Dead Wrong Read Free Page B

help.
    â€œStay put, Vinnie,” Frankie D. ordered. Concern was embedded in every line of his rakish, coffee-colored features as he leaned over me. “I’ll call for the rescue team.”
    â€œJust get this freakin’ bike off my leg. It’s killing me.” I scoured the painful area. My pant leg held no bloodstain – that I could see. A sense of relief washed over me.
    â€œI don’t want the rescue, though someone else may need it.” I moaned out the words.
    Gina stepped forward and between the three of them, they disengaged the bike from my leg. Cara leaned sideways and grasped one arm while Gina took hold of the other. Together they hauled me off the ground while I gritted my teeth in pain.
    â€œI’ll go get the car. There’s an emergency room near my office,” Gina said. “It’s one of those clinic-type places. Otherwise you’ll be at Rhode Island Hospital for an eternity.”
    She hurried away before I could speak. I waited with Cara until the car pulled along the crowd line. Injured or not, many of the cyclists had taken their bikes and moved on. The woman who’d created the mishap stood on the fringe of the crowd watching me, her bike held tight against her side. Her cat-that-ate-the-canary expression seemed odd for the circumstances, but the pain in my knee could have accounted for my view of things.
    â€œWhy aren’t we going someplace closer?” I asked after the twins had stuffed me in the car.
    â€œA woman over on the sidewalk recommended the place that happens to be near my office. I wasn’t even aware of the joint until she mentioned it.” Gina glanced at me in the rear view mirror and then turned her attention to the road as we moved off into traffic.
    We reached the LR Medical Clinic. I hobbled inside with a twin on each side for support. By this time, I’d become annoyed at the inconvenience of the immediate situation – not realizing that this was nothing compared to what my life would be like in the near future.
    Hoping my injury was a minor infliction, I signed the necessary documents for the intake nurse and waited my turn. Two hours later, I’d been poked and prodded until I figured I’d never have a sense of humor again. Dr. Whatever-His-Name-Was – something unpronounceable anyway – recommended that I rest the leg for a day and then go for physical therapy. I nodded, took the paperwork he handed me along with the crutches the nurse brought out, and hobbled through the door. If only I’d listened to my mother. She’d said not to ride today. Why? I don’t know.
    Gina took one look at my face and knew I’d lost what little humor I’d had before I arrived at the medical center. She grinned and hugged me, while Cara waited to do the same.
    They took me home to get settled in. “Can we make you a snack or something?” Gina asked, her concern obvious in her dark eyes.
    â€œYeah,” said Cara, her dark eyes twinkling. “Let us make you something before we leave. How about I call the handsome guy upstairs, or the trooper you go out with? They’ll wanna know about your injury.”
    It was more than likely that Cara wanted to see both guys and check Marcus out for herself. She’d only seen photos in the past. Duh, was I dumb? No. Cara had a roving eyeball, even though she currently dated someone on a regular basis. Gina, on the other hand, would likely chew the guys up and spit them out. She had a man of her own, and while he wasn’t all that great in the looks department, Al was a great guy.
    â€œAs long as I can remember, Cara, you have had a roving eyeball, just like Nonni.” My glance skipped to Gina. “Gina, on the other hand rules the roost at her house with an iron fist, also like Nonni. I think I got left out somewhere along the line.” I chuckled.
    Gina smirked. “My father came from the old country, and Nonni called him a