whiskey witches 01 - whisky witches (16 page)

Leslie didn’t answer.

His eyes flickered around the pale blue painted room. “Please?”

She didn’t breathe, didn’t move, didn’t make a sound.

“Pretty please?”

“Was she okay before she was doused?”

“Yeah.” Relief swept over him. “She was a bit freaked over what happened in the attic, but—”

“What happened in the attic?”

“She was attacked by a ghost.”

Her voice rose in considerable decibels. “She was attacked by a ghost? Are you freaking kidding me?”

“No. Did you want to wake the kids?”

“Don’t worry about my kids, Dexx. So you have a ghost attacking a demon summoner in a place with no ghosts. Are you two boneheads fine? Were you attacked?”

“Nope. The thing completely ignored us boneheads.”

“And you’re telling me you went in teams, or did you decide to go in like lone wolves.”

“I was up there with her.”

“Before or after?”

“Um.”

“Uh-huh. And after she was doused with the whatever, how’d she act?”

“Confused and drugged.”

“How’s her gift? You’ve been with her a couple days.”

“Working really well.”

Leslie paused, her tone hedged and deep. “What do you mean?”

“I mean she’s handling things emotionally well, except for not talking to Alma. She refuses to do that. But she summoned Balnore quite well and then there’s that globe thing. Did you know she can see all creatures of magickal ability?”

“Yeah. It was actually one thing I’d hoped she’d be able to keep.”

“Oh.” He frowned, staring at the blue blanket under Paige’s jean-clad legs. “Well, she’s good. Her gift’s under control.”

“Okay,” Leslie said. She made a clucking sound with her tongue. “Sounds like someone set up a trap for her.”

“No shit.”

“Shut it. Could be a lot of things, though. Grandma’s best with the herbs, so make sure she gets her hands on whatever they threw at Pea. How’s she now?”

“Uh.” He puffed his cheeks out.

A nurse bustled into the room. “Let’s see if we can wake her. If not, the doctor will want to run some tests.”

Dexx shot her a grim smile. “Not doing so good, actually. She’s comatose. I need help, Les.”

“So, it hit her hard, whatever it was.” Leslie growled low in her throat. Her phone picked up the sound really well. “It had to be primed for her. That’s not good, Dexx. This is all very bad. I should be out there.”

“You’re like ten months pregnant.”

“It only feels that way. I’ll call Grandma and have her meet you there.”

The nurse shined her pocket light in Paige’s eyes.

Dexx rose from the edge of the bed, unwilling to leave the room. “Les, what do I need to do in the meantime?”

“Where are you?”

“At the local clinic.”

“Do they have showers?”

Dexx lowered the phone to his chest. “Do you have showers in here?”

The nurse looked up. “No. We usually don’t have people stay that long.”

“That’s a big no,” Dexx said into the phone.

“Well, get that stuff washed off her somehow. Get her into a clean set of clothes. Wash her hair. And I’ll get Grandma to bring some Fever Few.”

The nurse pulled a small capsule out of the large pocket on her white and pink scrub shirt.

Dexx had seen one of those in a movie or something. Was he going to have to invest in smelling salts? Was that even a thing he could buy? “Would she have Fever Few?”

Breaking the capsule, the nurse waved it under Paige’s nose.

“I hope so,” Leslie said. “Call you back.”

Paige jerked her head away, her eyes blinking open.

Dexx closed the phone. “Nurse, we’re going to need to use your bathroom, and we’re going to need one of those really fancy paper gowns you guys like to give out.”

The nurse frowned. “What’s going on?”

“She was doused with an oil, and I think this is an allergic reaction.” Dexx put his hand on Paige’s shoulder to keep her in the bed. “I think we should wash that off first and see if she has any further reactions.”

The nurse sniffed Paige’s hair, her lip curled. “I’ll help her with that. You, sir, need to leave unless you’re her husband.”

“I am not.” Dexx shuffled out of the room, ignoring the twinge in his heart. Husband. That thought had never crossed his mind, but this was Paige. He should be able to help her. Out of her clothes. Right. “I’ll be right out here.”

Alma bustled down the hall with Tru in tow not long after. “Where is she?”

Dexx cocked his head to the door behind him.

She shifted a heavy bag onto her shoulder. It looked like a cloth grocery sack everyone and their grandmother used now. “How is she?”

“Awake. The nurse is cleaning her up.”

“Is she coherent?” Her Texas drawl thickened as her voice lowered minutely.

“Didn’t stick around. The nurse is a sergeant.”

“Good for her.” Alma pushed Dexx out of the way and stormed the room. “Hello. I’m her grandmother. What do we have here?”

The door closed, shutting out any remaining sound.

Tru shoved his hands in the pockets of his wrinkled cargo shorts. He looked around uncomfortably. “Weird being in a hospital and not having someone trying to break my hand.”

Dexx leaned against the door jam, folding his arms over his chest, keeping guard. Tru might have good memories of hospitals, but Dexx didn’t. The smell. The look. The sound. He’d visited his brother in the hospital. He’d been in a hospital when his brother had died. All Dexx wanted to do was to grab Paige and get her out of there, get her somewhere safe.

The doctor appeared from down the hall. “Excuse me, son.”

Dexx let the man in. With each passing minute, his heart raced faster, his blood boiled hotter. He fought not to react. Paige was safe. She’d be okay.

She’d be safer in their room behind his protections.

She’d be safer in his arms.

Dear God. What was he thinking?

After a few minutes, Alma exited the room, followed by the nurse who quick-walked to another room. Alma ran a shaking, gnarled hand over her frizzy white and black hair. “She’s calling for you.”

He entered the hospital room to find Paige sitting on the bed, her skin slightly pink. He resisted the urge to gather her in his arms, to rock with her. She was the closest thing he’d had to a real friend. When they were apart, he missed her smell, the noises she made when she was lost in thought, the constant clicking of a pen when she was confused. He didn’t want to lose her.

He shook himself and took a step back. No. He had to stop thinking like that. It was just the hospital playing with his mind. Or the fact that he’d nearly lost her that night. Or . . . No. He had to stop thinking like that. She was a demon summoner. He was a demon hunter. What kind of relationship did he really think they could build?

“She has a mild concussion, bruised ribs, a sprained ankle, and several minor lacerations,” the doctor said.

“Does that mean I can leave now, Doc?” Paige jutted her jaw to the side. She tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear.

The doctor sighed. “Well, I guess if you still want to leave, you can. But I don’t recommend it. I think it would be best to stay for observation.”

“I’ll be fine, doctor. I can’t lay around just to lay around, though.”

“Sounds like someone’s got a hero complex.” The doctor took a pen out of his jacket pocket and picked up the clipboard.

“I have a killer to catch.” Her tone didn’t leave room for argument. “I don’t have time to sit around. I’ll heal standing or sitting. I’d rather be standing.”

The doctor looked at Dexx. “You make sure she at least gets a good night’s rest. I mean rest.”

The images of Paige lying in bed ramrodded through him. He swallowed hard, pushing down the heat rising in the lower regions of his body. “You said she has a concussion. Is it safe for her to sleep?”

“Best thing for her. The body’s an amazing thing when you let it work as it wants to.”

“I’ll do my best.” She still looked beat to shit and the only thing he could think about was protecting her. “I’ll do my best.”

T
HE NEXT MORNING
, Paige woke up sore. How had the doctor put it? Beat to hell? Yeah. She felt it. Her arm bumped into Dexx lying beside her on the bed. She pushed not-so-gently on his shoulder. “Get your own room.”

He smiled sleepily and rolled over, pinning her to him with one arm. “But I like it here so much better.”

“Good grief.” She shoved him off. Her body complained as she dragged herself out of bed.

Her memories of the night before were chaotic, almost as if she had lived through a tornado. A part of her mind struggled to rationalize everything, to tuck all the memories into neat little files, but the events of the previous night refused to obey.

Someone banged on the room door. She finished brushing her teeth and stepped into the room, limping slightly. Her ankle still hurt, but not nearly as bad as the day before. A couple of Ibuprofen and she’d be set.

“Dude.” Tru pushed into the room. “You have so gotta see what we caught.”

Dexx frowned, barely awake. He glanced at his watch. “Have you been at this all night?”

“And all morning.” Tru wiggled his eyebrows with a sly grin. “It’s nearly noon.”

“No wonder I’m so hungry.” Dexx’s bare feet made no noise on the lush carpet on his way to the coffee pot. His jeans fit him loose. His bare abs and chest gave off a healthy glow in the light filtering through the curtains.

Paige blinked, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe. And that had been in her bed all night. What was she doing? Good grief!

What was going through her mind? Seriously? As if she had time for that.

Though, “that” was sex and sex was good for the mind, the body, and the soul. It was good for the—

“Coffee?”

She bit off her thoughts and nodded.

Tru watched both of them through mischievous eyes.

Paige decided to ignore her brother-in-law. “So you’re done watching all the evidence?” She threw open the curtains of the nearest window.

“Damn.” Dexx threw up a hand to shield his eyes. “Could you warn a guy next time?”

“What are you?” Paige moved to the other window, her ankle loosening up with movement. “A vampire? Do I need garlic to keep you out of my bed?”

“Didn’t go well, huh?” Tru asked with a cynical smile on his face.

“I was tossed around like a friggin’ rag doll last night. Thrown down two flights of stairs. I’m also pretty sure someone tried to possess me. Jensen Ackles couldn’t have gotten lucky with me last night.”

Tru pointed his thumb in Dexx’s direction. “He kinda reminds me of Jensen Ackles. You know, with that ruggedly strong chin, and the stubble, and the really bad fashion sense.”

“Says the man who wears white socks with his flip flops,” Dexx said, his hands spread. “Come on!”

Backing away, Tru held up his hands in surrender. “I still got a bit more left. Hey, when you sleepy heads are ready, come see me. I’ll be down the hall. In the opposite direction of the stairs, so no worries about falling down. Again.”

“Gah!” Paige picked up a shirt and threw it at him. “Get out!”

He laughed and closed the door behind him.

Good grief. It did feel good to banter with him. That man. She stared out the window. The gentle waves of the lake winked in the bright sun. The green leaves rustled on the wind. Clouds danced in the sky, changing form before her eyes. What would Leah say about—

She sank in the chair next to her as her heart twisted with grief that refused to drown. She put her elbows on her knees, burying her face in her hands.

“Pea,” Dexx said softly, sitting in the chair opposite of her. “You all right?”

She scrubbed her face hard and sat up. She had a case to solve. She had to be okay. She couldn’t let people down. Again. “Yeah.”

“Don’t.”

She cleared her throat and frowned at him. “What?”

“I know where you’re headed and trust me when I tell you, it ain’t pretty.”

Paige took a lock of long brown hair, pressing it to her lips for a long moment before letting it drop. “Yeah. I know. You hear from my brother? Do you know how she’s doing?”

“No, and I’m sure Leah’s fine.”

The pain inside Paige’s heart coiled, waiting. “Yeah. Coffee ready? Let’s go see what Tru found.”

He stood, grabbing a t-shirt off the floor. He brought it to his nose before pulling it over his head while Paige filled the two mugs. She handed one to Dexx and waited as he doused the crap out of it with about five creamers and half a shaker of sugar.

“Did you want a little coffee with your sugar?”

“Shut up.” He sipped his concoction as he exited the room.

Alma and Tru’s room had two single beds done up in shades of blues and browns. It felt very warm, but not quite as earthy as Paige’s. She glanced at her grandmother lying on one of the beds. The woman looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Tru camped at the lone table against the wall next to the window. He had two laptops set up and other equipment Paige couldn’t even begin to name.

“What do ya got for us?” Dexx asked, sitting down next to him.

Paige perched on the edge of the empty bed.

“Okay, well, first off,” Tru said, glancing at them both with wild excitement in his gray eyes. “Paige, I caught the sound of something sliding across the floor in the attic. And I caught what you thought you heard. The first time the little she-ghost called your name, that’s all I caught. You heard that, so I don’t have to replay it for you, but listen to this.”