AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, Payton.” She sprints to the side of the bed, looking genuinely concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Erin,” Payton croaks.
“What happened to you? Who would do this?” Erin asks.
“They don’t know.”
“Why would anyone want to hurt you?” But then Erin turns to me, brows furrowed. “You’re the only one who would want to hurt her,” she hisses in my direction.
“I can assure you, I had nothing to do with this.” I don’t have to justify my actions to her nor my relationship with Payton, but it still pisses me the fuck off that she is doing this right now.
“I see the way you look at my sister. I saw the way you spoke to her. You want her dead.”
“Erin—” Payton groans.
“What?” She lifts a defiant brow, crossing her arms. “It’s true.”
“Please, stop.”
Erin gives a reluctant nod and takes the seat on the other side of the bed. The side furthest from me. “When can I take you home?”
Payton turns her head toward her sister and stares at her for a second. “I’ll be fine, Erin.”
“You won’t be fine. You need someone to take care of you, so you’ll come home and stay with me.”
“And Brad? Will he be there?” she asks her.
“Of course, he will be,” Erin chastises. “He lives with me.”
Brad. The boyfriend . . .
“I’m not going home with you, Erin.” There is an edge to her voice, and I want to smile at how tough she is. Even in a hospital bed, she has a spine of steel.
“That’s ridiculous. I’m your next of kin. I’m all you have. You need to come home with me. No one else.”
Payton’s eyes beg me to save her with a million unsaid words.
“She’s coming home with me,” I interject. “I’ve hired staff to take care of her.”
I’m not sure if this is what Payton wanted me to say, but this is the answer I’ve come up with, mostly because it’s nonnegotiable. I have round-the-clock security, and after this, it’ll only be tighter. There won’t be anywhere safer for Payton.
“You can’t possibly be serious,” Erin says, crossing her arms with a scowl.
“Seeing as I’m the executor of Payton’s estate, and I need to pay bills for the staff, it makes the most sense for me to oversee the staff in my own house.” My pragmatic answer will win me no favors with Payton, but it speaks to a language Erin knows . . . money.
“She doesn’t need staff. She has me, and you just need to turn the damned money over to me so I can take care of my family.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself from saying something I will regret about the fucking money.
“Payton”—I pause—“what would you like to do?”
This might not be the right course of action. Her sister might railroad her into going back with her, but at the same time, after everything I’ve put Payton through, I feel strongly that I need to give her the choice.
She turns to her sister, and for a brief second, my heart races a little bit faster. What that means, well, I can’t read into that right now. Instead, I wait for her answer.
“I’m staying with Trent.”
“What?” Erin shouts, and I take a protective step closer to Payton.
