Free Club Prive: Sweet Escape (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Leslie Johnson

lessons.”
    McGill steps closer, just within the edge of my periphery. “Interesting that you knew right away that our little Avery was allergic to shellfish. How did you, Dr. Atwood, know such a thing?”
    A tight ball grows in my stomach as Gray’s jaw tightens and he stands to his full height to face the other man. “It was a reasonable guess.”
    McGill’s eyes slide down my body, and I realize my shirt has been ripped open so leads could be attached to my skin. Gray pulls a sheet up to my neck.
    “A guess. Right.”
    My hands begin to shake, then my arms, then my entire body. My teeth chatter, the sound clicking in my head.
    “Get me a warm blanket,” Gray snaps and looks down at me. “It’s just the drugs wearing off. It’ll be over in a few minutes.” He looks back at McGill. “Blanket, now!”
    “I’ll have a nurse bring one,” McGill mutters and leaves the room, but Gray’s eyes don’t leave mine.
    “Don’t fight it. It’s just the epinephrine wearing off.” He thanks someone, and a heated blanket is draped over me. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.
    I remember Mom taking the clothes out of the dryer and running to the living room with them, tossing them on me and Paisley. We’d snuggle down into their fresh smelling heat, giggling as two little girls were supposed to do.
    Those were good days. The days before Paisley … changed.
    I promptly burst into tears.

Chapter Eleven – Gray
    “Is she going to be okay?” a little voice asks. Looking up, I see four faces peering around the door.
    “Yes, she’s much better. Thank you.”
    “Oh, thank goodness. She gave us such a fright.”
    “You better take good care of her,” a woman wearing oxygen snaps. “That one there is a good one.”
    Avery raises her head and smiles at the ladies. “I’m … okay,” she promises.
    The oxygen wearing one walks in and pulls what looks like a pharmacy bag out of her purse. “Here you go, dear.” She tries to stuff the bag in Avery’s pocket, and I swear I hear some change rattling around. What the hell?
    Avery pushes it back at her. “No, you all keep it.”
    “No, dear, you’ve done too much already.”
    There are several seconds worth of back and forth shoving before I reach over the bed and snatch it away.
    “Make her keep it,” Avery murmurs and closes her eyes again.
    I hold it out to the woman, and yes, there’s definitely change clinking together inside. “Please. I think she’s offering you a gift.”
    Oxygen woman snatches it from my hand. “Oh all right.”
    The lady with the pink hair chimes in. “Thank you, honey. Take good care of yourself. We’d stay longer, but our van is waiting downstairs.”
    “Yeah,” oxygen woman grumbles. “If we’re a minute late, they might stand us in the fucking corner.”
    “Dottie!” pink hair admonishes the gruff woman and grabs her arm. “Get better soon,” she says and pulls the other woman from the room by her oxygen tank.
    They all wave goodbye to Avery, telling her they’ll keep her in their prayers.
    “Dare I even ask?” I ask her once they’re gone.
    She smiles and uses her fingers to zip her lips closed.
    “That’s what I thought. Stick out your tongue,” I tell her, and she dutifully does what I say.
    It’s still swollen and the back of her throat, when I check, is swollen too. “I think we should keep you over—”
    “No.” When I narrow my eyes at her, she bats her eyelashes. “Sir.”
    She makes me laugh, splotchy red face and all. Walking over to the sink, I rinse out a clean washcloth in cold water and come back to wipe it carefully over her face.
    “You don’t have to do that,” she says, reaching for the cloth.
    I don’t let it go. “It seems I enjoy taking care of you. In every way possible.”
    Her lips part and a soft, “Oh,” escapes, but she lifts her chin so I can run the cloth over her neck. “I really don’t want to spend the night here,” she tells me. “Will you let me just go