Ripper (Hunter #1)(34)

Another shot and another hiss.

I staggered forward, unwilling to give up.

The Goth guy shook his head as I inched ever closer to him. He shot again and this time I was going down. My knees hit the pavement with a painful thud and then I fell forward, not even able to move my arms to brace the fall. I caught a glimpse of the man who’d tricked me and then shot me as he loomed over me.

“God, I hope I didn’t kill you,” he muttered and then he was gone.

Somewhere, as the world was getting darker, I registered the pounding of feet racing toward me and Gray’s desperate voice. He was calling 911, barking orders for assistance.

A warm hand enfolded mine. It was so nice to feel someone, I thought as I started to float. I tried to squeeze his hand so he could maybe keep me tethered to the ground, but I was already flying.

“Hold on, sweetheart,” he said. “Please hold on.”

I was already gone.





“Three hours, Gray,” I heard as I started to come out of the fog. I squeezed my hands into fists to get the circulation back in them. I registered that I was lying on a bed. The world seemed way too bright as I opened my eyes. I had to stop myself from shivering and there was an awful antiseptic smell coating my nose. There was the steady hum of several machines and the sound of Jamie’s voice. “She was with you, in your care, for roughly three hours and she’s in the hospital.”

Yep. I was in hell and hell was a hospital.

“Well, I didn’t plan it that way, Jamie.” Gray’s voice sounded ragged, like he’d been yelling for hours and it was going to give out soon. “Do you think I wanted her hurt? I fought like hell.”

“You were supposed to take her to a nice dinner.” Even without seeing Jamie, I could tell his teeth were grinding together as he spoke and his fists were at his sides. “You were supposed to treat her like a lady and be gentle with her. Damn it, you promised me you would be good to her. You were not supposed to get her involved in your little war with dear old Dad.”

“I don’t think it had anything to do with demons,” Gray tried to explain.

“I don’t give a shit who was involved. My sister is in a coma. What are you going to do about it? If you don’t have anyone who can help then I’ll call Nathan and have him bring some of his friends in. We’ll see what they can do.”

“Don’t you dare,” Gray growled.

It was time to force myself up before my potential boy toy and my eldest brother tried to kill each other. I wasn’t going to be allowed to languish in the so not comfy bed. I pulled out the IV in my arm and sat up. I don’t like IVs.

“Tell me I’m not in a hospital. Tell me this is some back-alley clinic that will take payment in sexual favors.” I couldn’t afford a hospital. The world still seemed a little gauzy as Gray was at my side before I could form another sentence. “Why am I in a coma?”

“Call the doctor,” Gray ordered as he framed my cheeks with his hands. His handsome face gave me something to focus on and I wondered briefly if I’d finally managed to get to a state of alcohol poisoning. My mouth was so dry, and I couldn’t remember a damn thing. How had I gotten to a hospital?

“Where am I?” I forced the words out of my mouth.

Gray ran a hand soothingly across my forehead and then his fingers massaged my scalp. I sighed because it felt so nice. “You’re in Parkland, sweetheart. We’re in the ER, but they’re moving you up to a private room soon. God, Kelsey, I thought you were going to die. The doctor said you might never wake up. You took three doses of Ketamine, one almost in your freaking heart. If I ever find that f*cking piece of shit witch, I’m gonna take him apart limb from limb.”

“Why would someone shoot me with horse tranquilizer?” I asked after searching my addled brain for what Ketamine was. “Get my neck.” It was so sore. My whole body ached and it felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

Gray’s hands moved obediently down to my neck and started rubbing the muscles there. I sighed and felt him relax as well as his strong fingers worked from my neck to my bunched up shoulders. “I don’t know exactly what was going on. You don’t remember? You don’t remember the wolves and the man in black with the gun? You chased him and he shot you so he could get away. I would have followed him, but I couldn’t leave you. God, I couldn’t leave you there.”

I was so tired, but I could feel my strength starting to come back. I had the feeling back in my extremities and my mind was starting to get sharp again. “Tell me what happened. Maybe it’ll jog my memory.”

“What’s the last thing you remember clearly, Kels?” Jamie asked, looking at me over Gray’s shoulder.

“I remember the restaurant.” I let my mind wander over the evening. Thankfully it was coming back into focus. “I ordered too small a steak because I didn’t want Gray to think I was a big old pig, but then he told me that you had already told him I was one so I went ahead and I ate a lobster.”

“Two lobsters, honey,” Gray said, chuckling. “You ate mine, too.”

Jamie was not amused with our banter. “After the restaurant. What do you remember after that?”

I sat up and Gray moved in behind me. I should have been annoyed. The man was invading my space, but it was nice to lean against him. It was nice to feel his strong chest against my back and I wondered how I’d gone so damn long without the feeling of warmth surrounding me. It made it easier to concentrate.