It’s the nurse who stiffens and meets my gaze. “Do you need me to leave?”
“Is that an option?”
She sighs. “Like I said, I was told to give you everything you asked for, which includes privacy if it’s requested.”
“It’s requested,” Decker murmurs.
“Definitely requested,” I grate.
She huffs out a breath and places the thermometer back into the stand near the head of the bed. “I’ll give you five minutes. Then I have to come back and finish my obs.” She makes for the door, giving a quick glance at me over her shoulder before leaving the room.
Still, Decker doesn’t speak. He remains against the wall, exhaustion heavy in his slumped shoulders, expression indecipherable.
“Where is she?” I ask. “How is she?”
“In the hall. And you’d be a better judge of how she’s feeling than I would. All I know is that her tears don’t fill me with giddy optimism.”
“Tears were inevitable.”
“Yeah, I know. I just don’t appreciate seeing her like that after everything she’s been through.” He leans forward to massage his thigh with a wince. “Do you two have plans?”
What the fuck sort of question is that? “Plans for what? Today? This week? The next ten years?”
His expression doesn’t change. He just eyes me with disinterest. “All of the above.”
I sit, readjusting myself against the pillows, and eye my clothes on the bedside table. I need to get out of here. “That’s her decision.”
“Don’t dodge the question. I’m asking if you plan to stick around. Is this thing between you two temporary or long-haul?”
“I’m not dodging anything. I have every intention of staying by her side. Thick and thin. Good times and bad.”
Still, there’s no reaction. No protective brotherly response. No encouragement or threat. He either lost a lot of blood from that bullet or something is going on. Something that will require me getting my ass out of here, consequences be damned.
I tug out my cannula and grab my clothes from the side table. “Do you have more questions?” I slide from the bed, my vision darkening with the movement. “Or are you just going to stand there and admire me all day?”
He pushes from the wall and shuffles forward, stopping to grab the wooden board at the foot of the bed with both hands.
I jerk on my jeans, impatiently waiting for whatever brotherly threat he has up his sleeve. “You preparing to hit me again? Is that it?”
“No, I’m done with that. You’ve proven yourself.”
I yank up my zipper and clasp the button. “Well, fan-fucking-tastic. Sounds like all my dreams have come true.” I tug off the gown and throw it to the bed. “All I’ve ever wanted is to prove myself to you.”
He scowls.
That’s all he does. There’s no snarky retaliation. No threat of violence.
I’m prepping him to fight and he’s giving me nothing. Something is seriously wrong. “What the hell is going on? Where is she?”
“Penny’s fine. She’s in the hall. I thought I’d give her a few seconds alone with our parents.”
“And my brother?” I clench my jaw, tight, hoping like hell I’m not about to be given a death notice.
He shrugs. “He’s still alive. For now.”
“Then what the fuck is this really about?” I grab my shirt from the mattress and tug it on. “I know you’re not in here to welcome me to the family.”
“You’re right. I’m not.” His voice is low as he narrows his eyes on me. “I’m trying to determine how fucked up your head is.”
I pause in the middle of straightening my shirt. “Why? Because you think I can’t look after your sister?”
“No. Because there’s shit that needs to be done, and I’m not sure you’re capable.”
“What shit?” The question comes with hesitance. “Robert’s dead, right? My memory is foggy, but I could’ve sworn—”
“He’s dead.” His face hardens as he glances toward the door, then returns his attention to me. “Problem is, he wasn’t jerkin’ our chain when he said he had leverage.”
Adrenaline floods my system, the panic overriding the dull throb in my head to bring some semblance of clarity. “What leverage?”
He sucks in a breath and straightens. “He took the kids.” His face turns pained, the fear and desperation finally seeping through. “He kidnapped Tobias and Stella, and we’ve got no fucking idea where they are.”
I hope you enjoyed the Saving Her duet. Are you ready for the final instalment in the Hunting Her series?
I fell for the enemy. A man whose actions resembled the devil so closely it was sickening.