Brutal Mercy by Emily Kimelman

Author:Emily Kimelman [Kimelman, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emily Kimelman

Chapter Twenty-Four

Simon holds a blue ice pack to his swollen lip. His left eye is a balloon of purple. Butterfly stitches hold the split skin across his cheekbone together. His shoulder is a mass of white bandages. Another bandage crosses his bare chest from left shoulder to right hip. His chest is clean now, but when I first ripped off his shirt to press the fabric rope to the gunshot wound it was a mess of blood and dirt. The slice across his chest is a sharp line—not deep enough to be dangerous, but there will be a scar.

We are in the medical suite. Simon is lying on one of the narrow beds, his back propped up with pillows. Next door Heather Franks, the guard who was injured, is recovering. Merl and I stopped in there first to check on her. Ziggy knocked her out but didn’t hurt her otherwise. A real gentleman…

An IV of fluids drips into Simon’s injured arm; his good one is bent to hold the ice pack to his lip. He lowers it to say: “You have a leak, someone here is reporting to Scythe.” He makes it sound like a fact.

Merl stands with his arms crossed, biceps pressing against his T-shirt, a frown pulling at the edges of his lips. Our dogs all wait in the hall, the room not big enough for six dogs, three adults, and the narrow bed. “That’s not a light accusation,” Merl says.

Simon’s eyes hold Merl’s gaze. “I know. But how do you explain how they knew I was here? And where you had me locked up.”

“You left a trail,” I suggest weakly.

Simon shifts his focus to me, his expression neutral. “Not possible.”

I roll my eyes. “Your confidence is admirable, but your face is a hot mess.” He tries to smile but grimaces. “So this is a personal thing between you and this Scythe?” I ask.

“No.” He holds my gaze. The man knows I’m trying to catch him in a lie. Simon can guess how much I heard of his exchange with the intruder. Or maybe he knew I was there and said it all for my benefit.

“Scythe is the guy that Richard hired to arrange Senator Jackson’s death?” I ask.

“She’s not a guy.” Simon’s voice is neutral, but there is something under all that I don’t have feelings on this matter that makes me think feelings are indeed involved.

“Oh?” I raise both brows. “A jealous ex?”

He swallows and shakes his head. “No.”

“Go on,” I encourage. “We’ve got all the time in the world for that long story you mentioned before we hunted down Ziggy Stardust.”

I had caught Merl up on our escapades while the doctor was working on Simon. “Yes,” Merl agrees, glancing at his watch. “My entire day is free. And it’s early still.”

Yellow sunlight filters through a white shade. A faint humid breeze ekes past it, a fan in the ceiling helping to move it around. The day has turned hot and humid, the storm lingering at the horizon, moisture thick in the air.

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