Savage Vandal (82 Street Vandals #1) - Heather Long Page 0,69
your ass and died, princess?” Liam asked a moment before Rome jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.
“She doesn’t want to be called princess.”
“Sounds to me like she doesn’t want to be called a lot of things—”
“Shut up, Liam,” Jasper and Kestrel said in the same breath, with Vaughn only a quarter syllable behind them.
“Yes,” Freddie chortled with a fist pump. “Suck it, you Irish bastard. For once, it’s not me.”
“He’s not a bastard,” Rome said with a smirk. “That’s still you.”
“Enough, Freddie,” Doc said with this quiet snap that silenced the lean jokester with the quick smiles and easy humor. “Rome, don’t provoke him.”
“He’s a prick,” Rome retorted as if that were a defense, but raised his hands before glancing at me with a frown.
“Emersyn,” Doc said as he sat forward.
“If you ask me what’s wrong, I’ll throw this cup at you.” The cup in question being the one that Kestrel slid onto the table in front of me. Black coffee, just the way I’d drunk it pretty much every day.
“Thanks for the warning,” Doc said as he covered my hand on the mug and locked it down. “What’s wrong?”
Liam snorted a soft laugh, but it ended as abruptly as it started. I stared at where Doc held my hand on the cup and shook my head. “I came down because Jasper said you wanted to take the splint off.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“You’re right,” I agreed and met his gaze. “But it’s the only one I have.” I wiggled my hand some, and he lifted his grip. The silence splintered the room as he drew his hand back, and I debated whether I should reach for the coffee or just wait. As it was, Kestrel and Jasper were glaring at each other. Vaughn stood so close behind my chair, I could feel the heat rolling off him, and I swore Doc and Rome both stared at me like they could see through my skin.
The only two ignoring me were Freddie and Liam. The former was rooting around in the fridge, and the latter slathered butter on some toast. It was the first time the scent of food registered. Including pancakes. There was even maple syrup.
Doc downed his coffee and stood.
“Let’s go ahead and get that splint off.”
Fine by me. I left the coffee behind and rose. I nearly collided with Vaughn as I stood, but he steadied me with a hand on my waist. The contact sizzled, even through the leotard. I might as well have been wearing nothing.
With care, he pulled my chair out of the way and then stepped aside to let me follow Doc. We went to the little living room area. I wasn’t sure why we had to do this in here rather than the kitchen. He was just taking the splint off, right?
“She doesn’t need an audience, boys,” Doc said without glancing back.
I did.
Jasper was at the doorway to the kitchen where Kestrel seemed to be blocking him, but Vaughn prowled right behind me.
“I’m her friend,” Vaughn announced. “Not an audience.”
I stopped dead and turned to face him.
“You’re my what?”
“I’m your friend, Dove. You may not think so, bad communication on my part. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it.”
The flutter that hit me at that promise sent heat pulsing through my system. Even my chest seemed to lock up against taking another breath.
Grinning, he touched my shoulders lightly, then turned me around before whispering against my ear, “Whatever is going on, we’ll figure it out. Okay?”
I wanted to believe him so badly.
It was actually kind of pathetic how much I wanted to believe him.
“You don’t have to believe me,” Vaughn murmured, even as my gaze locked on Doc’s where he watched us almost impassively. The silken velvet of Vaughn’s voice smoothed out the roughness in my system, sanded down the jagged bits, and even broke up lumps of fear that kept trying to collect in my throat. “I’ll earn that belief from you. I promise.” Then, raising his voice, he continued, “Now let’s get this splint off and get Doc to tell us you’re all healed.”
Then what?
What happened when Doc pronounced me one hundred percent healed? Did I end up in that room where Eric was? That seemed pretty farfetched. They’d been looking after me. I had my own room.
And my own keepers.
Still, it was like chasing my own tail as I tried to solve this riddle. I didn’t have all the pieces to the puzzle.