“Maybe stop wearing your good clothes to a fight, then?”
“Have you met me?” I asked. “Do I own anything else?”
He grabbed my collar and pulled me to him, planting a kiss on my lips before pushing me away. “Covered in Hell slime and still gorgeous.”
I smiled and winked at him. “It’s a talent, really.” My expression sobered as I thought about our surroundings. “Were they coming for Morgan or for us?”
“Or both?” Ryan asked, wiping the bright red cut under his eye with the back of his hand. I loved that he didn’t whine like most humans would. My husband was happy just to be with me and get to trade punches and shoot a gun once in a while. Anything else was what came with the territory, and wow, did he love the territory.
A few loud pops sounded behind us, and Ryan ducked.
I watch as multi-colored flashes sizzled and then fizzled out in midair.
Ryan stood tall and rubbed the back of his neck. “I hate July Fourth.”
The popping and explosions reminded him of deployment. He was on-edge this time of year since he’d come home. I usually took him on vacation, outside of the US, but our plans were cancelled when Eden… I chewed on my bottom lip, changing my line of thought. The goblins had ambushed us just a few blocks from the hospital, forcing me off the road into the park where we were standing. “They would’ve caught us at the hospital if they wanted Morgan.”
“Maybe we should go back there? They might have him in a room by now.”
I nodded. “Not a bad idea. Since humans started getting sick when they shell, it comes with an unintended benefit for us. Maybe Morgan can sift through any memories left behind and give us answers. Maybe he can even tell us where Eden went, if she’s still…”
Ryan nodded, pulling me to him. I hugged him back, my head cradled perfectly by his neck and chin.
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” I whispered, readjusting my chin on his shoulder. “I remember her first steps, her first punch, all of it. She was the perfect combination of Jared and Nina. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I dunno. I feel like we’ll see her again,” he said. “She doesn’t feel gone, Claire.”
I sighed, getting myself together. “I don’t want to get my hopes up. Let’s go back. See what he knows, if anything.”
Ryan nodded, holding out his hand and leading the way back to my Bugatti Chiron.
“Have you ever thought about getting anything less…”
“Ostentatious?” I asked. I knew it was, of course, like every car I’d had since the Lotus. I used my sleeve to clean a smudge from the black paint. The gold trim might have been a little much for someone else, but I liked my car like I liked my men.
“Not sure. What does that mean?”
Ridiculous. I rolled my eyes. “You’re lucky you’re cute and can hit a target from over fifteen hundred yards, because I didn’t fall in love with your intellect.”
We both opened our doors and sat inside. I pressed the engine button and the motor ignited, more a low gurgle than a growl and far less pretentious than the paint job.
“It makes you an easy target.”
I touched his cheek, then leaned in for a deep kiss that made my insides flutter. “Baby,” I said as I pulled away, staring into his eyes, “I’ve never been easy.”
“Well, that’s no shit,” he grumbled as I pulled away.
***
It took us longer to find parking at the hospital than it did to drive there. The lights and underbelly of the Bugatti blinked twice when we got too far away, instantly locking the doors. Ryan being Ryan refused to part with his old Toyota Tundra, but he didn’t really need anything fancy. We were usually together, and we both knew I was the better driver, anyway.
“Hear anything on the radio, yet?” I asked.
Ryan shook his head. He kept a small comm in his ear most of the time, listening to the Providence Police Dept chatter. Keeping our family safe was a full-time job, and Ryan and I were a team, but he was also a captain at the Providence police department. It gave us an in when we needed it, and Ryan an earthly break from the fantastical chaos that was our world.
“It’s been pretty quiet, actually.”
The automatic doors of the ER swept open. Ryan pulled and tugged at his wedding ring as we approached the front desk.
“Sometime today,” I said through my teeth.
“Trying. I don’t do this very often anymore.”
Ryan stopped at reception, resting his elbow on the counter, flashing his best half-grin at the nurse behind the desk, who immediately smiled back, batting her eyes.
I’m going to throw up.
“Hi,” Ryan said, slipping the ring into his jacket pocket. “Bev, is it?”
“How can I help you?” she said, straightening her name plate so it was in Ryan’s full view.
I rolled my eyes. Yes, he’s cute, but damn. He’s not that charming. Why do all the women swoon?
“I was in here earlier with my sister,” he said, gesturing to me. “We brought in a kid we found beat up or something. We were just wondering how he’s doing.”
“Oh,” she said, blushing. “I’m not allowed.”
“Of course,” Ryan said, leaning in more. “Maybe just let us know if he’s been moved to a room? We’d love to go see him. He seemed a little scared and out of it.”
Bev smiled girlishly, then looked down. “I really can’t, but you’re really cute. Maybe just… I shouldn’t.”
“Bev—” Ryan began.
She looked up, the shy and excited expression gone. “Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m old enough to be your mother, boy, now put your wedding ring back on and get the hell outta my ER.” She leaned back, getting worked up. “Tryna butter me up like I can’t get a man on my own.”
We walked away, Ryan trying to push his ring back over his swollen knuckle and me with my hands in my jacket pockets, trying to hold in the laughter.
“It’s not funny,” he said when we were finally outside.
I burst out in a barrage of giggles that quickly became louder, tears streaming down my face. It felt good to let go, but soon those uncontrolled belly laughs became inconsolable tears. Ryan hugged me, holding tight. He grunted so I knew I was holding him tighter, but I couldn’t help it, and he let me. We were surrounded by trees, behind us darkness, in front of us so many lights it was almost day. We’d spent so much time there, within those walls. Ryan had almost died twice in surgery; his blood had poured on the floor. So had Nina’s, but here we stood, outside and unwelcome.
I turned to Ryan. “Stab me.”
“What?” he said, making a face.
“Stab me. Then you can walk around in the ER.”
He shook his head. “You’ll heal. It’ll draw attention. There will be questions. I’m PD; it’s messy.”