Death does not belong around my little pipgeek.
“Ghost,” Pip called, struggling to stand.
“Wait there,” I ordered.
He didn’t listen becausedoes he frickin’ ever? And the hall filled with another pitiful whimper. The sound of him in pain was yet another weakness, and I turned.
The asshole on death row used that moment to pull free of my grip. I lunged, and he slammed his boot into my midsection before rushing up and launching himself out a broken window.
Have I mentioned the entire building should have just been condemned?
Fucking disgraceful.
I thought about following, just tossing him off the fire escape to finish the job, but that required leaving Pip alone, and we’ve all seen what happens when I do that.
I mean, I gotta ask,Howwas he even still alive?
If I didn’t believe in miracles before, I sure as hell do now.
“Ghost.” Rett gasped, leaning against the busted door frame.
You know, when Kieran said this place had been ransacked, he wasn’t kidding. Between us, he could be a little dramatic.
I swept Pip into my arms, cradling him close. “What hurts, baby?” I murmured, choosing to ignore the B-word that just tumbled out of my mouth.
He pressed his face into the hollow of my neck and inhaled. “Nothing now.”
You know the problem with cotton candy? It melts quickly in humid conditions. And right about then, my chest felt more humid than a mouth breather in a face mask.
“Sweet talk won’t make me forget what I just saw,” I grumped.
“Hebroke intomyhouse,” he said as though that would clear up everything.
“And you stabbed him with a butter knife so dull it’s basically a tiny canoe paddle,” I retorted to let him know his explanation was non grata around here. “Seriously, what is it with you using random utensils as weapons?”
“I almost got away.”
“In my world, almost means dead.”
“Were you really going to kill him?” Pip asked.
“Yes.”
He said nothing, and I started to feel a little bad. Like maybe he might be mad about it.
“I was gonna do it in the other room.” I amended as if that made it better.
Itdidmake it better, dammit.
“You don’t even know him or what was going on,” Pip said.
“So?”
“So what if he wasn’t in the wrong?”
Oh, his audacity was doing cardio today. Was he for real right now?
I passed by his blood-splattered doorjamb and stepped into the apartment he’d denied me entrance to less than anhour ago.
