Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“You got nothin’ to be sorry for, Pipsqueak.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Never heard that before.”
I grinned at her. “You haven’t? Good. That was some of my best work.”
“I was being sarcastic.” She gave me a tremulous grin.
“Oh, little Miss Sassy?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.” Then her smile wavered and her chin quivered as she valiantly fought to keep her composure.
“I like sassy. Lets me know you got fight in you.”
She was trembling like a leaf now. I glanced up at Mama and she shook her head slightly, keeping her watchful gaze on Pippa. “I tried to fight them. It’s why they hit me.”
“Did they…” I trailed off, clearing my throat. “Did they rape you, Pippa?”
She shook her head. “No. A-at least, I don’t think so. I-I got hit on the head when they first took me, so I don’t know for certain, but I never felt like I’d been touched.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “They tried to keep me drugged, but I can’t get high from opioids.”
“You seemed like you were pretty high when I found you.” I frowned at her, not sure if she’d been hallucinating or maybe trying to convince herself she didn’t have any memory gaps. Kind of a self-defense mechanism.
“I was really fuzzy. I know they hit me with a higher dose than normal. My guess is, it was enough to knock out a horse because I don’t really have a whole lot of pain. So, yeah. I was really out of it, but I could still process what was happening. I was more startled by the sudden light in the darkness than I was disoriented.” I could tell she understood what I was concerned about. I knew she had to be heavily drugged. “I swear, I’m not being delusional. I really do have a resistance to opioids. They take away my pain, but I don’t get the euphoric effects.”
“When did you need narcotics, child?” Mama had a stethoscope in her ears and placed the bell on Pippa’s chest.
“When I had my appendix out. They gave me something to help me relax before they tried to put me under, but it didn’t work. Neither did the gas they used to put me under before the procedure. The fact I was affected at all by what those bastards drugged me with means they really hit me hard.”
“I’m going to take some blood, honey.” Mama tied a tourniquet around Pippa’s upper arm before swabbing her inner elbow with an alcohol swab and quickly inserting the needle to take her blood into several tubes. “I’ve got a friend who’ll process this for me with a comprehensive drug screen. I’ll know what they used on you in a couple of hours.”
“Will you, um, you know.” She twisted her fingers together nervously. “Check for other things, too?”
Mama studied her as she finished labeling the tubes with Pippa’s name. “I can do the standard HIV/Hepatitis screen. Do you want me to do a swab? Just in case?”
Pippa gave me a sad, resigned look. “I think maybe it’s a good idea.”
“I’ll step just outside the office door and give you privacy, Pippa. But I promise I won’t leave. I’ll be right back when Mama tells me it’s OK.” I have no idea why I said that. She might not have cared. Probably didn’t care since she didn’t know me from Adam. But I had this driving need to take care of her. Maybe it was because I’d already started thinking of her as my old lady. I’d learned how a man should treat his woman from my father and how he treated our mom. What I said to Pippa was something my dad would have said to Mom.
“You promise?” Pippa’s gaze was both hopeful but resigned. Like she didn’t really expect much, but needed to believe she could have it all.
“Yeah, honey. I promise. All you have to do is holler for me and I’ll be in here before you shut your mouth.” That got a small smile from her. So I put my hand on her head, leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Not much, but I’ll take it. I’m just out here.”
“Your name’s Gunnar?”
“Yeah, honey. Gunnar Gill.”
“Thank you. Thanks for rescuing me.” Two tears fell from her luminous eyes, and I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart.
“You never have to thank me for that.” My voice was husky as I tried to swallow the sudden lump in my throat. I pointed to the door. “I’m just out here.” She nodded, and I stepped out of Mama’s office and shut the door behind me.
I turned around to find Ice and Cyclone standing from where they’d been waiting in the small outer office. I scowled at them, keeping my arms loose at my side in case I needed to defend myself. “Post a guard outside if you want, but I don’t want you here.”