Where We Left Off - Romeo Alexander Page 0,47

that you bring that up because I asked the same thing...after we got here,” Tyler winced apologetically.

Nathaniel snorted. “Well, you did have quite a few things on your mind. Namely, pulling my butt out of the fire.”

Tyler gave him a strained smile. “Elliot looked you over, and so did Clay, but they said something about how Elliot had more experience getting smacked around while Clay was better at avoiding it.”

“Comforting, I suppose,” Nathaniel said slowly.

“Yeah, don’t ask me. Elliot said he had to deal with enough Corpsman that he picked up the finer points, according to him anyway. He said you were banged up, but you should be fine,” Tyler told him.

“Admittedly, I do feel as though I should be in more pain than I am,” Nathaniel said.

Tyler winked. “That would be the painkillers we apparently have in the house.”

“I do not recall waking up and taking any medication.”

“Naw. You were asleep. We managed to get it in your mouth and rub your throat like a dog until you swallowed it.”

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, not sure if that was a joke or not. “I see.”

Tyler sighed. “And Clay said it might not be a good idea to take you to a hospital. All it would take is a few minutes of someone not paying attention, and you could have been dragged out of the hospital before anyone knew what was happening.”

Nathaniel raised a brow. “Has he no faith in security?”

Tyler laughed. “He said the only security he has any faith in whatsoever is Elliot. That earned him one of those sappy looks Elliot gets on his face sometimes, and Clay chased him out of the kitchen.”

Well, that certainly covered most of the bases he had to deal with. There were, however, a few other details, and as much as he hated to bring them up, he knew he had to.

“I need to contact Sonia,” Nathaniel told him. “She’ll want to know that I’m alright.”

Tyler smiled, reaching onto the desk for Nathaniel’s phone. “Unbelievable as it is, your phone made it through the crash without a scratch on it. I contacted Sonia for you, let her know you were safe and would be hiding out somewhere while the cops get things figured out.”

Nathaniel tensed. “Oh, I hadn’t even considered that. Surely the police have to be involved.”

“Well, I’m not quite sure how it worked because I wasn’t there when the call was made. But I guess Clay made a call and whoever he called did something. Because the police don’t seem to care that we fled the scene of a crime and didn’t go to the hospital. They said that when you’re back on your feet and ready, they’ll need to take a statement from us both,” Tyler told him, frowning in thought.

“I can imagine that will be… quite the story for you to tell,” Nathaniel admitted.

“Yeah, not quite sure how I’m going to manage to explain stealing some guy’s bike and then dragging a victim away from the scene of the crime. Kind of hoping Clay can have one of those phone calls of his, but I’m not gonna rely on it.”

“Probably for the best,” Nathaniel said, trying not to let his worry show.

Tyler watched him for a moment, then snorted. “Go ahead.”

“What?” Nathaniel asked.

“I know you want to ask about your dad, so go ahead.”

Nathaniel cleared his throat. “Well, I imagine he would like to be updated on current events.”

“Yeah,” Tyler said. “That’s what he wanted.”

Nathaniel’s eyes widened. “He called?”

“Yeah.”

“And you spoke to him.”

“Yep.”

Nathaniel gestured for Tyler to continue. “And?”

Tyler scowled. “And I told him what happened and that you were well and safe. For that matter, I told him that you were going to be kept somewhere safe until you decided to leave.”

“I…” Nathaniel began. “I cannot begin to imagine that conversation went well.”

Tyler rolled his eyes. “I was nice. I wanted to tell him that worrying more about his goddamn reputation than his own son’s wellbeing made him an absolute bastard, but I didn’t. And I didn’t even argue with him when...well, I didn’t argue. I told him what I told him and ended the call.”

Nathaniel tensed. “Tyler...what did my father say to you?”

Tyler’s eye twitched. “It doesn’t matter what he said. I couldn’t give a shit about what that heartless asshole has to say.”

“Tyler.”

“Nathaniel.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What did he say?”

Tyler sucked in a heavy breath and let it out, looking away. “What do you think he said, Nate? Called me a lowlife piece of trash