Page 47 of Searching for Love

ChapterSixteen

It wasn’t Lucas’s first time being handcuffed by the police for a misunderstanding. However, it was the first time he was let go without being hauled down to the station and fingerprinted.

Thanks to his mother quickly telling the female officer what had happened, he was released to follow the ambulance carrying his sister and mother to the hospital.

He hadn’t heard the entire story of what they had gone through in the preceding hours, but he’d heard enough.

Diego had barged in that morning when his mother was just about to leave for work and held the two of them hostage. Both his mother and Sophia had fought Diego as best as they could.

When they reached the hospital, his mother demanded they check Sophia first. The pair of them were wheeled in different directions.

“Go with her,” his mother begged him, motioning towards Sophia.

“Stay with my mom?” he asked Avery, who nodded quickly as he rushed to follow Sophia.

“I’m okay,” Sophia told him when he caught up with her as they were wheeling her into a small curtained area.

He took his sister’s hand in his and noticed they were cracked and red as if she’d punched something or someone.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked softly. His sister didn’t get a chance to answer, as he stepped aside for the nurse to check on her.

He stood in the corner as his sister explained where she hurt and her pain levels.

The nurse decided to send her for an X-ray of her wrist. She also thought she might have a concussion.

“Can I go with her?” he asked the nurse.

The woman smiled and nodded. “You’re her…”

“Brother,” he added quickly.

“Do you need someone to look at your lip and eye?” the nurse asked softly, moving closer to him, and reaching up to touch his cheek.

There had been a time when he would have returned her flirtations.

“No, thanks,” he said with a nod. “My girlfriend will see to them later.”

The nurse sighed and shrugged. “Let me know if that changes anytime soon.” She winked and then turned back to his sister. “You’re one lucky girl, having such a kind brother to look out for you.”

“I know it,” Sophia said and then, to his horror, she burst out crying.

He rushed to her side and held onto her while she mumbled the horrors she and his mother had gone through after Diego had burst into their home.

Sophia’s crying was interrupted when a male nurse stepped in and informed them he was there to take her back to X-ray.

His sister gathered herself and wiped her eyes with her right hand. He noticed she hardly moved her left one and was worried suddenly that she had broken it.

Standing behind the wall and watching the image of her very broken bone appear on the computer screen, he felt the urge to kill his father. So much anger boiled in his gut that the nurse touched his shoulder.

“You’re going to scare her,” he said, nodding towards Sophia, who was lying in the next room, holding still for the images.

Lucas took a deep breath and tried to release his anger. “Right.” He took several deep breaths.

“I took X-rays of your mother before this. She has two broken ribs. They’ll want to keep her overnight. I’m sure your sister can go home tonight.”

“Thanks.” He worried more for his mother now.

“That’s it for you,” the man said cheerfully to Sophia. “I’m going to take you back so you can pick out a color for your cast.”