Page 27 of Ringo
“No. But reinforcements are coming. God have mercy on Illivitch’s soul. Because your man will have none.”
Apple looked confused. “My… what?”
Lemon shrugged. “Deacon is on the way. And if he doesn’t make things right with you, after he finds and kills Illivitch, I’ll kill him. Might anyway. So either way, it’s a one-way trip for him and he knows it.”
“Lemon! What did you do?”
“Nothing you need to be concerned about. Just get better. That’s your one job.” She reached down and squeezed Apple’s shoulder. “Now. Bullet, does she need to go to the hospital?”
Bullet shook his head. “I want to take her to my clinic in town for an X-ray, but I think she’s fine.” He reached over to a small, curved basin sitting on the table beside the bed where he worked on Apple. He pulled out the bullet he’d obviously removed from Apple’s chest before he stitched her up. “Souvenir.”
Lemon took it from Bullet before Apple could.
“That’s mine, Lemon! Give it back!”
“You’ll get it back. I’m having it made into a necklace for you. It’ll be a sign that you’re a total badass, sis.” Lemon grinned wickedly. “You’ll thank me later.”
“Somehow, I doubt that,” Apple muttered. “Anyway, I’m tired of trying to be like you. It’s too much work. I want to rest and be pampered and have people wait on me hand and foot.” She pouted prettily, but I could see the vulnerability in her eyes.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Rocket entered the room with a kind smile for Apple. “All the women are gathered in your house waiting for you. They’ll have everything ready to spoil you by the time you get there. Even got a couple of the brothers volunteering to stay with you until this fuckin’ mess is cleaned up.”
Apple nodded. “All right,” she said in a soft voice.
“I’ll even give you some good drugs to help with the pain,” Bullet said as he finished dressing her wound.
“How about some of the fruit punch Lemon’s always raving about?”
Bullet grinned. “I think I can manage that.”
Calista went with Apple to help get her settled and stayed for two days until Apple finally ran her off. The little witch had shot me a text telling me to take my woman home and get her laid. When I’d shown up, Apple had grinned.
“‘Bout damned time you came back, Ringo. Take your woman home and fuck her good.”
“Apple!” Calista’s hands went to her face. Which was now beet red.
“Well? What did you expect? You’re smothering me!”
“You said you wanted pampering!” Calista threw her hands up in exasperation.
Apple just shrugged, grinning at Calista. “I did. But you take pampering to a whole other level. I swear, if I have to eat another piece of your cheesecake, I’m gonna puke.”
Calista snorted. “So, you hated it, huh?” Yeah. Calista didn’t believe that.
“Didn’t say that. You keep making it, so I keep eating it.”
“I make it because you keep eating it. Why didn’t you tell me you hated it?” Still, Calista didn’t look like someone who’d just been told by her friend that her cheesecake wasn’t good, so instead of giving Apple the evil eye, I waited to see what Calista would say next.
“Because I don’t. It’s the most delicious stuff I’ve ever had in my life. But in two days you’ve made three different kinds and I cannot lay off the stuff.”
“Dork.”
“Bitch.”
They both burst into giggles.
“Call if you need me,” Calista said. “Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No, you won’t,” Apple said with a smirk. “At least, you better not.” Apple lifted her chin at me. “Bone her one for me, Ringo.”