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“I’m fine.” Fluffy waved a blood-dripping hand even as he swayed into a shaky slump.
“Bullshit.” I seemed to have repeated that word a lot in the last twenty-four hours. I flicked him a look, my heart tearing. I could see he kept trying not to look at Francis on the floor. “Plus, we need to deal with the judge.”
“The judge?” Dad sputtered. Behind me, Mom moaned again.
“Lucas?” I fixed him with a steady stare before calming Groot with a quick pat.
Lucas drew in a slow breath, and then nodded. “She’s still out cold.”
Good. The last thing I needed was Maureen Ford regaining consciousness. Not until she was out of my home and away from Lucas. And Dad and Mom.
“Yay,” I said with a wry smile. I was glad the judge was out cold. I’d rather she not be here at all, but beggars can’t be choosers sometimes, right? “Nine-one-one will be here soon.”
“Good.” Lucas’s gaze met mine before flicking a glance at Fluffy. Worry swam in his eyes. “In the meantime, we need to stop Fluffy’s blood loss. We need a hand towel or something?”
I nodded and threw Mom a look. “Mom? Can you help, please?”
“I’m o…okay…” Fluffy waved a hand again. Shit, it was shaking. “I need to check…Fr…Francis…” He tried to push himself up from the seat, and staggered sideways.
“Whoa there.” Mom ran to his side, sliding her arm around his back. “You need to sit back down.”
“He does.” Lucas gave Mom a gentle smile. “Don’t let him move, Mrs. U. I’m going to go get something to staunch the blood.”
Mom nodded, and then turned to Fluffy, helping him sit back down.
“Pleased…to meet you, ma’am.” Fluffy gave my mom a wobbly smile, and then winced as he tested his wound.
“Nice to meet you too, Fluffy.” Mom shook her head, dazed confusion on her face as she looked at me. “I have no idea what’s going on, Ronnie.”
“Neither do I.” Dad stormed up to me and grabbed my elbow. “But I want answers. Now.”
I shook my arm free and glared at him. “You can wait, Dad. After what you said about Lucas, about me? You can wait.”
Dad threw up his hands. “Sure. I’m only your father, after all.”
“Francis…” Fluffy groaned again, trying to peer around Mom to where his dog lay.
“Let’s focus on you for the moment, okay, big guy?” I murmured, squatting down in front of him. Oh man, there was so much blood oozing from the hole in his shoulder. So much. How much was too much?
Taking Mom’s hand, I pressed it to the wound. “I’ll tell you everything ASAP, Mom. Promise. Just…push hard here. We need to stem the blood flow.”
Fluffy winced, his normally intimidating face an ashen mask of pain. “You’re not catching…me at my best…Mrs. Underwood.”
Mom stared at him.
“I’m going to Francis,” I said gently.
Fluffy nodded, eyes closing.
I straightened and hurried over to Francis. As much as I wanted to go to wherever Lucas was in our home at that moment, to hug him and hold him close, I also wanted to check on Fluffy’s dog. Fluffy needed me to do that.
My heart broke as I crouched down beside the Doberman. The bullet—the bullet the judge had fired at him—had gone straight through Francis’s head.
At least it had been instant.
It didn’t lessen my pain—and wouldn’t lessen Fluffy’s, I knew—but it was something.
Cold anger laced through me, and I straightened, turning back to the unconscious Supreme Court judge. I wanted to hurt her. A lot. I wanted—
