Page 41 of Bared

Though Fox blushed by several noticeable shades, Oz practically soared to Emme’s level of euphoria. Brick was psyched to see his friend so happy. Oz had logged more than enough hours in the service of good karma. He deserved to get some in return.

“When you and Emme got separated in the alleys, Gervais followed her footsteps first,” Fox went on. “And obviously—”

“He found me,” Requiemme broke in. “And grabbed me.”

“Filthy bonsun.” Jayd curled her free hand into a fist and twisted it into the couch cushion. “So vipers can wear silk ties.”

“He smelled more like a mongoose,” Emme rejoined. “Hmmm yes, a mongoose. One that hadn’t washed his balls in days.”

As the woman applauded herself with another long snicker, Fox took up the narrative. “Once the asshole realized he had nabbed the wrong prey, he tossed Requiemme aside—into the street.”

“Oh, no!” A sob crept into the edges of Jayd’s outcry. “My beautiful bonami.” She lifted a shaking hand to Emme’s pale face. “You were run over?”

Emme molded her fingers atop Jayd’s. “Only a motorcycle, girl. Do not fret.”

“Only a motorcycle?” Jayd retorted. “Do not fret?”

“The rider was responsible,” Oz inserted. “He braked but had to do it fast. His back tire skidded out and struck Emme from the knee down.”

Jayd unfisted her other hand long enough to tap her chest, shoulders, and forehead. “Creator Everlasting,” she muttered, confirming Brick’s impression that it was tied into Arcadian religion. Whatever that was.

“So what now?” Brick took advantage of the ensuing pause to address Fox and Oz again. “Have you guys been able to assess anything?”

“Except that she’s got at least two breaks and needs to be splinted right away?” Oz countered. “We were just getting to that special part of the evening. Well, Jag was. I’ve been on ganja distribution duty.”

“Of course you’ve been,” Brick gibed.

“Only to her, you gronk. Give me credit for a smidge of smarts.”

“Okay. Maybe a smidge.” Brick wasn’t entirely teasing.

Fox stepped up, bracing hands to his hips. “I found a couple of spare pillowcases in the bedroom and yanked the towel rack dowels from the bathroom,” he said. “If we’re careful about where we break the rods, we might be able to set the bones ourselves.”

Brick nodded. “Decent plan. But then what?”

“We’re working on that now,” Oz stated.

“Working on it?” Of all the princess’s outbursts in the last two hours, this one took the top prize. “Decent plan?” she lashed, scrambling to her feet. “The woman was run over by a motorcycle. She does not need plans or people working on then whats. The plan is that we locate the nearest hospital with an emergency room, and—”

“No hospitals!”

He fired the rebuttal in perfect tandem with the other two men. Before they were all done, Brick stepped over to Jayd. There was already an argument on her lips. He cut it off with the sharp incision of his gaze.

“The second we register Requiemme into a hospital system is the moment your friend Trystan will know how to find you both.”

Nearly immediately, he hated himself for issuing the borderline command. Not because of the answering fury across her features. Because of the exhilaration that it fired in every blood cell he possessed.

Not that she let him enjoy it for too long.

With too much sass for Brick’s liking, the entrancing pixie tilted her head and lifted a leg. Literally extended her ankle until it was next to her ear. As Brick joined Oz in a stunned gape, Fox joined Emme in knowing chuckles.

With a few deft moves, Jayd twisted free the shallow heel of her boot. From the secret hollow inside, out popped a small roll of money along with a few plastic cards. She quickly flicked through them before holding one up between her two longest fingers.

“Then perhaps we do not give the hospital her real name, hmm?”

Fox stepped over, closely eyeing the fake French ID card. “Emerald Farrow,” the man read out. “And do I dare ask what yours is, or how you even got these?”

“Oh, Jag.” Jayd slanted up one side of her mouth. “Do you really want to know that?”