CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Haz
“Help me. They can’t be out of the tank this long!” I said, pulling away from Kieran and rushing to find Scop and the other two plecos I’d yet to name.
Before you ask, no, I don’t care that Kieran wentZero Dark Thirtyand killed Grimaldi. You saw what he did to my babies.
Kieran really is my own personal John Wick.
“Over here, half-pint,” Ghost called.
I turned to where he was sitting, shirt saturated with blood. My footsteps faltered, and I glanced at Rett who was applying pressure to the bullet wound in Ghost’s shoulder with his own shirt.
“We need an ambulance.” Rett worried, face white.
I nodded. “I’ll call one.”
“Scop,” Ghost said, pointing to the albino pleco lying in a shallow puddle.
Horrified, I lunged, scooping him up and sobbing when his tail swished. Moving fast, I put him in the closest tank and held my breath to see if he would swim.
The tears I’d been holding back fell when he did.
“Here.” Kieran’s voice was close, and I jolted, turning to see him holding out the other albino. “Let’s call him Navi.”
I sniffled, seeing a big man like Kieran cradling the pleco he’d just named. More tears fell, blurring my vision as I lifted the lid and Kieran carefully slid him into the water. I held my breath, waiting to see if he would swim, and he did, gliding into the corner at the back of the tank.
Thank God.
I found the Mango pleco in a puddle as well, and I quickly added it to another tank, making sure it was okay before checking the floor for any fish I might have missed.
Seeing I’d managed to save them all, I immediately heaved a sigh of relief and sank into Kieran. “They almost died.”
“So did you,” he said, voice hoarse.
“And so will he if you don’t call an ambulance,” Rett yelled. “Please!”
“Easy, pip. I told you I’m fine. It’s just a bullet.”
Pip?That was kinda adorable.
“A bullet that you took for me,” Rett wailed. “You shouldn’t have done that.” A sob caught in his throat, and he sagged.
“You’re worth it,” Ghost said quietly and pulled him into his lap.
“Your shoulder,” Rett protested, trying to scramble back to apply pressure.
“A little blood never hurt anyone,” Ghost told him, pushing him down once more. “I got you now. Go ahead and cry.”
Rett made a sound and pressed his face into Ghost’s chest.
Out of the side of his mouth, Kieran mumbled, “I understand now why you like gossip.”
“How do they know each other?” I mumbled back.
“Beats the fuck out of me.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and, in a much louder tone, said, “I’ll call Doc.”
