cop could bellow.
Logic moved away from Connor, trying to put his hands in the air so he wouldn’t be a threat, but his arm wouldn’t raise up.
He slowly knelt down, blood dripping on the ground. Is this where someone started kicking him? He couldn’t remember how this went.
“Sir, we have an ambulance coming…”
“Adrian. He got stabbed in the chest.” He was heaving for breath, his head spinning. “Conor Morrow stabbed him. Help him.”
The sound of squealing tires sounded, and he winced. Please. He was tired now.
An EMT appeared in front of him. “Where are you hurt?”
“Adrian.” He pointed.
“Your friend is being cared for. I need you to focus on me, sir.”
“Logic? Oh holy God. Logic.” How could Jericho be there?
“My friend is hurt.” He coughed again, and another splurt of blood hit the ground. “Please.”
He could see Jericho’s boots. “Sister says no ambulance.”
“Not this time, Anderson.” Jericho sounded scared. “This time you go.”
“You know him?” The EMT asked. “What’s his name again?”
“Logic. His name is Logic.”
“Stay with me, Logic. Can you open your eyes for me?”
His eyes weren’t open?
“Logic.” Jericho snapped it out, and he blinked his eyes open. His field of vision was all red.
“Can’t see much,” he muttered. “Tell Sister I tried.”
“You tell her yourself, butthead. Keep looking at me.”
He did, because he needed to see. So he could have another memory. Jericho was the one clear thing, cowboy hat off, brown hair sticking up all over, gray eyes clear and bright and worried.
“The police have him, right? And Adrian’s okay?”
“Adrian is already on the way to the hospital. Conor is in custody. Let them help you.”
“Sister said…” His arms buckled, and he expected to face-plant, but he was lying down already, moving across the parking lot.
“I’ll meet you there, babe. Sister wouldn’t say no this time.” Jericho’s boots rang on the pavement, his lover running along beside him. No, Jericho wasn’t his.
Jericho belonged to Texas.
His heart belonged to Texas, but his soul deserved to be happy, so he lived in California.
The big bump as he was lifted into the ambulance made him cry out, despite his best efforts.
“I’ll be there soon!” Jericho called, and he got it. Jericho needed a vehicle. He had kids. That didn’t mean he didn’t wish someone could hold his hand.
“Stay with us, buddy. Stay here.” The EMT kept talking, going on and on. “Stay here with us.”
“I don’t want to.”
And he closed his eyes.
Chapter 24
Jericho hit his truck and tore out of the Walmart lot, heading for the hospital. When he gained the highway, he pulled out his phone and hit the button. “Call Bailey.”
The phone rang once before she answered. “What’s happening?”
“Logic is on his way to the hospital. He looks… scary, B. I won’t lie. His truck is smashed. Looks like Conor rammed him. I’ll call Tammy and see if she can watch the kids. If not, I’ll head over once he’s settled in an room and they tell me how bad he is, and you can come here.” Bailey was next of kin, after all.
“Truck? What? How bad? Is he conscious?”
“Barely. He was saying you didn’t want the ambulance. Like high school.” That had almost broke his heart.
“Motherfucker! I’m bringing my fucking gun. Where was that private investigator?” Bailey was going to stroke out.
“He got stabbed. I think he shot Conor, though. Had to wait for Conor to attack him first.” Legal bullshit was maddening.
“Jesus.” She began to sniffle. “This is all my fault. All of it. I didn’t even sleep with him.”
“Walk it off, Ethyl.” His gran had said that to his mom. “Get him a bag of stuff together. I’ll call Tammy now and call back in a few.” She needed to be functional.
“Right. Bye.” She hung up on him, still sniffling. God, he hated this, but it was coming to an end now, right?
Conor would go away for this. If nothing else, Old Man Morrow would make him disappear. Then he and Logic could talk about what to do next.
He had no idea what next could be, but they needed to talk. Seeing Logic staring up at him, all hurt? It damn near broke him.
They would figure something out. He refused to treat Logic like an afterthought.
Even if it was just visits a couple of times a year until Ellie graduated, they could see each other. Something.
He shook his head. Now was not that time. After Logic was cleared to leave the hospital, he could think about it.
Now he needed to call Tammy and see if