LACHLAN KNEW HIS way around the emergency room. Knew plenty of the staff too. The females especially. Her brother was cute, in a brother type way, but it was always a little strange to see how many women swooned when he showed up.
A nurse led the way for them.
“This way,” Lachlan said, catching her shoulder to guide her after the nurse. “He got beat up. Broke a couple of ribs. Got stabbed too.”
“Stabbed?” she asked and stopped to look at her brother. Shit, that was a big one. Why not lead with that? “By whom?” Some part of her was already answering that question. “Oh my God.”
“He hasn’t said by who,” he said, getting her moving again. “Guys like that don’t. Won’t. We’ll find out when someone shows up in the morgue tomorrow. Going after a Manzani kid like this, it’s insane. Silvio will pull out all the stops.”
“Maybe,” she said as they paused outside the room.
“Wait here,” the nurse said and went in.
“Maybe?” he asked, getting closer. “What is maybe? I thought you knew how these families worked. They can’t let this assault stand or it weakens them.”
“It’s about pride,” she said, restraining an eye roll. “I know.” She shrugged. “We just don’t know what’s going on in the family, do we? How do you know one of his wasn’t responsible for it?”
The nurse poked her head out the door. “He’ll see Sersha, he won’t see you, Lach.”
She was about to step forward, but Lachlan held her back. “He sees both of us or neither of us.”
Having provoked her brother into accompanying her with that tactic, she couldn’t argue with him for calling her on it.
“Princess!” Evander hollered.
The nurse stepped aside to let her into the private room. Had he been such a nightmare they had to separate him, or was this hospitality reserved for Manzanis?
“Princess,” he said, reaching out to her.
Even she had to stop. Plenty of times she’d wished Evander out of her life and thought he deserved to be taught a lesson. But with his bruised eye, the blood matted in his hair, the swollen lip… Shit. And that was just what she could see.
When he elevated the top of the bed to sit up, the discoloration on his neck sped her heart.
“Come over here, Princess,” he said, holding his hand out to her.
Blood on the sheets and his knuckles… If Connel was responsible… What the hell was she doing there?
“Had some trouble, Manzani?” Lachlan said, passing her to go closer to the bed. “Wow, looks like you pissed someone off.”
“I wanna see my Princess,” Evander said, glaring. “I got nothing for you.”
“Didn’t think so,” Lachlan said, folding his arms. “Want to make a report?” Evander didn’t care about the cop; his focus remained on her. “Yo! Manzani!”
“Don’t shout,” she said, putting one foot in front of the other to get to the bedside. “Did someone call your father?”
“I’m sure he’s heard,” Evander said, relaxing though he raised his hand toward hers.
She didn’t want to hold his hand. If this was Connel and Vex said something… her brother was behind her… not a good combination.
Putting her hand in Evander’s, she bit her tongue and played nice.
“You want justice?” Lachlan said. “You’ve got to tell us who’s responsible. Where were you at tonight?”
“Taking care of business,” Evander said. “Had some delays this weekend.”
Yeah, because he’d been with the cops.
“That cause trouble?” her brother asked. “I could’ve helped you out there too.”
“You’re a lucky guy,” Evander said, yanking her closer. She stumbled a step, and her brother caught her, but Evander got close enough to whisper in her ear. “He’ll pay for touching you.”
“Hands off, Manzani,” Lachlan said, jerking her away to put her behind him. “Want me to pull you in for assault?”
“Maybe you should. Take a good look. Imagine what the other guy looks like.”
She had to get back. Had to see him. Without even thinking, she walked away from Lachlan, out of the room, and down the corridor.
“Ser!” Lachlan called after her. “Sersha!” She got all the way to the door before he caught up and grabbed her arm. “Hey… what’s wrong? Did he say something?”
“No,” she said, fighting to compose herself. “No, I just… didn’t expect him to look like that.”
“It’s okay,” he said, giving her a hug. “This is why I didn’t want you to come.”
“Sorry, I—”
“I’ll take you home.”
Home wasn’t where she wanted to go. Strat was driving, but she’d told him to stay in the car no matter what. He had to. If Lachlan saw him, it would raise too many questions. They didn’t exactly have the best relationship with each other. That was between them, nothing to do with her. Well, them and the woman between them, Strat’s daughter.
Lachlan urged her into the car and got in behind her. She had no choice and had to follow. Lachlan would put her in her apartment; he always did after dark. He’d put her inside and get a cab. She’d have to text Strat and let him know what was going on. He might leave when Lachlan took her inside, but she’d need him to loop back when her brother was gone.
With Lachlan in the back seat at her side, she couldn’t call Connel, but she had to see him. To know he was okay, to know what happened. Except if he wasn’t at the club… where else could she look?
***
LACHLAN TOOK IT upon himself to check her apartment for intruders, not that she expected any.
He gave the big brother speech about the dangers of bad boys too. Little did he know she was rushing him out just to get back to hers.
After he left, it seemed to take Strat an age to return. Wherever he’d gone, he hadn’t understood her urgency.
“Where were you?” she asked, getting in the front. “I almost got a cab.”
“Figured you’d need the time to calm down,” Strat said. “Cool off. Guess that brother of yours didn’t talk any sense into you.”
“Have you heard?”
“That Manzani junior is laid up? Yeah. I took you to the hospital.”
“No,” she said. “From Conn?”
“We don’t keep in touch.”
“From Niall, from anyone. Geez, Strat, what’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? Yeah, I got the call about Vex from like five guys before your cop got a clue. It’s serious shit, Ser. Serious. I wouldn’t let my Immie be anywhere near this kinda crap. What’s wrong with you? You should run a mile.”
Maybe he was right. “Weren’t you the one who said I needed a bad boy?”
“No, I said they turned you on. Given what you and the boss spent the weekend doing, I think we know I’m right. But when does sense kick in? You’re lucky, damn lucky, McDade didn’t kill him. I’m fucking shocked he didn’t. Never heard of him being light on the trigger… Did you talk to him? Ask him not to take Manzani out?”
“You think he’d listen if I did?”
“We don’t know what goes on behind closed doors… The guys were… McDade’s never done it, locked the door on him and a woman. Niall grew up at his side. The boss has never had a singular focus like he does with you.”
“He doesn’t have a singular focus,” she said. Though three days and nights beneath him probably suggested otherwise to his men. “I didn’t know he was going after Evander tonight.” Though she’d suspected he could be the worm Niall referenced. “He didn’t tell me and I didn’t ask.”
“You’ve got the moll thing down already,” he said and flashed her a smile. “I get on your case because I care about you.”
“I know.”
“My little girl doesn’t listen to me either, I’m used to it.”
“I know,” she said and sighed. “But Imogen doesn’t put you in the line of fire. I’m sorry you ended up in this, watching my ass. I know you didn’t want this.”
“It was my choice,” he said. “Told you that you weren’t walking in there alone.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t know you’d walk out promising to take a bullet for me.”
“Think I needed McDade money to make that promise?” he asked. “You’re a good kid. And just as screwed up as the rest of us.”
She smiled and propped an elbow on the door. “You think Connel’s okay?”
“I know he’s at the club,” Strat said. “Means either he’s fine or he’s…”
Dead? Dying? It didn’t bear thinking about. He wouldn’t, would he? Get himself that injured for her? For pride? It was becoming clear being with a man like Connel wasn’t just unpredictable or extreme, it was dangerous too.
And she didn’t mean for her.
Him. People would always come for him. Did she want to be the one sitting at home waiting for a call? Thank God their relationship was temporary. He’d said it was on until he was done with her. Should she be speeding that end along? If she got attached, how easy would it be to walk away?