Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“Firebird.”
“Your name is Firebird?” Daryl asked in surprise.
“Yeah.”
“Damn, that’s a cool name.”
“Could’ve been worse,” I whispered, my eyes on Nova. “He could’ve been named Trans Am.”
The almost-smile she gave me was more for my benefit than hers as she helped Bird sit back up.
He swayed in his seat.
“Alright, Firebird, can you tell me what happened?”
“Just Bird.”
“Alright, just Bird. Can you tell me what happened?” Daryl asked calmly as he reached for Bird’s face.
Bird didn’t answer him.
“Okay,” Daryl said slowly. “Why don’t you tell me where you’re injured. Anything I can’t see?”
“My ear’s fuckin’ killin’ me,” Bird said quietly, his face pale.
Daryl didn’t even flinch at the curse word coming out of the kid’s mouth. “Let me take a look.”
My stomach flipped when Bird turned his head and I could see the thin trickle of blood that had dried in his ear and down his neck.
Things were happening around us. They’d gotten Samson onto a gurney and had rolled him outside. The men I’d grown up with were talking around the room in low voices. Police were asking questions. Ash was weeping. All I could focus on was Nova and Bird.
“Yeah, I bet that hurts,” Daryl said sympathetically. “You need to head to the hospital and get this checked. It looks like you may have ruptured your eardrum.”
“I can’t hear out of it,” Bird said quietly, glancing quickly at Nova.
“Okay,” Daryl replied, setting his hand on Bird’s knee. “Straight to the hospital. They’ll get it figured out.”
“He was hit,” Nova said, watching her brother sorrowfully. “Would that burst his eardrum?”
“It could.”
Nova winced.
“Your turn,” Daryl said gently, turning to Nova. He glanced down at where I was holding her hands, my thumbs rubbing softly against the backs of them. I hadn’t even noticed when I’d grabbed them.
“You can check her out while I’m here,” I said, refusing to move.
“Goddamn it, Rumi,” my dad said quietly as he strode toward us. “I told you to stay outside.”
Nova huffed and it almost sounded like a laugh.
“I know,” I said, turning back to look at her. “Can you believe this guy? Stay outside when my girl needs me? Please.”
“I’m alright,” she replied, her eyes filling with tears.
“You let Daryl check you out,” I ordered, reaching up to wipe one away with a fingertip. I was afraid that anything more than that would hurt her.
“I need to go to the hospital,” she said softly, looking up at Daryl. “I already know that.”
Daryl tilted his head to the side in question.
“I think I might have a broken rib,” Nova murmured. “And one of my teeth feels loose.”
The thin control I had on myself nearly disintegrated.
“I agree,” Daryl said kindly. “I think you and Bird both need to go.”
“Do we have to go in an ambulance?” Nova asked, grimacing.
“I think you should—”
“I’ll drive you,” I cut in. I knew how expensive ambulances were and Samson had already left in one.
“Thanks, Rum.”
As I helped Nova to her feet and my dad helped Bird, a police officer strode toward us, asking questions as he came.
“They’re goin’ to the hospital,” my dad answered before Nova or Bird could say a word. “You can ask your questions after they’ve seen a doctor.”
“This is a mur—”
“Hospital,” my dad said, cutting him off.
“Nana?” Nova’s wail cut through the room.
“Just goin’ down to answer some questions, sweetheart,” Ash said as an officer escorted her forward, his hand wrapped around her bicep. “I’ll come to the hospital as soon as I can.”
“No,” Nova said, starting forward. “No, don’t—”
“You take care of your brother,” Ash ordered. “You go get checked out and then I’ll be there.”
“No, you can’t take her,” Nova said, turning on the policeman who’d been trying to ask her questions. “What are you doing?”
“Miss, there was a shooting.”
“Yeah, I know,” Nova replied sharply. “I was there.”
“You ready to answer some questions?” the cop asked.
“She’s goin’ to the hospital,” my dad barked, glaring at the cop. “Now.”
“Don’t let them take her,” Bird said, his eyes wide. “Do something.”
“Quiet,” my dad ordered soothingly. “We’ll take care of it.”
We helped Nova and Bird outside, but by the time we’d made it down the porch steps, Bird was having a hard time staying on his feet. The yard was swarming with police and Aces and neighbors.
“Micky,” my dad called.
“Hey, Birdman,” Mick said, going to Bird’s other side. “How you doin’, kid?”
“Dizzy,” Bird muttered, tripping over his own feet.
Without another word, Micky swung Bird into his arms like a big baby.
“That works, too,” my dad mumbled.
“We need your truck,” I told Micky as we made our way painfully slow out of the yard.
I had one arm around Nova’s waist with my hand on her hip, but I wasn’t sure where else I could touch her without hurting her. I wanted to pick her up like Micky had done with Bird, but I was afraid it would jostle her rib too much.