Wright drops a little and my heart flatlines, but Flynn has her.
I dash down the stairs as he lies her flat on the fire escape.
“Stay lying down for a while and keep moving your legs,” Flynn tells her. “You probably weren’t hanging long enough for it to matter but the last thing you want is suspension trauma.”
Wright does as she’s told, cycling her legs and wriggling her fingers. Then she stops and blinks up at Flynn.
“Hazel, quick, call the hospital. The blood’s gone to my head and I’m hallucinating the Vigilante Choker.”
I drag a hand over my face. “You’re, uh, not hallucinating. And his name is Flynn.”
A slow grin spreads over Wright’s face, and I realize my mistake.Why, oh why, did I tell her his name?
“Oh my god,” she says, her eyes sparkling in the night.
“No. Not a word. Shut up.” I glare at her, praying she doesn’t say what I know she’s thinking.
Flynn glances at me. “Am I missing something?”
“No,” I say at the same time Wright says, “Yes.”
My cheeks burn hot.
Wright shakes her head at me. “Oh, you have so much explaining to do, young lady.”
“Says the person I found hanging from a fire escape.”
“Not the same and you know it.” She looks at Flynn. “Can I stand up now? It’s hard to properly lecture someone when you’re lying down.”
Flynn smirks. “You should be good so long as you’re not feeling lightheaded.”
I offer Wright a hand and we slowly get her to standing.
“Flynn,” she whispers to me once she’s up.
“Not. A. Word.”
We make our way down the fire escape, and I turn to Flynn, holding out the pen knife. “Here.”
He looks down at me with a gentleness I can’t quite decipher. “Keep it.”
I stare at the designs carved into the wooden handle and poke my tongue into my cheek.
“Problem?” he asks.
I grimace. “Have you, uh, used it to kill anyone?” The words leave me on a rush and Flynn laughs under his breath.
“Not my style, Lilac.”
Right, because he strangles people. I bite my lip. “Okay, then.” I slip the pen knife into my jeans pocket and draw back my shoulders. “Thank you for your help. We’re all good now.”
The corner of Flynn’s mouth ticks up in amusement. “Are you dismissing me, Little Lilac?”
I jut out my chin. “Yes.”
A smirk flirts over his lips and he grabs the lapels of my jacket, tugging me in towards him. “You can dismiss me now, sweetheart, but just know that when we’re in the bedroom, I give the orders.”
My breath catches in my chest. His words were low enough for only me to hear but a blush thunders in my cheeks all the same.
