Page 36 of Shark’s Rise

That I should’ve let lie.

I mean…hell. The man was my best friend—but Christ, Rio was, in all likelihood, my future sister-in-law. If he wanted to tell me what I’d just witnessed, then—

No. Screw it. There was no fucking way I couldn’t say something. Anything.

“Dude.”

“Cool your jets, big guy,” he said around a mouthful of food. “I was just messing with her.”

“Bullshit.”

“She’s married. You know I don’t play that way. Even I have standards.”

I tilted my head a bit. Then a little more. Calling his bluff without words.

“Christ,” he growled. “Ease up. She’s like catnip. I can’t help myself. All that spunk and fire and…well, yeah.”

My buddy shifted in his chair, and I recognized the move. Things were likely getting uncomfortable in his slacks, but I’d show him some mercy and not point it out. Or maybe I would…

The fucker was saved by my phone’s distinct chirp. It was a text from Banks.

Call me re: Abbigail

My stomach surged into my chest. At once, it shoved my heart into my throat. “Crap,” I spat beneath my breath before activating my office’s computerized assistant. “Siri, call Elijah.”

While the line was connected and then ringing, Grant abandoned his cavalier bit to quickly ask, “What’s going on? Everything okay?”

“We’re about to find out. He just said to call him regarding Abbi.”

Elijah picked up just after the second ring. “Hey, man. Thanks for calling so quickly.”

“No problem. Grant’s here too. We were just inhaling lunch.”

“Hey, Twombley.”

“Hey, man,” Grant returned between gulps of the bottled iced tea Rio had left intact.

“You ever actually work these days?”

“You ever try getting up at four to make a few hundred artisan grilled cheese melts?”

“What’s going on, Elijah?” I charged. “Is she okay?”

There was a weighted pause from the other side of the line. At last Elijah revealed, “In all seriousness, Bas? I think you should get your ass back out here as soon as you can.”

I leaped to my feet. Stayed braced there, hands on hips, as if threatening to lose my shit at any second. “What the hell is going on? Tell me right now!”

“Yeah, yeah…okay.” He punctuated with a strangled sound. “I really think she needs medical attention, man. I mean, I’ve pushed to take her to the hospital, but she’s refusing—yet she won’t let me call a doctor to come to the house. That is one stubborn woman you’ve got on your hands.”

I felt like tearing out my own hair. Instead, I barked, “Let me speak to her.”

“She’s sleeping. She won’t get out of bed nor will she speak directly to me.” The concern in my friend’s voice was palpable. It was likely what saved most of my hair follicles. “She’ll only allow the women in and out of the room. But Dori told me she looks worse every time she goes in there.”

“Wait. What do you mean she’s not speaking to you? What the fuck, Banks?” I scrubbed my hand down my face. “You said you’d ease up on her.”

“And I swear, I have. We had a long talk yesterday, and everything was fine. I even told her about Hensley.”

“What? Why? Why the hell would you do that?” My head throbbed again, five times worse than before. I could barely wrap my mind around actionable thought, let alone a rough comprehension of why Banks had all but sliced his soul back open and let it bleed all over my fragile, beautiful woman. “Never mind,” I snarled. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll have Joel bring me in the helicopter again. I’ll text you the details, but don’t share them with Abbigail.”