AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You were talking about doing something you didn’t want to do last week. Then you know where Vex is and tell me you’re writing an article about McDade. Is he how you knew Vex’s location?” No, it was the other way around. “If you’re mixed up in something and need help, I’m always here for you.”
“I know that.” She smiled. “I do and I’m fine.”
His phone rang. “Sorry,” he said, retrieving it from his pocket.
It was nice of him to apologize, but in his profession, sometimes unexpected things cropped up. Kind of like Connel’s life too.
“McLeod,” he answered the call. She poured more wine into her glass to drink. “When…? No, I’m on my way.” He hung up. “I’m sorry, sis, something’s happened. I have to take you home.”
“What happened?” she asked as he took out his wallet.
“Vex just landed at the hospital.”
“Vex? Evander?” she asked, infused by shock. “What happened?”
“That’s what I’m gonna find out.”
She pushed out her chair and grabbed her purse. “I’m coming with you.”
“What? No, you’re not. No.”
She smiled and stood when he did. “Unfortunately, you can’t stop me. It’s a free country.” She slid the strap of her purse up to her shoulder. “And I have a car on the curb with a driver.” Who had kept a low profile so as not to be seen. “Do you have a car on the curb?” No, he didn’t, but that didn’t seem to sway him. Her smug smile stretched. “Who do you think Evander’s more likely to see?”
That got his attention. He sighed. “Fine. Come on.”
FOURTEEN
LACHLAN KNEW HIS way around the emergency room. Knew plenty of the staff too. The females especially. Her brother was cute, in a brother type way, but it was always a little strange to see how many women swooned when he showed up.
A nurse led the way for them.
“This way,” Lachlan said, catching her shoulder to guide her after the nurse. “He got beat up. Broke a couple of ribs. Got stabbed too.”
“Stabbed?” she asked and stopped to look at her brother. Shit, that was a big one. Why not lead with that? “By whom?” Some part of her was already answering that question. “Oh my God.”
“He hasn’t said by who,” he said, getting her moving again. “Guys like that don’t. Won’t. We’ll find out when someone shows up in the morgue tomorrow. Going after a Manzani kid like this, it’s insane. Silvio will pull out all the stops.”
“Maybe,” she said as they paused outside the room.
“Wait here,” the nurse said and went in.
“Maybe?” he asked, getting closer. “What is maybe? I thought you knew how these families worked. They can’t let this assault stand or it weakens them.”
“It’s about pride,” she said, restraining an eye roll. “I know.” She shrugged. “We just don’t know what’s going on in the family, do we? How do you know one of his wasn’t responsible for it?”
The nurse poked her head out the door. “He’ll see Sersha, he won’t see you, Lach.”
She was about to step forward, but Lachlan held her back. “He sees both of us or neither of us.”
Having provoked her brother into accompanying her with that tactic, she couldn’t argue with him for calling her on it.
“Princess!” Evander hollered.
The nurse stepped aside to let her into the private room. Had he been such a nightmare they had to separate him, or was this hospitality reserved for Manzanis?
“Princess,” he said, reaching out to her.
Even she had to stop. Plenty of times she’d wished Evander out of her life and thought he deserved to be taught a lesson. But with his bruised eye, the blood matted in his hair, the swollen lip… Shit. And that was just what she could see.
