Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“Just what I said,” Abe said tiredly. “She won’t go to the hospital. Maybe I should call her parents. It might be best if she goes to stay with them.”
“She’ll hate that,” Isaiah told him.
“I know. But, fuck, you and I have exams, Isaiah. Sampson is working sixty hour weeks and Jenner’s work isn’t much better. And she needs someone to take care of her.” Abe rubbed his temple tiredly.
“I can take tomorrow off, I’ve just got a gig tomorrow night,” Jenner said immediately.
“I’ll be home by eight,” Sampson added. “I can look after her all night.”
She started coughing again and Jenner knew that as much as he wanted her close, that the best place for her to be was the hospital.
“She can barely breathe,” he muttered. “She needs to be in the hospital. I’m going to go talk to her.”
“She’s worried about the cost,” Abe said with a sigh.
God, that hurt.
Money was the last thing she should have to worry about when she was ill. The hospital here had discounts for those without insurance, so he also knew she was being foolish.
“If I have to go in there and pick her up and carry her to the hospital, I will,” Sampson grumbled.
Jenner shot him a look. She didn’t need anyone to strong-arm her, for fuck’s sake. She was ill.
He didn’t bother knocking, just walked in to find her halfway out of bed.
“What do you think you are doing?” he snapped, jumping forward to grab her as she swayed.
“I need to send an email to work,” she said.
Shit, she was burning up. She was wearing a pair of pink and white striped pajamas that were almost worn through and hanging off her frame.
She’d lost too much weight lately. Sickness after sickness had laid a toll on her eating.
Jenner placed her on the bed, rubbing her back as she coughed.
“Tissue,” she croaked.
He grabbed one and gave it to her. She coughed into it, then scrunched it up in her hand, but he wasn’t having that.
“Show me,” he demanded.
“No!”
“Immy,” he warned. “Show me now.”
“Don’t . . . want . . . to,” she said between breaths.
He fucking hated listening to her struggle to breathe.
“Tough. Show me.”
“You are . . . so bossy.”
He wasn’t usually. Not in the way that Sampson or Abe were. Except when she was ill. Then his bossy side really did come out.
It had to. She needed someone to take charge. Sampson would get all growly and upset her. His worry tended to make him snap and snarl. Isaiah usually grew quiet and watchful. Abe could be bossy, but he struggled with not giving Immy everything she wanted.
So it was up to him. Jenner checked what she’d coughed up. Shit. It was green. Not good.
“You’re going to the hospital, Immy.”
She was resting back against some pillows. She looked so pale it was scary, and her lips were tinged blue. She wasn’t getting enough oxygen. It was likely pneumonia.
Again.
It hadn’t even been three months since she’d last had pneumonia.
This just wasn’t good enough.
Jenner grabbed the glass of water from beside the bed and held it to her lips.
“I’m not going,” she told him after she finished swallowing.
“You are.” He gave her a firm look. “There’s no arguments allowed. You’re a very sick little girl.”
Shit.
He beat back the need to take charge completely.
Sampson had just started going to a BDSM club, the cost of the membership was high, so he was working as a bouncer two nights a week in lieu of membership fees. The owner had offered Jenner a membership as well for the same deal.
Jenner was considering it. He needed an outlet for this . . . need.
To control. To dominate.
But he wasn’t sure it was for him. He didn’t want to cause anyone pain. At the same time, he never felt more settled and in control as he did when he was looking after someone.
Like right now.
Fully taking care of Immy made all of his other worries and fears disappear into the background.
She needed him. So he would be what she needed.
Sampson said it gave him a much-needed sense of control. Although Jenner didn’t understand that, since Sampson always seemed to be in control. Of himself and everyone around him.
He was wound up tighter than a jack-in-the-box. Jenner sometimes worried about him exploding.
“I’m not a little girl. I’m nearly twenty.”
“In six months’ time,” he said.
God, she was still so young. They all were, technically. He guessed he just felt like he was older than his years.
“Don’t wanna go, Jenny.” She pouted at him as she used that ridiculous nickname.
“You’re ill so I’m going to let that slide this once. But you call me Jenny again and you’re going over my knee.”
Okay.
He really shouldn’t have said that to his friend. To the woman who was like his little sister. He wasn’t that much older than her. He had no right to speak to her like that.