Free Wicked Days with a Lone Wolf by Elisabeth Staab Page A

too polite to take shots at him. At least not out loud.
    Now though, the guy was sticking his neck out. Sure this was a case, but this was Jett’s family, and he couldn’t help but appreciate what Lane was trying to do. Even if part of him wondered about the guy’s motives.
    ***
    S herri helped Ryan up from where he’d fallen on the floor. Then she slapped him. Her hand trembled when she dropped it, vibrating with the force of all the fear and anger she’d tried to hold back until she hung up on Ash. “I cannot believe you. What in the hell are you doing here? How did you even find me?”
    His smile almost looked apologetic. “You have certain weaknesses, and I happen to know your idea of ‘roughing it’ is staying at a hotel that doesn’t have valet parking.” He shrugged, swaying slightly on his feet. “This was the closest place to your condo with the highest star rating. A little flirting down at the front desk, and the rest was easy.”
    Sherri gritted her teeth. “That’s fantastic.” She shoved him toward the bed. “Sit before you fall down again. You look all pale and shaky. For God’s sakes Ryan, you still solve all your problems by batting your eyelashes and conning people? Prison hasn’t changed you one bit. You’re the subject of a manhunt. I don’t know what you were thinking, coming to me. I’m going to have to turn you in.”
    His expression turned pleading. “What happened to all the ‘everything’s fine’ sunshine and rainbows you were spouting on the phone?”
    “That was to stop my extremely protective boyfriend from coming here and making it so they have to pull your dental records to identify the body.” God, she was mostly kidding. She hoped. Given Ash’s history and were genes, she had to trust him to keep his head together. Keeping him away from Ryan until he cooled off also seemed like a pretty spectacular plan.
    “I get it. I’m sorry to do this to you, Sher, but I wish you wouldn’t turn me in.” With a heavy groan, Ryan eased back on the bed. “If you do, I’m definitely dead.” He pulled back his wind breaker, revealing the soggy patch of blood on his side.
    “Dammit.” She rushed over to inspect the damage. “This looks worse than I thought. You need to tell me what happened.”
    “Shit, is it oozing again?” He lifted his head. “The bullet went through, but I didn’t have good stuff for bandaging it up. Seems my eyelash batting skills don’t work on everyone, huh?”
    Sherri sighed. “Ryan—” Perfect. Just perfect. She was going to help him. They both knew it. Ryan might be a bastard, but she couldn’t leave him alone and bleeding in her hotel room.
    A heavy knock at the door. “Room service.”
    Of course. Her afternoon snack and relaxing glass of wine. Freaking excellent.
    Sherri pulled at Ryan’s arm. “Get in the bathroom. Now.”
    He lumbered in, crumpling against the tub. She shut the door and went to let in the room service guy, feigning an exaggerated limp.
    “Hey, thanks so much for bringing my food up. If I could ask you to do one more favor for me, I’d be so grateful.” When the room service guy came in, she handed over a twenty dollar bill and did her own shameless version of eyelash batting, letting her robe slip down one shoulder as she gestured to the leg she supposedly couldn’t put weight on.
    She didn’t want him to look too closely and realize her foot wasn’t actually injured. Hopefully showing a little cleavage would distract his gaze.
    “Sure, what else can I get for you?”
    “I dropped a water glass in the bathroom and stepped on a shard.” She indicated the closed door. “Could you please find me a First Aid kit, so I can get the cut bandaged properly?”
    “Sure thing, ma’am. And I’ll send housekeeping right away to clean up the glass in the bathroom.”
    “No need!” Sherri’s smile probably had about five levels of cheerful too many. “I gathered it all into the trash already, they can get it