We All Sleep Alone (Finley Creek #11) - Calle J. Brookes Page 0,118
she older than you or Annie?”
“A year or so. How did you know that?”
“We’ve met before. A time or two.”
Yeah, right. He’d probably investigated Allen from his head to his toes, and learned all about the man’s only living family.
“She…well, W4HAV deals with trauma. This will bring up memories she’d probably rather forget, Jake. She’s a very sweet, very sensitive person. Be gentle, will you? Don’t make it worse for her.” A man as direct as her uncle, as imposing—he’d terrify Shelby right down to her toes. “You…you’re everything that scares her. It’s taken Allen this long to help her heal. Don’t ruin that.”
“What are you not telling me?”
“I’m not going to gossip. Just…be kind. She’ll need that. Make sure no one comes on too strong from the TSP especially.”
“What are you saying?”
She didn’t want to violate Shelby’s privacy at all, but… “The man who caused Shelby’s trauma four years ago was TSP.”
Her uncle flinched. “I see. I’ll do what I can.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
100
“Izadora? What’s happened? Someone said you were hurt?”
Izzie jerked around at the questions from an unfamiliar voice behind her, moments after she’d left her uncle and headed back toward the ER. Wanda had waved her toward an exam bay and told her she’d be there shortly.
Izzie was to wait. Well, she never had waited well. She got started cleaning the wounds while she waited.
It took her a moment to put it together who the man behind her was. Seventeen years had dulled most of her memories of him.
Now was the worst time for this.
It was those writers of her life again—or fate, screwing with just about everything. Izzie was about ready to demand better edits, or something.
Her father stood next to the curtain, a look of concern on his face when he looked at her. This was the man she’d judged every male physician against from the moment she’d hired on at the hospital.
How stupid she’d been. This man…he was nothing at all like Allen, or Rafe, or Caine, or Virat, or Cage—he wasn’t like any of the men she worked with that she liked and respected.
He hadn’t changed much since she was eight. He still looked almost exactly the same. He’d aged well. Time had been good to him, at least.
“It’s not my blood. Mostly. It’s Shelby’s, Allen Jacobson’s sister.” She wanted to get out of there as fast as she possibly could. The last thing she felt like dealing with right now was the man who’d fathered her. She was too shaken over what had happened. “I’m fine. I need to clean up and get in there with Allen. He’ll need me.”
Allen couldn’t treat Shelby. Izzie doubted if she could at this point, since she’d been injured as well. Rafe was a stickler on that now. Allen was going to need her. This was going to rattle him.
He took protecting Shelby so seriously.
And her.
She understood—she and his sister were Allen’s entire world.
He hadn’t exactly hidden that from her since South Padre Island.
She finished rinsing the last of the cuts she’d gotten from the flying glass. The counter had protected her from most of it.
Her father stepped closer. He had a paper towel ready. Before she could stop him, he was blotting at the remaining water. He frowned. “You’ll need this sutured.”
She nodded. She’d suspected as much. “I’ll get it taken care of. Thanks.”
By any other surgeon on the planet.
His hand rose and wrapped around her shoulder. He stared into her eyes. Izzie fought not pulling away. The connection was there; she couldn’t deny that she felt it, but she didn’t know this man. She wasn’t certain she even wanted to. Not anymore.
“Keep pressure on it. I’ll take care of it, if you want me to.”
She shook her head. “Rafe’s tightened the regulations against treating...family. Not that we’re…family or anything. But on paper…” She understood the reasoning, from a liability standpoint. Now, she was glad for the practical aspect of it. She didn’t want her father taking care of her at all. It was better if they all stayed in their own lane. “I’ll get Nikkie Jean or Lacy to take care of it when they’re free.”
“At least...let me wrap it. No sense in you bleeding all over the place.”
“I got it. You...don’t you have patients?” She wanted him to get away from her. She couldn’t handle her father right now. Not now.
A look of frustration passed over his face. Izzie took an immediate step back from the threat.