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“Yeah, I did. I told them to meet you at the hospital,” Jackson tells me.
“Do you know what happened?” I ask, Jackson looking to Everly, and I know there’s something they aren’t telling me. “What?”
“She…she was being followed. A car followed her from Tungsten Bay, and they rammed her a couple of times. I was on the phone to her when it happened.”
“Fucking hell!” I curse, running a hand through my hair. “You didn’t think to call the cops? Jesus!”
“Don’t you get snippy with me, Asher King. I told her to call the cops, but she refused. After the first time he rammed her, I messaged Jackson. How else do you think he got here so quick,” Everly snaps, pointing an accusing finger in my direction.
“Damn it! I’ll see you at the hospital.” I spin on my heel and march back over to the rig. Jumping up inside, I sit beside Kennedy. She has her eyes closed, but I know she knows I’m here.
“Do not start with me, Asher. My head is throbbing, and my ribs are sore, I do not need the third degree.”
“You clearly fucking do. Why the hell didn’t you call the cops, Kenz? This is serious. You could have been…” I let my words trail off as I sense someone close by. Looking to the wide open back doors, I see Deputy Peters standing there. Now why is that not a surprise. “Yes, deputy?”
“Ah, Mr. King again. It seems wherever there is trouble, there you are too.”
“Actually, I arrived after the fact. It seems your detective skills and math are still lacking.”
“I’m just checking on Miss. Scott.” He looks to Kennedy, who is unable to see him fully as she’s lying down. “I’ll need a statement once you’ve been checked out at the hospital, Miss. Scott,” he says.
“And you’ll get your statement once she’s been given the all clear,” I reply, making sure he understands that he won’t get near her without my say. He nods then leaves, looking back just as the doors are closing.
Once at the hospital, they take Kennedy off to get assessed but won’t let me through as I’m not family, so I wait for the others to arrive. I’m pacing the waiting area when there’s a commotion at the entrance. But when I look over to see what all the noise is about, I see a drunk man being escorted by a cop, and he doesn’t sound too happy about the handcuffs he’s wearing.
I listen to him rambling on about police brutality as the cop checks him in, and he doesn’t shut up for the next fifteen minutes. He already has a lump the size of a golf ball on his head, and all I can think is that it’s a shame it didn’t knock him the fuck out.
The swoosh of the main doors opening has me looking up to Maria entering with Stu, and closely behind them are Everly and Jackson. Maria’s panicked face smooths out a little when her eyes land on me, and they hurry over.
“Is she okay? Where is she?” Stu wraps his arm around her, pulling tight to his side at her obvious distress.
“She’s okay, Maria. They won’t tell me anything because I’m not family, but I was with her in the ambulance and other than some cuts and bruises and a mild concussion, she’s fine.”
“Oh, thank God.” The relief on her face is instant, but it’s momentary. “Do you know what happened?” she asks.
Silence booms loudly at the question, the three of us a little unsure of what to tell her. Thankfully, a nurse approaches and the question is forgotten as she takes Maria through to see Kennedy. Stu tells her he wants a quick word with Jackson and he’ll be there in a moment.
“So, who wants to tell me what really happened?” Stu demands as soon as Maria is out of sight.
“We don’t know any more than you at the moment,” I tell him, eyeing Everly and Jackson and making sure they don’t say anything either. Until I find out what Stu was up to the other day with the man from the black Escalade, then I don’t want him knowing anything.
“You expect me to believe that, Asher?” he questions, gaze flicking between us.
“Believe it or don’t, up to you, but that’s all we’ve got,” I say with a shrug. I can feel Jackson’s eyes on me, confused as to why the hostility, and why I wouldn’t let his dad know what happened. Stu holds my gaze a moment longer then turns to Jackson.
“Son, do you have anything to add?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Uh-huh, okay.” The swoosh of the doors opening behind us has Stu looking up. “Let’s see what the police have to say then, shall we? Deputy Peters,” he calls, striding past us to greet him.
Jackson steps up beside me, and whispers, “What the fuck was that, Asher?”
Everly moves closer to Stu and Deputy Peters, clearly trying to listen in on their conversation.
“We need to talk,” I say out the corner of my mouth conscious that Deputy Peters’ eyes are on me as Stu talks to him.
“No shit!”
