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“Maybe we should take this somewhere else and let him rest.” My attention landed on my dad. He looked like hell too.
“I think Ari has a good idea. We should talk, and I’d rather not do it front of Jagger while he’s recovering,” Samantha said in a hushed tone. “I need my son to get better.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she quickly wiped them away.
Quietly, we slipped into the hall, and I closed the door behind me. Since I wouldn’t be there, I couldn’t monitor who entered and left Jagger’s room. That didn’t settle well with me. Whoever the shooter was, I had a feeling he was still around. I walked to the nurse’s station and flashed the nurse on duty a charming smile.
“Hi. Jagger Whitlock is in 412. I would like to ask that no visitors are allowed until I return. There’s some business I need to attend to.”
“He’s fresh out of surgery and in the ICU, so other than family, he can’t have any visitors for a few days.”
My shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you. I’ll be back shortly.”
I turned to see Dad and Samantha standing behind me.
“Miss, what’s your name?”
Shooting a look at the parents, I smiled. “Ariana. I’m Jagger’s sister.”
“Excellent. Thank you.”
My gaze narrowed as I turned to Samantha and Dad again. “Let’s get this over with.” My tone was steely but not near as cold as my heart felt toward them.
Leading the way, I found a small waiting room. To my surprise, it was empty, which worked for us. Dad and Samantha sank into a couple chairs, and I closed the door.
“What are you doing here, Ariana?” Samantha asked, her voice cracking with worry.
I folded my arms across my chest. “Attending Whitmore.”
The color drained from Samantha’s cheeks, and a sheepish expression ghosted Dad’s face.
“You didn’t tell her?” I asked, incredulous that he kept that information from his wife.
“I didn’t see any need to upset her at the time.” Dad reached for Samantha’s hand. “I couldn’t stop Ari from moving. She received a full scholarship and had saved money from her job back east.”
Samantha tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, staring at me. “Impressive. I always knew you were a bright girl with a big future.”
“Thanks. I was bound and determine to come home. Picture my shock when I realized that Jagger not only was still breathing but played football at the same college.”
Dad scrubbed his face, exhausted. Lies would do that to you—suffocate and cut you off from those who loved you. I was living proof.
“Imagine Jagger’s surprise when he learned that I was alive, too.”
The tension in the room escalated at breakneck speeds. “No more lies. We can get all of this out in the open.”
“I need to know about my son first.” Samantha wrung her fingers in her lap.
“Well, you saw him, so you realize it’s bad. He has to make it through the next twenty-four hours. Any added stress or bullshit isn’t allowed anywhere near him. Got it?” I placed my hands on my hips. I wasn’t playing with them. I might be Theo’s daughter, but they’d disrespected me with their deceit. They had to play by my rules if they wanted to know about Jag.
“What happened?” Dad asked.
I rocked from one foot to the other, attempting to ease my fear concerning Jagger. “The game was over, and most people had cleared the stands and field. There were about twenty still standing on the sidelines. I was walking toward Jagger to congratulate him on their win.” Sweat beaded on my forehead and slicked between my breasts, my pulse whizzing with agony as I relived the moment that nearly stole Jagger from me. “We never heard the gunfire. Jagger was laughing with Coach one second, then his body jerked backward and blood seeped out of his shoulder. He grabbed the wound right before he dropped to the ground. The EMTs were still there. If they hadn’t been . . .” I gulped air and tried calming my tattered heartbeat. I could feel what I’d witnessed churn in my stomach.
“Shot?” A sob shredded Samantha’s throat as she stared down at the floor.
Confused, I studied Dad. “Whoever called didn’t tell you?”
“They wouldn’t tell us what happened, Ari. All the doctors said was that he’d been hurt at a game and was in surgery.” His eyes misted over. “And that we needed to get here quickly.”
He slipped an arm around Samantha.
