Concealed Hearts (Hometown Jasper #4) - Nicky James Page 0,31

his irises. It was all the answer I needed. Now we were getting somewhere.

“If your friend is in trouble, Felix, the better solution is to let me help. Tell me what’s going on.”

He studied my face for a long time. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but he must not have found it. He dropped his chin. “You can’t help. I told you before, the truth would only make it worse.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine. I know how to take care of myself.”

“What am I going to tell your parents? I have to call them.”

Felix buried his face in his hands. “Won’t matter what you say. Just … get it over with.”

I studied his defeated posture, wishing I could read his mind and understand. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to call your parents? Something I should know?”

He didn’t respond for a long time, and when he did, it was nothing more than a faint shake of his head. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”

Since the hospital had run the kid’s health card, I consulted with the admitting nurse and got the number for Felix’s parents. A quick call later and his father informed me he was on his way. The man sounded less than pleased to hear his son had been involved in a street fight.

I peeked into Felix’s room, but he was on his phone again, so I decided to give him privacy and waited in the hallway.

My phone chimed ten minutes later, and with it came a rush of adrenaline I felt from my toes to my scalp. With a shaking hand, I tugged my phone from my pocket. My smile was untamable when I saw Tomi’s name on the screen.

Double-checking my surroundings, ensuring I was alone, I opened his message to read it.

Tomi: A cabin in the middle of nowhere with nothing but mountains for as far as the eye can see. Do you know anybody who’d like to join me out here?

My pulse spiked, and for the first time in my career, I wished I could drop everything and race to the cabin I’d rented and forget the world for once. I settled for texting him back, my fat fingers slowing me down.

Windsor: Count me in. I’m stuck at the hospital at the moment, then I have to head to the station. I’m sorry for the delay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

I hit send and groaned, knowing I had the key to the cabin, and Tomi would be stuck outside until I arrived. At least it was a nice, warm evening, and I knew there was a generous deck behind the cabin where he could sit and wait.

Tomi: Standing me up on our first night together? For shame. j/k. I’ll see you when you get here. No rush.

“Chief Elkhart?” came a deep, throaty voice from down the hall.

I snapped my attention toward the voice as the man approached. Even without standard introductions, I knew he was Felix’s father based on looks alone. They shared the same larger build and stormy gray eyes. However, Cleveland Sauvage was rougher around the edges than his son, sporting a thick beard and scarred face. I hated to judge people on sight, but he looked like one mean son of a bitch, and I worried again about Felix and what all he wasn’t telling me.

We shook. Cleveland’s hand was callused and weathered.

“Where’s the brat?” There was no warmth in his tone as he glared down the hallway, a sneer curling his lip.

“Mr. Sauvage, do you have any idea why these kids are giving Felix a hard time?”

“Because he’s a goddamn pussy who needs to learn to be a man.”

I gritted my teeth. “I think Felix is trying to stand up against injustice. I admit, he’s going about it the wrong way, but at heart, I think he’s taking a stand against some kids who might be bullying a friend of his. Do you know anything about this?”

“I know he hangs out with questionable company, and I’ve had plenty of words with him about it. Maybe Felix getting his ass kicked will knock some sense into him. He needs to find a new crowd. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get my sorry excuse for a son home.”

Cleveland shoved around me and went into the room where Felix waited. My back stiffened the minute I heard him shout at Felix to get his sorry ass out to the car. I got the sense