Miss Fortune

Chapter Twenty-One

Alex fought back a sigh as she stared at the emails still waiting for Miss Fortune's answer. The inbox was fuller than usual, and none of them appeared to be hate mail of any sort. Gram and Syd were downstairs, but Terry was at the tavern, Teddy was in the shop, and Charlie had called earlier to say she'd walked over to the shop and would catch a ride home with Teddy.

Even so, when her cell rang, she practically jumped out of her chair. Turning the phone over, she smiled as Thorin's contact photo popped up. "Hey, where are you?"

"Hey, Lex," his voice was low and throaty and made her smile as it tingled against her ear, along her skin, "I'm sorry, honey, I know I said I'd be there for dinner, but you aren't going to believe this."

"Believe what?"

"I'm in the ER. But, before you get upset, know it was Mrs. Urlino who put me here."

"What?"

"Yeah, you know how she attacked Charlie?"

"She jumped on you?" Alex practically fell back into her chair. "Are you kidding me?"

"I am not kidding. I took a uniform with me to arrest her and somehow she knew, because she was waiting for us with a knife."

Alex's gut clenched and a sour taste flooded her mouth. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just waiting for them to sew me up, but it's no big deal. The PA told me about fifteen stitches should do it."

"Thorin. Fifteen stitches? And that's no big deal to you?"

"What? She slashed me with a butcher knife, babe. I'm lucky it's only fifteen stitches."

She sighed, reaching up to rub her forehead as a headache began stabbing her behind the eyes. "But you're okay otherwise?"

"I'm fine otherwise, yeah. But, now she's got resisting arrest and assaulting an officer added to the list of charges. As far as I know, she's in processing and unless she can make bail, she's spending the night in the Hotel Lockup."

"For someone getting stitches, you sound way too upbeat."

"Yeah, I'm trying not to think about it because I don't like needles and I don't like getting sewn up, and it was starting to hurt like a bitch."

"Did they give you anything for pain?"

"I didn't ask for anything."

She rolled her eyes. "Thorin."

"I'm still on duty, or I was, and it's all right. They'll numb me up and get it done and over with and then all I want is a drink."

"Okay. I'll go tell Gram we're going to be down one at dinner, then. Or, I can ask her to just wait to put the pasta on."

"Don't even think of telling her to wait for me. I'm in the ER, I could be here half the night. It was pretty busy when I came in. But, if it's not too late when I get out of here, I'll swing by, if you want me to."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You never know."

"Thorin. Do you swear you're all right?"

"Alex, it's fifteen stitches across my chest. I'll be fine."

"Your chest?"

"My guess is she thought she'd stab me, without realizing I'm like a foot taller than she is. She swung, the tip of the blade caught me and she dragged it down. She's stronger than she looks, but I had size on my side."

"That damn bitch," Alex muttered, the words escaping on their own. "I really do hate her."

To her surprise, Thorin laughed. "Don't hold back, babe. Tell me how you really feel."