How utterly useless.
"Gran?"
"I'm here. In the kitchen."
My heart thudded in my chest. Gran's voice sounded weak. I forced myself to stay calm, going into nurse mode. I crouched low, feeling around the room until I found Gran on the floor.
"Are you all right?"
"I think so. I just . . .” she paused as if she were afraid to worry me. “Well, I can't seem to stand up."
"Hold on, let me get a flashlight."
"There's one in the drawer next to the stove."
I rustled around for a few minutes before I felt my hand close around the plastic cylinder. I pressed the button, and thank the good Lord, it worked.
"Gran? Oh, God, Gran."
My grandmother was sprawled on the floor. Her face was twisted in pain, even though she was trying to hide it. I ran over to her and quickly did an examination, pressing along her bones and checking her pulse.
"Does this hurt? What about this?"
"No. No. Ow! Yes, there."
"Is it a burning pain or a sharp pain?"
"Sharp—ow!"
"Okay, that's good. I think it's a sprain. Nothing is broken, thank God, although we should get you an X-ray. You okay to get up? I'd like to have another look with you in the chair. Let me do the heavy lifting . . ."
I carefully eased Gran into the seat and examined her again. It was slow going, but we made it. I breathed a sigh of relief when she was settled. I didn’t think she was badly injured, but she could have a hairline fracture . . .
I sat back on my heels, thinking aloud.
"We can't go anywhere in this blackout. The roads won’t be safe.”
"We've been getting a lot of them lately."
“How many?”
“Four or five since July.”
I stared at her in the dim light of the flashlight. I was trying to figure out the best thing to do. Constant blackouts? I’d had no idea. I hated the thought that she'd been living like this and not telling me. I knew she hated to make me worry.
"How long do they usually last?"
"Anywhere from an hour to three days."
I chewed my lip. I couldn't drive around the city with Gran in the dark. It was dangerous. Not just because the traffic lights would be out. But blackouts increased crime, especially in a modest neighborhood like ours that bordered a rougher part of town. If it were just a sprain, she would most likely be all right after a few days, anyway.
But she was getting on in years . . . and there were things that I couldn’t catch. Internal bleeding. It was better to be safe than sorry.
But which choice was safer?
I would watch her like a hawk for the next couple of hours, I decided. It was safer to stay here unless I saw major bruising or her pain levels went up.
"Okay. Let's ice it for fifteen minutes. That's the magic number. Anything longer can make it worse. Then I'll wrap it and see if I can find some painkillers."
"I have headache pills.”
"Hmm . . . I'm not sure that's going to cut it. What about candles?"
"There should be some on the top shelf."
"Everything okay?"
A voice rumbled behind me. Someone was in the house. But I wasn’t afraid of the hulking shape in the darkness. I knew who it was. I turned to see Hunter standing in the doorway.
I couldn't help it. My heart leapt at the sight of him. The truth was, I had never been so glad to see anyone in my life.
He might look like a darkly handsome devil standing there in the shadows, but I knew the truth about him now. Hunter was more angel than devil. And weren’t we all a little bit of both?
Chapter Fourteen
Hunter
Damn, she was a sight for sore eyes. Claire looked beautiful, as usual. Even in the dark, her beauty shone out from those wickedly blue eyes of hers. But this time was different. She almost looked happy to see me.
That was a first.
And it was also a terrible sign. Something was wrong. I knew it in my bones. That was why I’d come in when no one answered the door.
I had ridden home as fast as I could when the blackout started. There were already people on the streets looking for trouble in the dark. I hadn't liked the thought of Claire here unattended with her Gran.
I'd already started thinking about her as belonging to me, even if she didn't know it yet. She would, though. Soon.
Very fucking soon.
I grinned. I was right. Damned if the girl didn't look glad to see me for half a second. Before the disapproving look settled over her face again.
"Didn't mean to scare you, but the door was unlocked. I was worried."
"It's okay, Hunter. I told you that you're always welcome to stop by."
I smiled at Miss Ellie, choosing to ignore her cranky granddaughter. Women hated to be ignored. Of course, I wasn't really ignoring her. I was just pretending to ignore her.
I couldn't ignore Claire if I were in a goddamned coma.
“What happened?” I asked, realizing something more was wrong.
“Nothing,” Miss Ellie said primly. “But we are glad to see you,” she added with a warm smile. But her face looked pinched. Claire was watching her with a worried expression.
“Gran fell, but I think it’s just a sprain.”
I exhaled. The sweet lady in question was injured. I hated that.
"So, what can I do to help?”
"I'm getting some ice for Gran. Maybe you could help us get the candles down? They're on the top shelf."
I reached up into the cabinet and pulled down the candles. I used my Club Zippo to light them, setting them on the kitchen table.
"You all right, Ellie?"
"She'll be okay, I think. She needs something for the pain, though."
"That I can help you with. Hold on, I'll be right back."
“Hunter!” I turned to face the girl standing behind me in the darkness. “Wait. Do you want the flashlight?"
I grinned at Claire. She'd followed me out the door to the street. How sweet. She was already acting like a proper old lady. I wanted to pick her up and kiss her. But Miss Ellie needed us, so I held back.
"It's okay. I have excellent night vision."
I could tell by the look on her face that the implications of that were clear. Yes, girl, I am talking about that. Her luscious curves were visible even in the darkness of the street. I ran inside my house and got the stuff, smiling the whole time. Claire sure did shock easily. She was a prissy little thing, but in a weird way, I liked it.
I'd love to really make her blush one of these days.
Maybe tonight.
A full-body blush would be quite the sight to see. I could just see it now . . . her long legs and gorgeous curves all lit up and pink . . . while she trembled and wiggled around under my lips, tongue, and hands . . .
Oh, yes, I would take my time making her squirm before I made her mine, once and for all. Why should I be the only one to suffer?
I was back at Ellie's house in less than five minutes.
"Here we go, Ladies. Pain killer."
The two women stared blankly at the bottle of tequila I'd put on the kitchen table.
"What? It works, believe me."