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With a final glance down at a man who’d always had his back, he fisted his right hand before settling his left palm against Violet, urging her along. He needed to find out everything then do what he did best. Destroy.
He gave a nod to Juarez, who in his opinion looked a bit too closely at Violet, returned the sneer from Miller, and stepped into the hall, where the senator and his guards were walking toward the door.
The senator dismissed Violet and focused on him, the snake-like smile well practiced, and one Hastings didn’t trust.
“You will keep me apprised of anything you discover with regards to my son, won’t you, Officers.”
The man didn’t make it so much of a question as an order. All the while his gaze remained on Hastings, like because he had Rhodes as his last name and money, he was worth the attention and not the others there.
Shifting his hand against her back, he guided Violet away, ignoring how much heat spiraled up from his palm at the simple gesture. They didn’t speak as he got them into the elevator.
She pressed the button for the lobby. Hastings noticed she didn’t step away from his touch. He didn’t remove it, liking—probably too much—her tiny body against his. When the elevator paused on the way down to allow others on, he shifted slightly, making sure he could protect Violet should the need arise.
He knew she watched him, but she didn’t say a word, and she continued to remain by him. In fact, she was still and not a peep came from her. At the ground floor he waited until everyone else had walked out, then he nudged her with his palm and trailed her.
She didn’t say anything until they’d stepped outside beneath the awning as the rain sluiced down around them. Violet tipped her head back and met his gaze.
“I’m not sure where you’re staying, Mr. Rhodes, but I have to head back to Welcome Home.”
He shifted in front of her when she went to walk away. Those dark eyes of hers narrowed.
“Brother-in-law or not, I will drop you where you stand if you don’t get out of my way.”
His lips twitched and he canted his head to the side. “You gave the officer your number. Don’t I get it?”
“You don’t need it. You know where I work.”
Violet moved by him and waved for a taxi. As she opened the door he called out, “So did he.”
“Good day, Mr. Rhodes.” She never looked at him, just slid in the cab and was whisked away.
Sparks lit his blood in a way nothing had in years, if not ever. It took him a moment to realize he was grinning, and he wiped that expression from his face as he drew out his phone.
“Christ, did you piss her off already?” The statement bowled over him the moment the call was answered.
“Hello to you too, Bradford.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m leaving the hospital now. I don’t know what’s going on.”
A door slammed. “You? You said you’re leaving. Where’s Violet?”
A dry bark escaped. “My sister-in-law left me outside the hospital. I need her cell number.”
Bradford laughed. “Oh, I wish I could have seen that. Tell me you didn’t piss her off.”
“We left on good terms. She was returning to work, and I have to find a hotel to crash in. Do you know where she’s staying?”
Silence.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Bradford. I’m going to be going with her daily to work, it makes sense for us both to be in the same place. I didn’t say I was shacking up with her.”
His cock stirred at the thought of sharing space with that small bundle of energy. He lifted his hand and a cab swerved up to the entrance and he got in the back.
“Hotel name, Bradford.” Hastings knew he was being a prick.
The second his brother relayed it, he gave it to the driver.
“What do you think is going to happen, Hastings?”
He fisted his right hand as he stared out of the window to the rainy streets. “No clue, Bradford, but I’m not leaving until I get answers as to what happened to my friend.”
“What about work? Don’t you have to leave or something? You know, like after you got injured and were only home for a short time before you vanished again?”
Hastings couldn’t ignore the pain in his brother’s voice. It was true. He had bolted as soon as he’d been able from his last injury. After they’d flown him from Germany back to the States, he’d done his best to keep his family away, and when they’d continued to show up, he’d run.
“I’m staying.”
He would go through hell for Evan. They’d been there together, and he would do whatever was necessary to balance the scales on what had happened.
“Understood.”
Hastings heard his brother’s pain but ignored it. Instead, he hung up and leaned back. Against his side, his phone vibrated and he simply pushed it into his pocket. Exhaustion gnawed at him like a starving hyena with a bone. Sleep wasn’t something that came easy to him. Especially when he was in the States. Odd perhaps, but that’s how it was for him.
