Page 67 of Theta

"Tubby? What is this tubby?"

Killian slaps a hand against his own belly. "Tubby."

Enzo looks down at his belly, pale and hairy and red-smeared and, yes, a little bulgy. "Oh. Sì. I am this tubby."

Killian growls in irritation as he helps Enzo to the door and pauses at the top of the steps. "You're supposed to get mad, you big agreeable oaf."

Enzo just laughs, and then groans. "I know what you are trying to do."

I take the backpack from Killian and hike it onto my own shoulders, over the vest I donned while Killian was getting Enzo to his feet and across the flat; I threw the feminine products into the bag as well, because I doubt that's the last time I'll need them. I squeeze under and past Killian and down a couple steps, walking backward to provide extra support for Enzo as he and Killian shuffle laboriously and slowly down the steps, Enzo grimacing and gasping.

We reach the idling SUV—a typical European compact—and we help Enzo to lie down in the back seat.

He grabs Killian's hand. "Wait. Wait."

Killian braces in the opening. "What's up? You're bleeding out, man. We gotta get you to a hospital."

"The hospital will be watched. Those—" he juts a chin at the block of flats, "are just the first. Always there are more." He winces, shifts on the bench. "She follows in the other car. You leave me at the door and go to her. Capisci?"

Killian frowns, but nods. "Yeah, we got it."

The older man reaches for Killian. "Mobile. Per favore."

Killian hands him the burner, and Enzo slowly uses one thumb on the T9 keyboard to type out a long string of something; he hands it to Killian, and I look over his shoulder.

An address and a phone number.

"Mia suocera, her home and her phone number. Find…please find mia figlia. Make her to be safe. Please. Per favore."

"We’ve got you, buddy," Killian answers. "Just stay awake, yeah? Now. How the fuck do I get to the hospital?"

Enzo snarls as he levers himself higher on the rear bench of the Dacia SUV, so he can see out the window, one hand pressed to his belly. "I will guide you."

"I'll follow you," I say. "The second you park it at the ER doors, I’ll be waiting."

"Got it. Stay on my ass."

I wink at him. "Don't gotta ask me twice."

Enzo snorts. "You save that for later, hey? I am dying here."

"You're not dying," I tell him, pointing at him. "You've got a daughter to live for." I close the door and head for the other vehicle, and seconds later we're squealing out of the parking lot and hauling ass across town.

Killian drives like an asshole, swerving around slow-moving morning traffic, leaning on his horn as he follows Enzo's directions. The hospital pops up as we round a corner, a white-and-tan structure that's all right angles, except for a round section with a covered portico. I follow their progress along a narrow, car-clogged lane around the hospital to the emergency room. Killian cuts off a slow-moving ambulance trundling lazily toward the ER entrance and squeals to a stop parallel with the doors. I jerk around his back end and brake next to him, kicking my foot hard into the brake pedal as I lean across the console to shove open the passenger door; Killian's door flies open and he leaps from the seat of his car to the passenger seat of mine while barely touching the ground in between. No sooner has his ass contacted the seat than I'm gunning the accelerator and peeling away.

"Shit!" Killian snaps, lunging out and slamming the door closed an instant before the door would've hit an idling ambulance.

I cackle as he grabs the oh-shit bar with one hand and yanks his seatbelt across his frame with the other. "You good?"

"You know no one is currently, actively chasing us, right?"

"Oh no?" I ask, glancing in the rearview.

A hospital security vehicle is behind us, lights flashing. "Apparently the dump-and-dash is no less illegal here than the US. Although I'd argue Enzo was mentally competent enough to make his own healthcare decisions."

"Story?"

"Hold please." I wrench the wheel around and nail the accelerator; the car leans heavily as we carve around a ramp to a wide highway.