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“He’s my kid.”
“I know. And that is exactly why the police need to handle this. You are emotionally involved and that’s how people get hurt.”
He hated that she was right but couldn’t come up with a good counterargument. “I feel like I should call someone.” Jackson. Jackson deserved to know the results of the DNA test. But shouldn’t he get that truth from Wyatt? Hell, Jackson probably had no idea Wyatt was even in danger right now, and how would telling him help?
It’s the truth.
Brand couldn’t imagine being completely in the dark if Hugo had been in Wyatt’s current position. He would be furious to know after the fact. Unsure if this was the right thing to do or not, Brand called him.
“Hey, boss, what’s up?” Jackson asked after only two rings.
“Are you home?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Are you sitting down?”
“I am now. What’s going on? Is it about Wyatt?”
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s definitely about Wyatt.”
Jackson stalked into the Claire County Hospital emergency room in the most mixed-up emotional state of his life, and he hated being so out of control. He hadn’t felt this way since getting out of prison, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever find his balance again. Not until he saw Wyatt with his own two eyes. Saw him, touched him, and knew for sure he was safe.
He immediately spotted Ramie in one of the chairs, and she stood to meet him as he crossed to her. “Brand is with him,” she said. “He isn’t alone.”
“How is he?” When Brand had called earlier and told him first that yes, he was Wyatt’s biological father, and then about the whole house invasion/kidnapping thing, Jackson had temporarily lost his mind. Then Brand had put him on hold for an excruciatingly long amount of time before coming back and telling Jackson to get to the ER. All Brand had known was that Wyatt had been in a car accident—not how badly he was injured.
“They think the air bag broke his nose,” she replied, both hands on his forearms in a grounding touch. “He’ll probably have a hell of a bruise from the seat belt, but other than that, he’s okay. From what little we heard, it sounds like Wyatt saved himself from the bad guy.”
“Where is the son of a bitch? Not Wyatt, the other guy.”
“In his own room with cops watching him. Apparently, his seat belt broke and he smashed his head into the windshield when they crashed.”
Jackson blinked. “But you said... Wait, Wyatt crashed the car on purpose?”
“Yeah.”
“Jesus Christ. That was such a stupid thing to do. He could’ve been killed.”
“But he wasn’t. He protected me tonight, Jackson, and I will never forget that. Wyatt was a hero.”
“Yeah. I can’t believe all this happened while I was sitting pretty in my place.”
“You mean both the kidnapping and the DNA results? Yeah, it’s been a roller coaster for sure. Go see him.” She told him the room number.
After getting buzzed through, Jackson navigated the confusing ER halls until he found Wyatt’s room. Wyatt was sitting mostly upright in his bed with thick, bloodstained bandages over his nose. He had a bruise on his forehead but seemed perfectly alert, and he brightened when he saw Jackson. Brand sat in a chair in the corner of the room, tense and stone-faced, and he stood when Jackson walked in.
“Hey,” Wyatt said. “Didn’t expect you.”
“I called him,” Brand replied. “Figured you needed all the support you could get. Driving into a rock wall is likely to create some aches and pains.”
“No shit. Thanks.”
“Sure thing.” To Jackson he said, “They just took some X-rays of his face. May or may not have to reset the nose, not sure yet. Someone will be by in a bit.”
In hospitals, “in a bit” could be five minutes or five hours. Jackson didn’t care. For as angry as he was at Wyatt for the big lie, he couldn’t deny the way his heart responded to his nearness. Or the relief he felt at seeing Wyatt was alive and safe with his own two eyes. “Thank you, Brand. I mean it.”
“I know.” He looked back to Wyatt, his expression softening a touch. “Do you want me to bring you anything? A soda?”
