Halfling for Hire by Harper A Brooks

Author:Harper A Brooks [Brooks, Harper A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: urban fantasy
Publisher: Krystal Parisi
Published: 2020-04-13T22:00:00+00:00

“Jamie!” I pounded on her door. The little girl was back in my arms and her coughs had turned into sputtering gasps and wheezes now. “Jamie, dammit! It’s me! Open up!”

The moment the door swung open, I shouldered my way inside and went straight for the couch to lay the girl down.

“Cole? Oh my God, what happened? Is she okay?” After closing the door, Jamie followed me, her voice a flurry of worry.

“There was a fire.” My own lungs constricted and breathing was getting harder, but whether it was from the smoke inhalation or the deadly mixture of panic, regret, and fury pummeling me from all angles, I didn’t know. “I was able to pull her out, but she’s struggling to breathe. Do you have oxygen?”

Jamie was off and running in the next second, riffling through her closet where she kept most of her medical supplies. This wasn’t the first time I’d shown up on her doorstep needing medical assistance. Most injuries I could handle, but when things got really bad, Jamie would patch me up without a complaint.

She was one of the few people who knew what I did for a living—not what I was. I’d kept that part of myself secret to even her. Mostly because she was human and revealing myself could cause a whole lot of shit I really didn’t want to deal with. But also because—I don’t know—I didn’t want her to look at me differently or some crap like that.

Although she despised what I did for a living, it hadn’t been enough to push her away. She’d even asked me on a date twice in passing, but I’d refused. She was a good-looking girl, don’t get me wrong, with blonde hair that she always pinned back into a bun, green eyes, a petite figure, and nice hips, but it was better to keep her out of my life, for obvious reasons. My relationships were restricted to one night only, and since there were times I needed Jamie’s emergency skills in a pinch, it was best to not get involved.

Never mix business with pleasure.

Pulling out a portable oxygen tank, hose, and mask, she lugged the thing over to the couch. Shoving me to the side, she worked quickly to set it up and get the mask settled over the girl’s face.

“Deep, slow breaths, dear,” she instructed her as she stroked her hair. “That’s it… Good… Just like that. Keep breathing in and out.”

I backed up to give them space. As the girl continued to follow Jamie’s instructions and breathe, Jamie looked her over for any other obvious wounds.

“No burns that I can see…” She was talking to herself—something she did often when in caregiver-mode. She pulled out a pocket light and shined it in both the girl’s eyes. “No pupil dilation… A bit pale, but that’s to be expected…”

I began to pace the living room as she worked, her words fading into the background of my own thoughts.

I had almost killed this girl. This child. Just admitting it to myself made guilt and rage tumble through me.

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