwise.”

The words hit him like frigid water, stopping his slow gait in his tracks. “Three days? I’ve been out for three days? What about Eastman? Why did you let me sleep so long?”

Madi frowned at him, closing the distance between them. “Because you were shot, Azrael. Your body needed the rest. Besides, Eastman only woke up a few hours ago. We’ve been keeping him pretty drugged. His wound is more substantial. He’s visiting with Mantis. We’ve got him in an apartment down the hall. You want to go talk to him with me?”

Madi asked the question like a man placating a toddler, which only deepened Az’s frown. Still, he nodded. “Yes, I would like to be there when you question him. He has a lot to answer for.”

“You should put a shirt on so you don’t catch a chill. Ronin seems to think that keeping the apartments at frigid temps is going to limit the possibility of infection,” Madi said as he went to grab a shirt from the drawer.

Az rolled his eyes with a laugh. “Are you planning on fawning over me like this every time I get hurt?”

Madi leveled a look at him. “I don’t know. Are you planning