Page 47 of Jinx

I gaped at her, momentarily stunned by her resistance. “The fuck you can’t.”

She gave me a look like I was the one being difficult. “Hospitals are crowded. Someone will touch me. I can’t risk it.”

“Fine.” The word was a frustrated growl. “Then you’re coming back to the house.” I carefully scooped my arms underneath her and pulled her against my chest.

“I can’t just leave work.” A kitten could have fought harder. “I’ll be fine. I just need some ice and an aspirin.”

I stood, keeping her cradled to me. “No. You’re done working. Tell me who to call, but you’re coming home with me. Rami will—” I bit off the words before they revealed too much. Not like she wasn’t going to figure it out soon. “Rami knows first aid. He’ll fix you up.”

31

CORDELIA

The ride was quiet except for the grinding of Bellamy’s teeth. Once he’d settled me in the front seat of his very expensive-looking SUV, he asked what happened. He asked again as we left town. My answer didn’t change.

“I fell.” I sucked in a sharp breath when a bump in the road jostled my arm. It wasn’t a lie, not really, but my magic wasn’t happy with the half-truth. It was telling me that I should be raining fiery rage down on the vicious bitch that did this to us. My chest ached with each breath like there was a blade sawing in and out between my ribs. My spine felt hot and prickly. And my left arm, just above the wrist, was definitely broken, throbbing in agony with every beat of my heart.

“Punish her.”

Bellamy’s expression darkened. He didn’t buy it the first time, and he wasn’t buying it now. I’d never been a good liar. I didn’t know why I was trying so hard. Maybe because, despite my magic’s urgings, I didn’t want to risk the guys getting hurt too. Margo was clearly psychotic. Who knew what she’d do if they confronted her? I shuddered at the memory of her dead, void eyes.

At the house, Bel parked the car in front of the covered porch instead of pulling into the garage. He was out and around the front, pulling my door open before I even had my seatbelt off. He offered his hand, and I took it, but once I was on my feet, he carefully swept me back up into his arms.

“I can walk.” My lips twisted down in a stubborn frown. “I didn’t break a leg.”

He stiffened and held me a little tighter as a threatening growl rumbled from his chest. “Don’t even joke.”

My glare softened, and the irritation faded as I realized that Bel was scared. If having me close helped soothe his fear, then I guess I could give him that. Supporting my weight with one arm, he pushed open the heavy wooden front door, and my jaw dropped. I only got to see the kitchen last time, but the rest of the house must have made the features in Architectural Digest look like dollhouses.

“Rami! Q! Get in here!” Bel set me down on a buttery-soft sectional in the living room. A rustic flagstone hearth took up most of the opposite wall. There were no photographs on the walls or wooden mantle, nothing personal at all. Just a huge painting of a tastefully nude woman done in an abstract minimalist style. It was a beautiful piece, subtle and soft. There was a large feather in the woman’s hair that I realized, after a moment of staring, was real. It had to have come from a massive bird.

There were thundering footsteps on a set of stairs off the foyer to announce Quinn and Rami’s arrival. They were mid-conversation when they entered the room, but it cut off like a record scratch when they saw me. Quinn’s face twisted, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. Rami looked like he was ready to commit murder.

Insecurity clutched me. I was a mess, pale and shaky with blood still smeared on my face. Embarrassed, I reached up to scrub it away and winced at the move. I was unraveling, reaching my limits and losing my grip on the tears I’d been fighting to keep back.

Rami dropped to his knees in front of me, his big hands going to my cheeks. “What happened, kulta?”

“I fell,” I forced out for the third time, but this time I think I said it to protect the guys from themselves. Their reactions left no doubt in my mind that Margo would pay the ultimate price if they found out what she did, and I’d be really sad if I had to start visiting them in prison.

The guys turned to look at Quinn, who paled, looking a little nauseous, and shook his head. Rami’s eyes narrowed into shards of ice. He shuffled closer, letting his palms slide down my arms. His touch was light and careful, but even the slightest whisper against my wrist now felt like being shot with a nail gun. I cried out like a wounded animal.

“Paska!” He pulled his hands away. “Olen pahoillani. I’m sorry.” His anger faded into something desperate.

“It’s okay.” I reached out with my good arm to sweep my thumb over his creased brow. “It didn’t hurt that bad. Just surprised me.”

This time, Quinn made a gagging noise in the back of his throat. “Stop. Lying.”

I blinked over at him. What was he, a human lie detector?

“Let me help, kulta.” Rami wrapped his warm hands around my calves. “Let me fix it.”

My heart skipped. “What do you mean?”

He pressed a kiss to each of my kneecaps. “Do you trust me?”

The tether connecting us pulsed in a gentle rhythm, and I knew that if I pressed my hand to his chest, it would match his heart. I trusted him with my life. “Yes.”

Rami’s gaze was unwavering as it burrowed straight to my soul. His eyes never left mine while his touch slowly moved up my legs to where my arm was in my lap. I felt the warmth of his hands before he made contact, but when he did, that heat bloomed into a sensation that coursed through my whole body like liquid sunshine. A surprised sob escaped me as the power swirled around every ache, putting me back together. Making me whole.