Chapter Seventeen
When Jimmy woke up, he could feel cool gloved hands wiping down the side of his face. He opened his eyes to find himself staring up at Dr. Madeline Queen, Cold’s personal physician who made private house calls that came with a five-digit price tag.
He was home in bed, dressed in warm pajamas, and all the pain previously torturing his body felt very fuzzy. He impulsively kicked his feet, wanting to rid himself of Gary’s shoes, but found he was only wearing socks. Still flooded with a fresh rush of adrenaline, Jimmy tried to lie back down and catch his breath.
Cold was stretched out beside him, sound asleep. Jimmy reached for him, noting that the blood was gone, and he was wearing a fresh suit.
Huh, so that blood hadn’t been Cold’s after all.
Blood...
Oh, God.
Jimmy could see the shimmer of shattered glass falling around them as all the Luchesi men dropped to the floor like wet towels. Cristian’s gaping mouth was hanging right in front of his face, and he was afraid he was about to be swallowed up by it.
He closed his eyes to fend off the obscene images, mumbling, “What happened?”
“Someone broke your nose,” Queen said curtly. “I’ve reset it. It should heal fine in two to three weeks. I gave you something for the pain.”
“And Rod,” Jimmy said urgently, “is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Queen replied, making one last dab across Jimmy’s chin before starting to clean up the mess of gauze and bandages on the bedside table. “I gave him a sedative to help him relax.”
Jimmy stroked Cold’s arm, and he frowned when he didn’t stir. “How much of a sedative did you give him?”
“Enough to ensure a very good night’s rest.” Queen smirked as she stripped off her gloves. “It’s late. You both need to sleep. Yours should be kicking in soon.”
“You drugged me?”
“That’s what Cold pays me for.”
Jimmy became aware that his eyelids were unnaturally heavy. He pouted as he fought against it, and he tried to stay awake. “I need to know that everyone is okay. Lorre, Jules... all the Gentlemen...?”
“Everyone is fine,” Queen said, offering a kind smile Jimmy hadn’t thought she was capable of. “The city is a mess, but the Gentlemen are fine.”
“Thank you.” Jimmy sighed in relief. He relaxed against the bed, rolling over to cuddle against Cold’s side. “Thank you for everything.”
“Get some rest,” Queen said briskly. “I’ll be by later to check on you.”
Jimmy opened his mouth to say farewell, but he was already asleep before he could get out a single word. He didn’t dream, lost in a peaceful and deep sleep without any nightmares. When he woke up again, he was alone and incredibly sore.
