Elias wrapped his armsaround her, and she didn’t quite know what happened next. One moment, she wasstopping him from getting shot, and then they were in the back of the car. Hehad pulled her sweater off, and his hand pressed against her shoulder.
“I’ve been shot.”
“It’s okay, Winnie,” hesaid.
“I told you,” Winnie said,and she let out a gasp. This was a lot more painful than even the movies madeout.
How did they get away withthe hero being shot and still being able to save the day? She’d been shot inher shoulder and it hurt like fucking hell.
She closed her eyes as hepressed something against her shoulder. He shouted directions, and the carsuddenly jerked.
“How did you know?” Eliasasked.
“It’s … something I’ve hadbeing in foster care. Even with my mom. A sixth sense, maybe, where I feelsomething isn’t quite right. It’s nothing but a defense mechanism, at leastaccording to the books.” She groaned. “I’m not a witch with mind-readingabilities, but could you imagine if I was? That would be totally awesome.” Shegiggled.
The silence in the car wasuncomfortable and making her very aware of the pain in her shoulder.
“It stopped me gettinghit, kicked out, or hurt. I tried to tell some of the other kids. Some wouldlisten to me and get out of there. Others thought I was talking shit. I wasn’t.We’d come back to a mess, and the ones that stayed behind often had a fewbruises along the way.” She winced. “None of them shot me before. Why was heshooting you?”
“I’ve got a lot ofenemies.”
“I don’t know why. I thinkyou’re a nice guy.”
“I’m only a nice guy toyou.”
She giggled and thenmoaned. “Is that because you’re my husband?”
“There are a lot ofreasons.”
She gritted her teeth, andthen all too soon the car came to a stop and they were out. Winnie saw an olderman, who had a door open. He was dressed in a suit, and he didn’t lookimpressed.
“Winnie, this is Mansell,the doctor. Mansell, this is my wife, Winnie.”
She nodded her head, notinterested in making a good impression. They were escorted into the house andtaken to a room that looked like a doctor’s office. There was a bed with asingle white disposable sheet.
“Is he a good doctor?”Winnie asked, attempting to whisper. “Or a bad doctor?”
“I’m a good doctor,”Mansell said.
“You’re in good hands,Winnie. I would never bring you to anyone that wouldn’t take care of you.”
She offered him a smile,and then she cried out as something jabbed into her arm. She turned to findMansell had injected her.
“I find it easier if thepatient is not looking. You won’t feel pain very soon.”
“I took a bullet for him,”Winnie said. “That’s why I’m here. Someone tried to shoot him.”
And everything was gettingblurry.
“I don’t want anyone toshoot my husband, because I think I might kind of love him.” And with that, theworld went dark.
****
“Your wife is takingbullets for you now?” Mansell asked.
“I have a lot of enemies,and they will be dealt with.” Elias sat with Winnie as Mansell got to work. Thebullet hadn’t hit any major arteries, and the damage was not going to causefurther problems. However, the bullet couldn’t stay there. He was in theprocess of removing it.
Winnie was fast asleep,hooked up to a heart monitoring machine. Once she had passed out from the firstmedication, Mansell had gotten everything ready to perform the extraction.
