The fluorescent lights flick on instantly, flooding the room. Cots line one wall. Medical supplies are neatly stocked along another. A bank of video screens shows camera feeds from throughout the house.
I move Ryan onto one of the cots while Juliet double-checks the lock. Once it seals, everything outside goes quiet.
I get to work immediately, assessing Ryan’s injuries. He’s been shot in the arm and the side. Sweat mats his brown hair, and the rise and fall of his chest—his muscles tensing with each breath—tells me he’s still breathing.
Luckily none of his injuries look to be a death sentence. I open the medical bag and see the basics I’ll need to stitch him up.
“There’s more medical stuff over here if you need it,” Juliet says, heading toward a cabinet.
“Thanks. I think I’ve got enough. But could you help me with something?”
“Sure.”
“Before I ask—do you have any issues with blood? Or needles?”
She snorts softly. “No. Trust me, I see plenty of blood.”
“First, I need to assess how bad these are,” I say. “Then we can patch him up. Luckily, none of it looks too severe.”
I clean the injuries with iodine from the medical bag. Ryan stirs when I touch him, a small movement that tells me he still has feeling. That’s a good sign.
Once the wounds are clean, it’s clear they’re both flesh wounds. I stitch them carefully and cover them with gauze. Juliet helps, double-checking my work. He shouldn’t scar too badly—both are grazes.
When we’re done, Juliet and I sit in a quiet calm for a few minutes.
Finally, I break it. There’s a question I’ve been dying to ask.
“So, how long have you and Gino been dating?”
“W-what? Gino and I aren’t together,” Juliet stammers.
Shit. This is awkward.
“Oh, sorry. I just thought…”
“Don’t worry, you’re not the first.” She snorts.
“What do you mean?”
“Gino and I have been since college, but I’m his housekeeper, so definitely not girlfriend material for him.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t dress like a housekeeper.”
Juliet lets out a quiet laugh. “I know. They were very similar—your dad and Gino. Well, sort of. Your dad was always angry. Gino isn’t.” She hesitates. “I heard your father wasfurious after Cara died. And then it got even worse after he came back.”
“Who’s Cara? And what do you mean, came back?”
Juliet takes a breath. “Umm, that’s probably something Gino should tell you.”
The door suddenly flies open.
Gino, Mateo, and Drew rush in, all three of them looking like crap. Their hair is disheveled, covered in dirt, and breathing hard. The air shifts instantly.
Gino stalks straight toward me and yanks me to my feet, his grip firm, his expression murderous.
“Did you tell anyone where you were going today?” he demands.
“No,” I say, still in shock. “I didn’t.”
