Strong hands grabbed Miki’s upper arms, hoisting him up. The world tilted, brightening when he was lifted up over the bodies around him. Slung across Kane’s shoulders, Miki hissed when another wave of pain hit him, and he horked, dry heaving over Kane’s chest.
“Shit, you sound like my mom’s cat. Hold on.” Kane turned, shoving people aside with his bulk. Miki was precariously balanced across his back in a half-assed piggy back. Hands were grabbing at his sweats, threatening to pull them down off his slender hips. Bodies jostled them, and Kane pushed back as much as he could. “Dude! Get in the house! Now!”
The dog took one last look at the throng, gave a final defiant bark, and trotted back into the house, tail up high in insult.
“Put me down,” Miki growled. “I can walk.”
For a second, Miki thought Kane was ready to dump him onto his feet on the sidewalk, but the cop was only shifting his hold on Miki’s arms. Draped down Kane’s spine, he had to duck his head when the man plowed through the last of the crowd. A brush of cold air kissed Miki’s bare hip, and he made a grab for his sweats, tugging them back up over his leg.
The press of warm bodies followed them to the threshold. Kane gently put Miki down, his eyes narrowing when Miki yelped in agony. His knee buckled, and he grabbed at Kane to keep his balance. Clutching the man’s arms, he bent his head down and panted, forcing himself to work past the crippling pain. He let go of Kane suddenly and pushed against the man’s broad chest.
“Close the door,” Miki spat out. “If they stick their fingers in, just slam it harder.”
Someone snagged Miki’s arm through the opening of the door, and Kane pushed back. Shoving at the man holding Miki, Kane balled his hand into a fist and let fly. His knuckles connected with the reporter’s nose, crunching it to the side. Wedging himself into the doorframe, Kane stood his ground, keeping his body between the horde and Miki.
“Get inside, Miki,” Kane growled. “We need to get somebody down here to get these assholes off your property.”
A camera stuck through the opening clattered to the floor as its owner’s wrist was caught against the door. From the resistance against Kane’s shove, Miki guessed the man caught more than one person’s fingers. The door bounced slightly as Kane gave the reporters space to pull out their various body parts. Then he shoved it closed again, snapping the door tightly against the jamb.
Miki hobbled over to the couch and grabbed at the back for support. His left leg hurt from taking all of his weight, and the twinge in his right ankle was a warning he’d injured more than his knee. Sitting on the far end of the couch, Dude lolled a smile at him, clearly pleased at the battle he waged against the people outside.
Kane stood by the door and stared at Miki, stiff, furious, and brimming with energy. The man’s deep blue eyes were snapping with anger, and Miki almost winced under the intensity of Kane’s stare. As calmly as he could, he edged around the arm of the couch and tried to ease into the cushions without making too much noise.
He failed miserably.
The pain was intolerable, jerking his nerves up his spine and tingling shockwaves into his teeth. His mouth thickened with viscous spit, and Miki gulped, choking on the sudden mouthful of liquid moving across his tongue. Grabbing at the sofa with both hands, Miki tilted forward and panted, riding out the scorching heat traveling up his leg.
“Come here,” Kane murmured, stepping up behind Miki.
He tried shoving the cop away, but Kane’s arms were already around his waist, lifting him up to ease the pressure against his joints. Kane ducked his head, nudging Miki’s arm up over his shoulder.
“Hold on to me. Let’s get you into the bathroom.” Kane hitched his stride short, gently easing Miki to the bathroom. “I’ll grab some ice for your knee, and you can sit in there with your leg up while I hunt you down some drugs.”
“I’ve got some Jack on the fridge,” Miki grumbled. “God, this fucking hurts.”
“Whiskey isn’t the answer,” Kane sighed. “As much as I’d like to get stinking drunk with you, I think it’s time to give some of the crap the doctors pushed on you a try.”
“Don’t want to get addicted to that shit,” Miki said, shaking his head. “I’ve got to watch for that. They think I had some shit in my system when they found me.”
“You were like, what? Two? Three?” Kane stopped walking and peered down at Miki. “Jesus Christ.”
He shrugged. It wasn’t anything he thought much about, not after so many years of not knowing where he came from or even really giving a shit about the people who let him wander out into the street covered only in a dirty diaper.
“Doesn’t matter.” Miki sucked in a mouthful of air, and Kane lifted him up again. “Old news. No one gives a shit about it now, especially me. Don’t get your panties up in a twist.”
“It’s still not fair.” Kane grimaced. “Yeah, I know. I’m a cop. Life isn’t fucking fair, but shit, sometimes I hate people.”