Bet Me Something (Something Series Book 3) (13 page)

“I do, but it’s
not bad. Maybe from the throbbing in my wrist and ankle.”

He nodded,
making some notes in my chart. “That’s fortunate, but we’ll take you for a scan
in a few minutes to be sure. Do you have someone you can call?”

“Yes. Did anyone
bring my purse? My phone is in there.”

“I believe so.
I’ll get the nurse, and she can assist you. I’ll return in a couple hours to
check on you. Try to get some rest.”

I lay my head
back on the pillow, wondering what time it was and how long before the nurse
would come in. Thankfully, it only took a minute.”

“Hi, honey. My
name is Nurse Charlotte.”

“I’m Kenzie.
Nice to meet you,” I replied, watching her bustle around the room. She appeared
to be in her fifties, had curly hair and a nice smile.

“How you
feeling?”

“Okay, I guess,
considering.”

“The paramedics
brought your purse in with you. Is your phone inside?”

I nodded.

“Here you go,
honey. You need me to dial?” she asked, handing it to me.

I cringed,
realizing my right hand was in a splint. This would be inconvenient for just
about everything. “Uh, please. The unlocking code is 1122, and under contacts,
it’s Colby. What time is it?”

“It’s after nine
o’clock in the evening. The good news is you’re injuries aren’t too bad, and
we’ll get you fixed up.”

I appreciated
her warm smile and positivity. Holding the phone to my ear, I felt thankful
when he picked up on the second ring.

“Kenz, this
isn’t a good time.” His voice was hushed, and the call seemed to be breaking
up.

I heard feminine
laughter, which caused my heart to sink. Shit, he was out with his date.
“Sorry, um—”

“I knew I
shouldn’t have told you about tonight, but I’m in the middle—Hold on…”

Tears started to
fall with the realization he thought I was interrupting his evening because
he’d told me about his plans. Then I overheard him say the worst thing possible:

“It’s my
friend’s little sister, I’ll only be a few more seconds.”

He came back on
the line. “I have to go.”

“It’s just
that—”

“Shit, they’re
going to take my phone away if I don’t hang up, so unless you’re lying in a
ditch somewhere, you need to go to sleep. I’ll call you later, I promise.”

Humiliation overwhelmed
me. “Alright, I’ll let you go,” I said thickly, feeling the fat tears fall.

“Good girl. Now
get some sleep.”

I hung up the
phone and saw the sympathy in the nurse’s expression while she fussed around my
room. She’d obviously overheard my end of the conversation.

“You need me to
dial someone else?” she asked.

“Um—” Hadn’t I
wanted to grow up and be independent? I’d already embarrassed myself by
disrupting Colby’s night. Did I now want to ruin Brian’s?

She picked up on
my hesitation. “Honey, people who love you would want to know you were hurt.
You’re lucky you only have the injuries you do, but they’re serious enough that
you should call someone.”

I nodded numbly
and then requested she dial Brian’s number.

“Hello.”

The minute I
heard Sasha’s sleepy voice answer, emotion clogged my voice. “It’s me, Kenzie.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m okay, but
I’m in the hospital. I was on the sidewalk when I got hit by a car earlier—”

“Jesus. Are you
all right? How hurt are you?”

Brian’s voice
was in the background, and I prepared myself.

“I’m putting you
on speaker, so your brother can hear. I’m going to look into flights, okay?”

“Are you all
right?” Brian asked in a panic.

For his sake, I
tried to keep my voice calm. It wasn’t every day I woke up my brother across
the country at midnight his time. “I’m injured, but nothing life-threatening.
I’m at Cedars-Sinai hospital in a room and have to stay the night.” I filled
him in on my list of issues. “They’re taking me up for a CT scan soon and to
cast my wrist.”

“What happened?”

“I was walking
on a sidewalk, and a car jumped the curb. I’m not sure if he stopped or not,
but I don’t think he was traveling very fast. You don’t need to fly all the way
out here. I feel much better now that I’ve heard your voice.”

“Like hell I’m
not coming out. Sasha is looking at flights now. Actually, to hell with that.
I’m calling Josh to take the company jet.”

Relief flooded
me that they would be on their way soon even if it would take at least six
hours to cross the country.

“Did you call
Colby? He could be there with you until we arrive.”

“Um, no. I think
he may be out of town and I’ll be fine. By the time they’re finished doing
everything, I’ll be ready to crash with these painkillers. And then when I wake
up, you’ll be here. Do me a favor, though and don’t call Mom. The last thing I need
is for her to come out here right now.”

“Okay, sis.
We’ll discuss it after I get there. I’ll call you when we board to let you know
when we’ll land, and if you don’t answer, I’ll send a text. I love you, and
we’ll be there soon, okay?”

I sniffed,
trying not to get emotional. “I love you, too. Be safe, and don’t worry about
me.”

By the time they
were done with the CT scan and casting my wrist, it was after midnight. I was
exhausted, and the pain medication was making it impossible to stay awake.
Nurse Charlotte was talking, but I couldn’t understand her until she hovered
above my face.

“Honey, you get
some rest and let those meds do the trick. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon when
I’m back on shift.”

I don’t even
think I managed a nod before passing out.

“What the fuck,
Kenz? I swear if you weren’t already hurt, I’d kill you.” It was Colby’s voice.

Deciding he
couldn’t possibly be yelling at me in my dream unless he was a prick there,
too, I grasped he must be real and in my room right now. My eyes fluttered
open, and I saw his face next to mine.

He expelled a
deep breath, and a gentle hand stroked my cheek. Relief was etched into his
features.

“You’re either
an asshole in my dreams, or you’re real and still an asshole.”

I was rewarded
with a smile and then a stern look. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“Can’t you?”

I watched him
wince. He ran his hand through his hair. “I was in a movie theatre with the
premiere about to start. Plus, the reception was terrible.”

“I get it.” I
pushed myself up further on my bed, inadvertently letting out a small cry when
I put weight on my injured wrist.

“Christ. Did you
break it?” He glided his fingertips over the pink cast.

“That and my
ankle. Oh, and a couple of ribs, which means you can’t make me laugh.”

His expression
looked mischievous for a second before sliding back into concerned. “What did
the CT scan say? Brian mentioned you were having one.”

Ah, so he had
talked to my brother. “It was normal. Well, normal for a crazy twenty-two-year
old female anyhow.”

“Considering you
threw yourself in front of a moving car to get my attention, I’d say that’s
pretty crazy.”

I knew he was
teasing, but it still fired up my temper. “You’re a narcissistic ass.”

He chuckled, even
while his hand didn’t leave my good one. “My ass is not narcissistic although I
maintain if it was, it would have every right to be. It’s a nice ass.”

I shook my head,
trying not to laugh.

The look in his
gaze reflected his worry, and this banter was his way of getting back in
balance.

“Are you hungry
or thirsty? Brian and Sasha should be here in another three hours. I’ll stay
with you at least until they arrive. He sounded shaken up on the phone.”

“I told him I’m
all right.”

“Did they catch
the guy?”

I shrugged.
“I’ve been a little busy being passed out, but the doctor did say the police
would be by in the morning to take my statement, so I’m assuming they’ll tell
me then.”

“I feel terrible.
I’m sorry you had to call your brother because I cut you off. And then telling
you I’d only come if you were lying in a ditch. That was a new low, even for
me.”

“I figured you’d
probably regret that little comment once you found out what happened, but it’s
not as though you knew. I’m sorry I ruined your date.”

“You didn’t ruin
anything. I’m here because I want to be.”

“You’re here
because Brian called you, and you feel an obligation.”

“Are you
serious?” He was instantly pissed off. Unfortunately, I was finding this side
of him pretty hot.

“I heard you on
the phone tell someone that I was your friend’s little sister.”

He grimaced.
“Let’s get something straight, McKenzie—I’m not using your middle name because
you hate it—Lane. I only made the little sister comment because I needed more
importance placed on it than I’d get by saying it was a friend who’s a girl. I’m
here because we’re good friends, and I love you like one. Just don’t go taking
that statement and twist it all up in your girly mind.”

I rolled my
eyes. “Back in asshole territory, and thank you for not using my middle name.
It demonstrates that sometimes you might actually listen to me.”

He sighed. “I
about lost my mind when Brian told me where you were. I tried calling you
and—it was awful. Don’t ever imply you’re a burden again because it pisses me
off.”

“Clearly,” I
said dryly, laughing at his sour expression. “Oh, God, my side.” I grabbed it
and cringed.

“Uh-oh, this
might be a problem considering I’m pretty damn funny.”

He wiggled his brows
comically, causing me to bite my lip. “I’ll just think of asshole Colby to keep
from laughing.”

“Good, you
should always think of asshole Colby.” His face was very serious, and I knew he
didn’t mean only regarding this situation.

“Done. And I’m
fine.”

He studied me
for the longest time. “Is this one of those moments where a girl says she’s
fine, but then cries her eyes out later?”

“I already did that
after I called you,” I admitted and then grimaced at the fact I’d done so.

“Kenz—”

“No, do not go
all non-prick now. You’re my friend, but tonight hurt when you thought I was
calling you because I was trying to interrupt your date. You never would’ve
made that assumption before we kissed.”

“It was a shit
move, but one I want you to remember whenever you think about if I’d make a
good boyfriend.”

“Huh, maybe I
need another CT scan to see if I sustained brain damage, after all, because I
sure as hell don’t remember asking you to be my boyfriend.”

He chuckled and
then stroked my face tenderly. “You know you’re way too good for a guy like me,
right?”

When he kissed
me on the forehead, I couldn’t help but wonder who he was trying to convince. But
more importantly, for the very first time in my life, I thought it may be time to
consider moving on.

***

Moving on became
a lot easier to fathom when the police officer who showed up to take my
statement was gorgeous. All six-foot-something, muscled, blue-eyed,
looking-good-in-uniform inch of him. And if I wasn’t mistaken, there was a
tribal tattoo on his bicep with which his short sleeve was playing peek-a-boo.
Well, hello.

“I’m Officer
Matthew Thompson, ma’am. Do you feel up for making your statement?”

“Yes, and please
call me Kenzie.” I had no idea what my appearance was like at the moment, but
hopefully he’d give me a pass on the whole just-got-hit-by-a-car look I was
sporting. The timing was good as Colby had left to pick up my brother and Sasha
from the airport. With any luck, I’d be discharged later today and back home in
my own bed.

Officer McHotty
smiled, pulling up a chair next to the bed. We went through the basics,
including my date of birth and the address where I’d been walking. I then
provided what details about the car I could recall.

“The good news
is the suspect was apprehended a few blocks away, highly intoxicated. The
description you gave matches the vehicle, which hopefully means it should be an
airtight case.”

“I heard there
were two others hurt. Are they all okay?”

“Yes,
thankfully. One is worse off than you, in the ICU, but he should make it. The
other one was released already.”

I was relieved.
“Good.”

His smile showed
off dimples which might not be as devastating as Colby’s but were at least in
the ballpark.

“The doctors
said you should be discharged tonight. Any family or a boyfriend picking you up?”

Either he was
asking generally or was subtly inquiring about my relationship status. “I don’t
have a boyfriend, but my brother and his fiancée are on their way in. A friend
who lives local went to pick them up from the airport.”

He nodded,
giving me a little smile. Pulling a card from his pocket, he started scribbling
on it. “I’m writing the case number down for you. If this goes to trial for any
reason or we have more questions, we’ll be in touch.”

“Okay…” My voice
trailed off as I saw Colby come through the door with both Brian and Sasha following
behind him.

My brother
rushed over to give me a hug and then immediately addressed Officer Hotstuff.
“Did you catch the guy yet?”

“Yes, sir, and
your sister’s statement helps confirm we have the correct guy in custody.” He
glanced towards me.

“Officer
Thompson, this is my brother Brian and his girlfriend, Sasha. They flew in from
North Carolina. And this is my friend Colby.”

Officer-Get-Lost-In-His-Blue-Eyes
nodded towards them, and Brian’s expression softened. My brother was typically
all about manners. “Sorry, man. We’ve been running on adrenaline since getting
the call. We appreciate all you’ve done.”

“I understand.
We were just finishing up.” He turned over his card, writing something else.
“The number on the front is my office line if you remember anything else
pertaining to the case. The cell number on the back is in case you want to talk
after business hours.”

My eyes met his.
“All right.” Was he flirting and giving me his personal number?

“I take it your
vehicle is still parked on Balencia Ave?”

I couldn’t
believe I’d forgotten all about my car. “Yeah, probably with a ticket by now.”

He grinned. “If
so, then I know of someone who can fix it for you.”

Yep, he was
definitely flirting, especially if the scowls on both Colby and Brian’s faces
were any indication.

“What the hell
were you doing on Balencia Ave?” Colby asked.

Oh, crap. I went
into deer-in-the-headlights mode. He had to ask this particular question in
front of an audience? Unfortunately, the image of the dildo wall came to mind, causing
my face to turn beet red. “I, um, had some shopping to do.”

He frowned,
probably trying to figure out which stores were in the area. It wasn’t exactly known
for its retail spots. “You were shopping. On Balencia Ave?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Where?”

All eyes were
focused on me. Fuck it. When in doubt, blurt it out. “Pleasure Palace.”

“What the hell
did you buy at Pleasure Palace?” Brian asked, clearly not thinking about the
question posed to his sister.

“Do you really
want to know?” I challenged, watching his face turn about as crimson as mine
felt at the moment.

“Shit. No, I
really don’t.” He turned towards Officer Handcuff-Me-Please, who was having a
hard time not laughing. “Uh, you don’t need anything else for your report, do
you, officer?”

“Nope, we’re all
done here. Hope to talk to you soon, Kenzie.”

My lips
twitched. “Thanks, Officer.”

And with that,
he was out the door.

“What the hell
was that about?” Colby asked.

I shrugged.
“What?”

“You flirting
with the cop. He’s got a job to do, and it doesn’t include you.”

Brian made an
inarticulate sound, indicating he’d had enough of this conversation about his
sister.

“Not that I
would mind if it was, but it’s none of your business. He’s hot, single from the
looks of it, and if he found me remotely attractive after getting hit by a damn
car, then there’s potential for rocking his world once I’m back to normal.”

Brian
interrupted. “I’m going to attempt to block out the last two minutes of this
conversation and ask you to go over what happened regarding the accident now
that I’m here and wide awake to hear it.”

He scooted up a
chair while I relayed what little I remembered. My gaze flicked to Colby’s pale
face after my recount. He stood completely quiet while everyone seemed to absorb
how very lucky I’d been. I was grateful when Sasha changed the subject.

“We brought you
breakfast. Is there anything else can we get you, Kenzie?”

The smell of
food caused my stomach to rumble. “Breakfast is about it. Food helps with the
pain meds, which I’ll apologize for up front because they knock me out.”

“No need to. You
want one of your favorite froufrou coffees from downstairs with extra whip?”
Brian asked.

He always
remembered these types of things. “Sure. That would be great.”

While the boys
went downstairs for a coffee run, Sasha stayed to keep me company. I was more
than happy to gorge myself on an egg sandwich. We ate in silence for a few
minutes.

“You doing all
right?” Sasha inquired as we finished up our breakfast.

“For getting hit
by a car yesterday, yeah, I’m doing okay.”

She smiled. “The
police officer was easy on the eyes.”

“Yeah, and since
he didn’t seem put off by my hospital gown or Pleasure Palace confession, there
may be hope for me yet. It’s kind of your fault I was there, actually.”

She instantly
looked horrified, causing me to quickly amend what I’d said.