Page 19 of Damien’s Mate

“Why not? I’ve got a great bedside manner. Ask anybody.”

“Anybody with boobs, you mean.” His friend rolled his eyes. “You would make the worst doctor ever. Speaking of which, keep a close eye on her, okay? If her breathing gets bad, or if there’s significant swelling anywhere, or…” He sighed. “Fuck. Call me if she gets worse.”

James insisted on lending him the SUV, pointing out that if nobody knew Damien had been here, they wouldn’t connect him with James’ car.

Not having a lot of choices, Damien took him up on it, driving Lila to a cheap, sleazy motel that he knew was halfway clean and not usually cooperative with the cops. He also paid out some of Vic Salzano’s cash for the desk clerk to forget he’d seen them.

The thought of that bag, filled with money, gave him the first feeling of hope he’d had in months. For the first time ever, he had a cushion—something to tide him over until he figured out what to do next.

He didn’t have to worry about starting over with some other street crew or shady-side security team. Face it—he was too selfish to be a good guy, and not psycho enough to be a successful bad guy.

And he’d hated every crime boss he’d ever worked for. They always told you it was a brotherhood, ride or die, loyal crews having each other’s backs.

But it was really just a fucking shark tank.

“People suck,” he muttered to Lila as he carried her inside. “I should just go be a damn hermit somewhere. Except that would mean not getting laid ever again. Which do you think would be worse—an eternity of Mr. Hand, or working for another Vic Salzano?”

Unconscious Lila had no opinion on that.

Once inside, he pulled back the covers and tucked her into the one double bed. James had helped him dress her in some extra scrubs he had lying around, so she at least had clothes.

She didn’t stir, but her breathing and color were still okay. Damien turned on the TV, keeping the sound as low as possible. The explosion at Salzano’s was the top news story, with reporters from every station still covering it live.

He checked the internet from his phone, too, but nowhere did he see any mention of a kidnapping or hijacked ambulance. The rats had been deserting the scene in droves, so hopefully his escape with Lila was just one more tiny blip on everyone’s radar.

He debated for a minute, then went over to the motel room phone and called his Uncle Vinnie. He’d been staying with him and his wife off and on since he got back to Chicago, and Vinnie was the one who’d hooked him up with Salzano.

He’d be worried about whether Damien made it out.

“Hey,” he said, when his uncle picked up. “It’s me. I guess you’ve seen the news.”

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Damien, I thought you were blown up!”

Damien tried to keep his voice light. “Not me. I’m not good enough for Heaven and not bad enough for Hell. God didn’t know what the fuck to do with me, so he let me go.”

Vinnie laughed. “You coming home?”

Damien said, “Nah. Saved a girl. She’s grateful. Like, real grateful, if you know what I mean. You might not see me for a coupla days. I just didn’t want Aunt Jenn to worry.”

“Yeah, she’s been wringin’ her hands and makin’ a million loaves of focaccia bread. I told her you were okay.”

It was obvious that Vinnie had been just as worried, but Vinnie was an old-school tough guy who probably thought his balls would fall off if he said so, so they both pretended he hadn’t been.

“I’m always okay, Uncle Vin. See ya.”

“See ya, kid.”

He hung up the phone, looking down at Lila. She looked soft and vulnerable, asleep like that with her hair wild and curly.

Vulnerable like a jungle cat, probably. He wondered how long they’d need to stay here.

At the rate James said Lila had been healing, likely not more than a couple of days. But he’d feel a hell of a lot better about her if she’d only wake up and tell him she was all right.

Except, once she was okay, she’d be gone. By now he was getting used to that broken glass feeling in his chest when he thought about it.

It didn’t make sense. He barely knew her. But there it was.

Somewhere inside him was a fantasy of being with this woman. Spending time with her. Finding out what was in her head. Feeling her come alive underneath him when they made love.