Silver raises a brow and I fully take him in, the bathroom steamed up and the towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Water, still beaded on his chest, and his hair damp from the shower.
I don't mean to, but my mind immediately goes to the gutter.
He winks at me and says, "Think I could get dressed and then you two could tell me what's going on."
"Yeah, of course." I hold onto my arm and rush out of the room, ready to put a bit of distance between me and Miller.
I care about him, deeply, but I'm equally pissed off at him at the moment and my hormones are putting me at risk for doing something I might regret once I can think clearly.
London perks her head up from the kitchen and turns toward us. She was snooping, and I don't blame her, I probably would have been too if I were her.
"Find anything?" I ask her and settle onto a stool at the counter.
"This man is obsessively tidy," she tells me.
Miller comes over and crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the counter. "What's going on, Cora?"
I look him right in the eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."
"What? What do you want to know? You'll talk if I do?"
I pinch my mouth shut in a firm line.
"That's what I thought."
We remain there, having a standoff, for at least an awkward moment or two until finally, Silver exits his bedroom with dark dress slacks and a black button-down shirt.
He rolls his sleeves to his elbows and glances up at us. "Oh, hello." Silver nods at London.
She strolls over and holds out her hand. "London Gardella."
Silver slides his palm around hers and the idea crosses my mind that I should have left her behind at Ricardo's house.
"Silver Franco."
He tilts his head. "You're bleeding."
"Meh." She shrugs and points to me. "Her shoulder's dislocated. Probably worry about that first."
Silver reacts immediately, his blasé demeanor shifting to intense concern. "What happened?"
I spin on the stool and face him, his gaze trailing my face and no doubt seeing the small cuts and bruises already forming around my chin.
"If we're going to talk," I say mostly to Miller, "You should call Alec."
"What does he have to do with anything?" he asks me.
"Just do what the lady says," Silver snaps at him. "Come over here on the couch and let me look at you."
I hop down and follow him over, my body releasing some of the tension from being around Ricardo now that Silver is near. There's just something about him that makes me feel safe, I can't help but gravitate toward.
"Lie down," he says.
I comply and hold onto my arm as I lower myself horizontally.
Silver kneels next to the couch and pokes and prods until he shakes his head. "Yeah. It's dislocated." He lets out a sigh before returning to his feet. "This is going to hurt, but I promise it'll be over soon, Angel."
I nod stiffly and can't imagine it could possibly get any worse than the radiating pain already piercing through me every single time I move.
