“What the heck…?” he started to say but didn’t finish.
Carl came barreling up the stairs at the same time the head of security came into the room through the exit.
Bil y saw them, pushed off the wal , tore through the bloody surgeon and me and took off, not back to the stairs, not through the doorway at the end, but he threw himself out a window.
The bloody surgeon ran to the window, Carl and the security guy ran to the door, I ran to Indy.
She was halfway up the stairs. Al y was with her.
“Are you okay?” I asked when I got to her.
“Fine,” Indy replied.
I stopped, realizing my body was in ful tremble and I was struggling to catch my breath.
“Are you okay?” I asked again, staring at her.
She took me into her arms. “Honey, I’m fine.” I kept trembling.
“You sure you’re okay?” I asked again, tears in my voice, tears burning my eyes, tears crawling up my throat.
Al y’s arms came around us both.
“I’m fine, perfectly fine,” Indy assured me.
I kept trembling.
“Shh, girl. You’re safe,” Al y whispered.
The lights came on and we stood there. We heard footsteps and then the others were there. Annette joined the huddle then I felt Jet burrow in. I don’t know how we did it but we managed to do a group hug on the narrow stairs.
Al except Daisy and Jason.
“God f**king dammit,” I heard Jason yel .
“What the f**k good are you!” Daisy shouted at her bodyguard.
I ignored them and held on to my friends, crying and trembling.
trembling.
* * * * *
Hank opened the door to his house one-handed, his other one held mine. Shamus came at us but before he could do his doggie welcome, Hank commanded, “Stay!”
Shamus skidded to a halt and sat, his doggie head swinging in confusion back and forth between the two humans.
Hank pul ed me inside, locked the door and walked me into the kitchen. Only then did he drop my hand.
He went to the light switch.
I went to the freezer.
I grabbed a towel and put ice in it and then put it on my hand.
After he turned on the light, Hank shrugged off his jacket and threw it over a dining room chair, gave Shamus a head scratch and then walked to me. He stopped close, then his hand came up and he pul ed something from my hair. It came back down and there was a piece of straw between his fingers.
“Wrestling in the hay bales,” I said, staring at the piece of straw.