Page 220 of Cross Checked
I leaned close enough to lower my voice for her. “I’m not leaving.”
Her expression softened despite the bruises. “I wasn’t worried.”
Liar.
I brushed my thumb once across the blanket near her hand because there were too many people in the room for what I wanted to do. “I’ll be right outside.”
“Try not to start a felony support group.”
“No promises.”
Her mouth curved, careful and small. “Mercer.”
I smiled faintly. “Bennett.”
I left before the sight of her tiny smile and bruised throat could do any more damage to whatever control I had left.
The hallway outside had filled while we’d been in the room. My guys stood near the wall—Easton, Ryan, Briggs, and Rider—quiet for once, which was saying something. Ryker stepped out behind me a few seconds later, followed by Knox, Kellen, Emmitt, and Lyon after Daniel waved them off to give the nurse room. The second the door clicked shut, the air changed.
Inside that room, everyone was careful. Out here, nobody had to pretend as hard.
Ryker walked three steps down the hall, stopped, and braced both hands on the back of his neck like he was trying to keep his head attached to his body. When he turned around, his eyes were red, furious, and wild in a way I understood too well.
“If I find him first,” he said, voice low enough not to carry but rough enough to scrape, “I’m going to need bail money, a lawyer, and every single one of you to understand there is no stopping it.”
Knox’s face hardened. “Ryker.”
“No.” Ryker pointed at him. “Don’t cop me right now.”
“I’m your brother.”
“You’re both, and right now I need you to pick the one that doesn’t make me want to put my fist through your chest.”
Knox stepped closer, anger flashing fast and hot. “You think I don’t want him?”
“I think you’re already building a legal cage around yourself so you don’t have to say it.”
The hallway went silent.
Knox’s jaw flexed.
Daniel’s grief was loud in his silence. Ryker’s was fire. Knox’s was something colder, sharper, locked behind procedure because procedure was the only thing keeping him upright.
Kellen looked down at the floor, shaking his head slowly. “I’m not stopping you.”
“Kellen,” Knox snapped.
“What?” Kellen lifted his head, eyes bright with rage. “You want me to lie? You want me to say if that piece of shit walks in front of me, I’m going to calmly wait for backup?”
Emmitt’s laugh came out ugly and broken. “I’m not even sworn in yet, so technically my opinion is just civic engagement.”
Lyon’s face twisted. “My kid hugged him, Knox.”
That one shut everyone up.
Lyon’s voice dropped. “Danny hugged him. Called him Uncle Luke once because he heard Katie do it. I had that man around my son.”
Ryker flinched like he’d been hit.
