“My dad’s going to lose his mind.”
“I already talked to your brother. He’s coming, but he’s playing interference with your parents and little brothers. He wants to assess the situation, then go from there.”
I relaxed a little. “Oh, thank god.”
He smiled and squeezed my hand. “You freaked me out.”
I shrugged. “I knew you’d save me.”
“Bullshit.”
“I did,” I argued.
He lifted my fingers to his lips. “Smart getting your T-shirt wet, baby. I’m glad you had the wherewithal to do that. Not so glad you were only in your bra when I found you, though. Jesus, Chan was probably hard while he was passing out.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d pulled my T-shirt off and wet it, then wrapped it around my nose and mouth, getting as low as I could as the smoke grew worse. Doom, the VP of my brother’s club, had been a fireman for years before he moved on to other vocations. He still had a lot of stories, and told them often, and talked about how important it was to block the smoke and get low.
“I knew you’d find me,” I said.
“What if it hadn’t been me?”
“So?”
“So?” he hissed. “Your tits are the kind that’ll bring a man to his knees, Razzle. But they’re mine and I don’t want any other asshole enjoying the view. I’m already contemplating beating the shit out of Chan the second he wakes up.”
I pulled the mask off, finding it difficult to argue with him with it on. “You are insane.”
“Put that back on,” he ordered, placing the mask back on my face.
“Quit bugging me, Smoky,” I admonished.
“Smoky?”
“Your new name.”
He shook his head. “Are you the Bandit?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
He sighed. “Baby, don’t be so flippant.”
“Don’t worry. I’m okay,” I said.
“Maybe. But until the doctor clears you, I’m gonna worry.”
I nodded, a coughing fit suddenly overtaking me.
“Jesus,” Orion hissed and rushed into the hallway. “I need a doctor!”
For the next two hours, I was poked and prodded, forced to take in copious amounts of oxygen and generally made to feel miserable. Well, I suppose the burns on my hands from stupidly trying to open the door by touching the hot handle were making me miserable, but regardless, I wanted everyone out so I could sleep.
“Orion?” I whispered.
“Yeah, baby.”
“Find me some morphine, then make them go away.”
Within minutes, my man had cleared the room, pressed the button on my pain pump (that I had no idea I was hooked up to), and turned out the lights.
