“Does anyone know you’re here and not at the clubhouse?” Bamba asks, one brow cocked, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Francie dropped me off after I finished my doctor’s appointment.” Reaching for another chair, Iscoot it closer and lift my leg to prop it up. “No more cast. I’m able to use the crutches.”
Both my legs were injured in the accident, but one was way, way worse than the other. I had to have help the first week after leaving the hospital, but the leg healed rather quickly. I wish this one would as well. Only the damage from being pinned in my car was a lot. The doctor said today he didn’t think I’d get my full use of it without a lot of physical therapy. I didn’t care so long as I walked. I would do the work to do so.
“Why didn’t Pyro take you to your appointment?” Here goes Bamba’s quizzing me. I don’t want to deal with it, but instead of snapping at her, I shrug.
“I didn’t tell him I was going to the doctor.”
It wasn’t his business anyway. I mean, he doesn’t want to be around me; I don’t have to talk to him.
“Hmm,” Bamba mumbles and goes back to what she’s doing.
I don’t ask what the ‘hmm’ is for. I honestly don’t want to know. All I want is to get better, find a new car, and then get on with my career. It’s bad enough I’ve had to put a hold on the article I was working on and going to Shiverborn. I wasn’t going to let this affect all of my life. I did have a new laptop and phone.
Thankfully, I haven’t had any more creepy calls inthe past weeks. It’s been kind of nice. I have been able to enjoy days without worrying about whether I was going to see ‘Unknown Caller’ on the screen.
For my article, I’d let my readers know that it would be a little while before I could give it to them. I didn’t go into detail or tell them what happened, but said some things came up, and in time, I’d have something amazing to write about. I still intend to go to Shiverborn. I plan to give them a great article, but I don’t know what I’m going to do after that. I need to plan where I’ll go for the next one. I’m thinking tropical weather.
Somewhere away from the rest of the world.
Long moments later, Bamba places a tray of cornbread in the middle of the table before going back for the bowls she’s scooped up.
She comes back to the table, sets a bowl in front of me, and smiles. “Eat up, sweetheart, you know when Baba and your brother get here there won’t be a spoonful left in the pot.”
Bamba isn’t wrong there. Those two can put away food like it’s no one’s business. It’s hilarious sometimes. The fights my brother and I’ve gotten into over the years over food are too many to count. Not to mention the ones Baba and Cason have gotten into over the last slice of pizza.
We eat in silence. Me mostly because I wasenjoying the flavors of the chili. It’s delicious. Better than I remember, in fact. I haven’t had Bamba’s chili in years. In truth, most of the time I eat at restaurants and places I like. I lived out of hotels and inns where I could have food delivered to my room if I needed to.
My job has always kept me busy with traveling, and that’s the way I’ve always liked it.
Bamba opens her mouth to speak only she doesn’t get a word out before the back door is thrown open and three very angry-looking dragons step into the house.
“What the fuck, Carina?” Cason snaps.
“You didn’t tell anyone you were leaving the clubhouse,” Baba states, brows furrowed. In the last few weeks, I’ve learned that though he’s not a member of the club, Baba spends a lot of time over at the clubhouse, helping with whatever they need his help with.
Pyro doesn’t say a word, but I can see the fire in his eyes. He’s pissed.
“I told Francie. She took me to my appointment for Pete’s sake.” I shrug and turn back to my bowl, and take a bite.
“You didn’t come back to the clubhouse with Francie,” Cason points out.
I shrug again and glance at the three of them stillstanding there. “I was tired of being cooped up in a room with nothing to do. I can’twork on my article since I’m not able to drive to Shiverborn. I was bored out of my mind, so I had Francie drop me off here. At least here I have company to talk to.”
I don’t bother looking at Pyro as I throw that last bit out there. Instead, I go about finishing my chili and cornbread. The men fill the room, getting their own bowls without saying anything else. The room is tense so much so it’s suffocating.
Gathering my crutches, I lower my leg and get up. “Thank you, Bamba, for the delicious food. I think I’m gonna go sit on the porch swing for a while.” I can’t stand to be in the room with all the tension right now. It’s more than I want to deal with.
I mean, I’m supposed to be bonded to Pyro, and yet I feel no connection with him. It’s like he’s so closed off and guarded. It doesn’t help that he’s not spent any time with me other than what he did at the hospital.
Sighing heavily, I make my way to the front of the house and onto the porch. It’s not easy with hobbling. I start to push through the screen door when my crutches catch on the bottom trim. I feel myself starting to fall, only to be caught around the middle.
“Easy, stubborn,” Pyro murmurs in my ear,keeping me from doing a face plant out the door. “Last thing you need is to hurt yourself again.”
“Thanks,” I mutter and readjust my crutches. I go to pull away from him, but Pyro doesn’t let me go. Rather than dropping his arm from around my waist, he scoops me in his arms and carries me the rest of the way. “Put me down.”
“Not happenin’,” he remarks as he sits down on one side of the large porch swing. Pyro shifts me in his lap, making sure my leg is resting on the other part. “Seems we need to get a few things straight.”
