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"He'll be okay," she says simply. "He's got a few broken ribs, and some deep bruising. The biggest trauma is to his face." She exhales and looks down at her feet. "He's been cut pretty badly. Colton's getting a plastic surgeon to sew him up."
"Define cut really badly," Ransom orders. Evie doesn't take offense at his tone. I don't think I've ever heard him speak like that. At work, in public, he's usually reserved but kind. Here, surrounded by family, the tension in his voice is clear. He needs to be in control. He needs everyone happy.
"Someone cut his face," she pauses, wincing. "Tore open his face is more like it. From his temple, down his cheek, across his mouth. It's...bad." Quiet and not-so-quiet curses echo through the room.
"How long will he be here?" Maverick asks, putting his phone to his ear.
Evie sighs and brushes whisps of hair away from her forehead. Her being on duty in the ER tonight is a blessing. That Joker was brought here...a double blessing. "He'll be sore but he really doesn't need to be here for more than a couple of days. He should be out before Christmas."
Declan growls in frustration and rubs his hands on his beard. Cara rubs slow circles on his back. "Then what? He's supposed to be released before the end of the month. Does he just go back and get another beating? I mean, what the fuck happened in there? He's been in nearly twenty years, and nothing like this ever happened. Colt will lose his shit if Joker goes back."
Maverick, still talking on the phone, sweeps his gaze over his brothers and tilts his head to the hallway. They all head for the door. Jonas gives me a searching look, then follows. They pull it softly closed behind them, leaving all of us women alone.
"How bad is it, really?" Cara asks, looking at Evie.
Her mouth twists. "Colton's gone quiet, which is never a good sign. His brother...well, that's not the way I imagined meeting him. And his face...even with the plastic surgeon's involvement, there's going to be scarring and possibly nerve damage."
"Oh no," Holly murmurs, covering her mouth.
"Why was he in there," I ask, needing to understand. Who did he kill to end up there?
"Murder," Becca says flatly. "He killed a guy during an argument."
I exhale a big breath. So many questions are still rattling around in my mind. But sometimes, the answers aren't ours to have. I learned that a long time ago. "Getting out is a big transition. Add in all of this...he's going to struggle."
"Struggle is an understatement," Becca says. "But it's not just him. Everything is going to change, and I don't think the guys are ready for it. It's been just the nine of them this whole time. Now, Johnny comes into the mix. Colton didn't even speak to him for most of the time he was in prison. They have a bunch of shit to work out, and I think some of the other guys are still holding onto some resentment."
"Why resentment?" I ask.
"Johnny wasn't...good to Colton after their mom died when they were kids. They were estranged until recently."
As always, when I hear about people hurting, I want to help. But this touches deeper because for right now, they're my family too, not just a group of co-workers. I don't know what my place will be, and maybe it would be smart to keep myself a little removed. When Jonas divorces me, I'm going to end up losing a lot of them too. Not that they would intend to distance themselves. They're all too kind to do that. But I don't think I'll be able to see them all every day, knowing that I'm on the outside again.
Evie's exhausted face worries me. "Are you alright? Did you get some sleep this afternoon?"
She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I got some. I've done overnights on way less sleep, I'll be ok. I just need Colton to..." She doesn't finish, her eyes dropping to the ground.
"If his brother ends up going back to prison to finish his sentence, you're worried he'll have a hard time?" I ask, wanting to understand her stress. To ease it a bit if I can.
Becca snorts. "She's worried that if his beaten-up brother goes back to prison, Colton's going to either stage a breakout or do something to get himself in there so he can protect him."
Neither's a logical option, but of course, that's not the point. Colton, a protector in every area of his life, will be devastated if he can't protect his brother. I understand how hard family can be. I also understand how powerful the pressure to take care of them can be.
"It looked to me like Maverick was working on something." I give them a reassuring smile. "I know it's hard, but maybe we can just hope for the best right now. We have a couple of days, and I have to believe they'll figure something out."
Some lines in foreheads ease. Some of the tension around the eyes. It's enough for now.
Holly settles back in the chair, her feet dangling, and rests her hands on her belly. "Hope for the best. I can do that." She rubs her belly absentmindedly, staring at me. "How are you Janey? This isn't exactly a dream wedding day for you."
All eyes are on me. I hate being the center of attention. I'd rather sit back and observe than be observed. "Ah...I'm fine."
Becca's eyebrow wings up. "And the prenup thing? You're fine with all that now?"
"Not really," I admit. "But your idea of donating the money is a nice one." Or get divorced before the year is up and walk away with nothing. I don't tell them that's the option I'd rather go for. The women were all so kind, whispering to me through the bathroom door. Telling me I can do anything I want with the money. I don't think I processed most of it, but the realization that all those people were out there, waiting for me to get married, was enough to make the people pleaser in me get off the floor.
"Hmm," she says, tapping her lip. "Why am I not convinced?"
Cara groans and drops her head back on her chair. "What does it matter? She married him. It's done. Besides, you almost made Kade get an annulment when you saw that postnuptial.”
