Denying Heaven (Room 103) by D H Sidebottom Read Free Book Online Page A

across her lips.
    “Kenny?” Romeo shouted from behind us and I inwardly
thanked the man for his obvious diversion as Kenny turned around to see what he
was needed for.
    I dipped under his arm and shot over to Spirit.
    Her eyes widened on me and she tried to turn away again
but the paramedics clamped an oxygen mask over her face, denying her wish to
look at anything but me.
    “What are you playing at Spirit?” I asked her softly. She
didn’t need my anger right now; that would come later.
    Her eyes pooled and damn if it didn’t fuck the beat of my
heart a little. She hurt… and I hurt.
    God damn!
     
    The medics checked her over, one of them looking at her
with obvious disdain as he shone a light in her eyes. She squinted but used the
inspection as an excuse to remove her eyes from mine.
    God, she was beautiful, even pale and gaunt with a
plastic bloody mask stuck to her face.
    What the hell?
     
    I sighed and stood up, removing my gaze from hers and
scanning their room as a diversion for my thoughts.
    “What have you taken?” the paramedic with the attitude
problem barked at her.
    Her eyes shot to mine and I dragged in my frustration
with her, she needed to be honest and I didn’t want her holding back if she
thought I would react to her response.
    I gave her a slight nod and she blinked a couple of times
before she looked back at the medic, “Coke.” Her eyes lowered to the floor when
he scoffed and shook his head.
    “Just do your job, mate. You’re not here to fuckin’
judge.” I fixed my eyes on him until he backed down and nodded slightly, “And
I’ll tell you this once; this ends up in the media and I’ll make sure you never
fuckin’ work again, got that?”
    He glared at me but nodded again before turning back to
Spirit. “You seem okay, just a reaction to the cocaine. I’m sure you don’t need
me to tell you about the dangers of…”
    “It wasn’t the coke that set her off, it was…” Janey
started but Spirit interrupted with a quick glance at me.
    “No” she said quickly as her tongue glided over her top
teeth and her nose twitched.
    He turned to Janey and proceeded to inform her of how to
watch for signs of another reaction before both the medics packed up their shit
and walked away.
     
    “Everybody out, I need a word with Spirit.” Kenny barked
at no-one in particular as the ambulance crew left the room.
    “Uh-uh.” I opposed with a snide smile. There was no way I
was leaving her with this arrogant arse; he’d flip her shit on her.
    “Bulk, just get the fuck out.” He stood up and invaded my
personal space but I stood my ground and sneered at him.
    “Nope” I shot back with a small chuckle. The look on his
face curled the corner of my lips and I wondered if anybody had ever stood up
to this self-righteous fuck.
    Eric, River’s Ink’s bassist, walked over to Kenny and
grabbed his arm, his long tattooed fingers gripping with a warning, “Come on
Ken, leave her be, she doesn’t need this right now.”
    Kenny looked over at Spirit still sat on the floor with
her back resting on the wall but she lowered her eyes and chewed on her bottom
lip with vigour. I could feel the fear rolling off her, the worry and anguish
at her friends’ dominance and I tipped my head at her in question. Her
eyes flashed in warning before she flicked them at Eric with a tiny smile of
thanks as he led Kenny from the room.
     
    Janey gave me a slight smile as she disappeared with the
others and I crouched down in front of Spirit.
    She palmed the floor and tried to heave herself up but I
shook my head at her and cupped her cheek softly, her smooth skin tingled under
my touch and a slight shiver ran through me. I frowned at the sensation but
kept my eyes on her, holding her hostage under my order.
    “Why?”
    She gulped but didn’t disengage from me. Her eyes seemed
to be pleading with me for something. A reprieve? Forgiveness, maybe?
    Her bottom lip was being chewed to death and I slid my
thumb over it