* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thank God, Ash was home. Jamie was so nervous, Dillon was afraid he was going to have to strap Jamie to the seat of the Lumina with duct tape just to get him to sit still long enough to fasten his seat belt. When Ash answered the door on the first ring, Dillon sagged against the doorframe with relief.
Ash looked worlds better than he had the last time they'd seen him. The bandages were gone, revealing a rope-shaped scar encircling the entire circumference of his neck, but other than that, no one looking at him would ever be able to tell he'd had such a near-miss. The thing that put Dillon the most at ease, though, was the warm smile Ash gave the minute he saw them.
"It's about time you assholes came to see me. I was beginning to think I was gonna have
