Fall: Rise & Fall Duet Book 2 (Shaken 4)

by Grahame Claire

“My car is out front.”

  I stumbled at my father’s words. The gesture was so unlike him I didn’t know what to do with it.

  “I hope you have room for four.” Zegas led the charge out of the station.

  “You don’t have to come,” I said as I jogged down the steps.

  “Vivian would kill me if I didn’t,” Daniel returned. “Plus, I believe you need backup.”

  “I can handle Zegas.”

  He held the car door open. “I meant your father.”

  Chapter Eight

  Lincoln

  “Who is responsible for Miss Logan?”

  I bolted toward the doctor. “I am.”

  A uniformed officer stepped up beside me. "Actually I am.”

  Technically, she was still a prisoner. He was only doing his job, but I glared in his direction.

  The doctor flipped through his chart. “She has a contusion on her skull, but no fracture. I’d like to keep her overnight for observation. If all goes well, she’ll be free to go tomorrow.”

  “What could go wrong?” My mind immediately went to the worst, but if I didn’t know the possibilities, I couldn’t hedge them.

  “Bleeding on the brain.”

  No.

  Lexie would make a full recovery. She had to.

  “I’d like to see her.” I’m going to see her.

  “We can’t let you do that. She’s in custody." The officer shifted uncomfortably at my glare. “We’re not supposed to . . .” He nodded discreetly at the doctor.

  “Give it a few hours. After another check, I’ll determine if visitors are allowed.”

  That answer was unsatisfactory. I needed to lay eyes on her. How harmed was she? And how had she hit her head? Once I found out, Kane Zegas and Patrick Whitley may have another case on their hands.

  “I won’t disturb her. Just . . . give me a second with her.”

  The doctor sighed. “You can peek in her room, but nothing more as long as it’s okay with the officer.” He gestured to the swinging doors of the ER.

  I moved before he could change his mind. The officer was right behind me. I hadn't given him a choice either.

  Once I crossed to the other side, there was a quiet unlike the waiting area, which wasn’t loud. I’d expected more chaos.

  The doctor stopped outside of a slightly closed door. “Just a peek.”

  Slowly, I pushed the door open.

  Lexie lay in the center of a hospital bed, illuminated by a dim light. Tubes and wires were hooked up to her from every angle it seemed. Her eyes were closed, her face devoid of its usual color, and she appeared at peace. There were no visible signs of injury. That brought only a small sense of relief.

  Why had this happened to my beautiful girl?

  I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat. She was vibrant and full of life. She made the world a place worth existing in. It was too dim without her smile and sharp tongue.

  Keep fighting, Lexie. I’m waiting for you.

  “Your peek is over,” the physician said quietly.

  With reluctance, I closed the door. “Has she been awake?”

  “Not yet.”

  “And that’s not a concern?” My brows rose.

  “Not at this point.”

  Why the hell not? It had been over an hour. Just how hard had she hit her head?

  “I want an update as soon as she wakes.” I’d spotted a chair in her room. If this hospital didn’t do as I wished, I’d take root there beside her.

  “Of course.”

  The officer remained stationed outside Lexie’s door while the doctor walked me back to the swinging doors. Waiting in the lobby was Daniel, Zegas, and my father.

  Father spoke to Zegas, while Daniel pretended to be interested in his phone.

  “She awake?” he asked as I collapsed into the chair next to him.

  “No.”

  “Want me to call Teague?”

  I sighed. “I should. Beau will want to be here.”

  I stood, too anxious to sit anyway, and wandered to a far corner of the waiting room.

  “Did you get her out yet?”

  Had Beau picked up the no-greeting way of speaking from me? Or had I learned it from her?

  “Are you on speaker?”

  A noise rustled from the other end. “No. Should I be?”

  “I want you to stay calm. For Eric.”

  “Lincoln Hollingsworth, if you don’t start talking in half a second I’m going to come through this phone—”

  “Lexie was injured. She’s at Mercy General.”

  Beau instantly went silent.

  “I’ve spoken with the physician. He’s keeping her overnight for observation and expects a full recovery if there are no complications.” The words were choppy as I spoke them. Reality had not set in, despite that I’d seen Lexie for myself.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “No,” I said sharply. “By tomorrow, I expect Zegas to have her bonded out and she’ll be released from the hospital. There’s no need to worry Eric.”

  Beau grunted. “I hate it when you’re right.”

  “The doctor allowed me to look in on her. She’s still out. He won’t let her have visitors for at least a few hours.” I pressed the phone to my ear to avoid punching the wall. How. Had. This. Happened?

  “Call me the second—”

  “I will.” I didn’t want her to finish the sentence in case Eric was listening.

  “Did you send Teague to drive us home?” There was a slight tremor to the question. She was worried for her friend and desperate to do something to help her.

  “It was his idea.”

  “You two are jerks.”

  “And that’s why you love us,” Teague said in the background.

  “I do love you both,” she muttered.

  “I love you too.”

  I spoke quietly, yet certain. Until a few weeks ago, I lived for my brother and sister. That had expanded to two more somebodies when I wasn’t paying attention.

  “We’ll go by their apartment to grab their things.”

  “Make sure he gets that photo on the nightstand.” If it had been important enough for Lexie to mention, I wanted to make sure Eric had it. I hoped Beau could keep his mind off Lexie’s absence.

  “I will. See you when you get back.”

  “I won’t be home until Lexie is released.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” she said smartly. “I expect a full report when you have it.”

  “Is that Lincoln?” Eric’s voice came closer. “Let me talk to him.” Some rustling sounded on the other end of the line. “Hey, Lincoln.”

  Something in me twisted. “Hey, Eric,” I said roughly.

  “I know you’ll take care of Lexie.”

  I closed my eyes. His confidence in me was inspiring and terrifying. So far I’m failing, buddy. Miserably.

  “Have fun with Beau. Tomorrow afternoon, I hope to help you make some deliveries.”

  “That would be awesome.”

  Guilt swarmed me. Would Lexie want me to tell him she was in the hospital? I didn’t know. Only that she’d expect me to do whatever was necessary to protect him.

  “I’ll speak to you soon.”

  “Okay.”

  The line went dead.

  It wasn’t that long ago that the only people in my life I had to call were Teague, Beau, and Daniel. Their voices hardly ever held the excitement Eric’s did . . . like I was someone worthy. Like his entire day was better because we’d talked.

  I hadn’t thought I needed that sort of affirmation. Turned out I liked it.

  If I could have anything at this very moment, it would be strawberry ice cream on the sofa with a woman in a cotton ball sweatshirt, a guy who made the best of any situation, and two demanding dog-treat hogs.

  I’d stopped looking forward to anything. There was a certain value to living in the moment I wouldn’t give up, but the possibility of a future that was better than today was . . . something that had
seemed out of reach.

  Now I had a reason to do my damnedest to stay out of jail. A reason to think beyond today, beyond Teague and Beau’s happiness.

  What if I could be happy too?

  Or at least try to be.

  I wasn’t entirely sure what that looked like, but lately I’d had a better idea. And peeling carrots would’ve never occurred to me.

  Was it selfish of me to think of these things while Lexie was lying unconscious just down the hall?

  If anything happened to her—I couldn’t think of that. Couldn’t understand the unsettled feeling it brought.

  Sure, I’d been concerned for Teague every time he went into a burning building. And I worried for Beau being alone so far away from home. Those things had kept me up at night on more than one occasion.

  But this . . . the helplessness. The desperation.

  It had been festering for hours. I was used to high stress situations, but none of them compared to waiting in a hospital with bated breath for Lexie to return to me.

  I was completely at the mercy of the medical staff and a higher power I was more than willing to beg to save her.

  The only person to ever control me had been my father. Now I seemed to be nothing but a puppet.

  “Want a cup of coffee?” One appeared in front of me.

  I turned and shook my head at Daniel. “No. Thanks.”

  “My contact reached his person inside the department. The other inmates say Lexie was just standing there, almost in a trance. She screamed, then passed out. No one touched her, though I’d suggest a drug test to rule out that possibility too.”

  I’d seen her like that once before. She’d had a panic attack, and I’d been there for her to lean on. She hadn’t wanted me then.

  Did she want me now?

  I cleared my throat. “I’ll speak to the doctor.”

  Father strode over and slung an arm over my shoulder. “You okay?”

  I hated the show for the outside world. He was the caring father. The best friend.

  I scowled.

  The asshole.

  Did he honestly believe Daniel and Zegas didn’t see right through his act?

  When I didn’t answer quickly enough for his liking, he squeezed my shoulder hard.

  “Fine.”

  A stupid question didn’t deserve more than one word that wasn’t the truth.

  “Good.” He slapped my back and pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket. He shook it. “I should take this. It might be happy news for you.”

  At his mercy. Always.

  Now Lexie was too.

  I glared at his back as he walked away. He had the connections. He knew I hadn’t done what I’d been accused of. Which begged the question: Why hadn’t he made my legal problems disappear?

  Chapter Nine

  Lexie

  My head feels like a grenade exploded inside it . . . twice.

  I pried my eyes open. Immediately Lincoln filled my vision. Nothing else was recognizable.

  “Am I in jail?”

  His head jolted up. He pushed to his feet, relief in every deep-set line around his eyes.

  “How do you feel?” He brushed my cheek with the barest touch, as if he were afraid I’d break.

  “Still no hello.” My voice was scratchy like I hadn’t used it in a while.

  “I’ve got a hello for you, but not until I’m sure you’re all right,” he growled.

  I snickered. Pain shot through my skull. I winced and grabbed the back of my head and rubbed.

  “What’s wrong?” Lincoln’s expression went super serious, even for him.

  “My head . . . it doesn’t feel so hot.”

  “I’ll go get the doctor.” He was halfway to the door before he finished speaking.

  “No. Stay.” I’d wanted to say that to him before but hadn’t had the courage. I hurt too badly to give a damn now.

  He glanced between me and the exit, an obvious war going on inside him.

  I lifted my arm and realized they weren’t bound by cuffs. My outstretched hand seemed to make the decision for him.

  He laced my fingers through his.

  “Eric?”

  I’d surmised I was in a hospital—definitely not a jail cell—but had no idea how or why I was here.

  “He’s with Beau. We didn’t tell him you’re here. I didn’t know what you’d want, but I figured he’d been through enough today.” He tightened his hold.

  “You did the right thing.” I took in his appearance. “Weren’t you wearing that . . . um . . . how long have I been here?”

  There were no windows in the room. The lighting was dim, giving the illusion of nighttime. For all I knew it was noon.

  He checked his wristwatch without letting go of my hand. “Nearly two a.m. You’ve been here six hours.”

  “I don’t remember what happened.”

  He furrowed his brow. “I think you had a panic attack and blacked out.”

  “For six hours?” I dug through my brain, trying to think back, but it hurt too much.

  “You hit your head on concrete.” He sounded angry, though I wasn’t sure if it was at the concrete, or the situation in general, or me.

  I turned my head to one side, trying to relieve the pressure from pressing the back into the pillow.

  “Are you uncomfortable?” The anger from a moment ago had softened into concern.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” Had they given me pain meds or truth serum?

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  We stared at each other a while, the silence a nice companion. I remembered being at the kitchen, how distant and withdrawn he’d become the closer the time came for me to go to jail. But he hadn’t left me. And he was still here.

  The only support who had come remotely close to that had been living an ocean away for what seemed like forever. It was odd to have backup when I’d grown so used to shouldering the burden alone.

  “What would I have done without you?” Without Lincoln and Beau, Eric would be in some strange place and if I ever regained custody, it could’ve been months or years. While I was still worried about him, at least I knew he was safe and loved.

  “I’ve done nothing but be scared.” There was a bitterness, yet openness, in his words.

  A vulnerability that clawed at my heart.

  “You can sit down.” I gestured to the vacant chair beside the bed with our joined hands, a smile threatening to break free.

  “Apparently, when I’m stressed, I stand.” He leaned forward, kissed my forehead with the gentlest touch, and collapsed into the seat.

  “It’s really not fair.”

  “What’s not?” So serious. Always.

  “I’m guessing you haven’t slept in twenty-four hours. And you still look like that.” I made an annoyed face, then hissed. “I think all facial expressions are out for me for a while.” I wanted to smile so badly. “If you ever hit your head, you’re golden.”

  And then it happened.

  He laughed.

  The rare sound that was deep like his voice and full, as if he only did it when he meant it.

  “Apologies,” he said when he collected himself. “How can you be so . . . positive right now?”

  There was wonder in his tone and a whole lot of respect.

  “Everything is a mess.” I tried to roll on my side to face him but got tangled up in some of the thousand wires attached to me. “But look at how amazingly fortunate we are. The good far outweighs the bad.”

  Maybe a knock on the head had been exactly what I needed.

  Before, I was freaking out and rightfully so. I didn’t do well with the unknown, especially when it concerned my brother.

  I’d never thought of the future in terms of weddings and babies and home ownership. It had always been about protection. Making sure we could make it to the next day.

  And we had survived to see today.

  I didn’t want to go back to jail. Who would? But whatever lay ahead, I had to face it
head-on. My father wasn’t going away. Wallowing in a pity party wouldn’t fix anything.

  There was no other choice but to beat him at whatever game he played.

  “Why are you smiling?” he asked.

  I so loved stumping Mr. Stoic.

  “I just realized I needed a good long blackout to recharge.”

  “Not funny,” he growled.

  “I’m serious. I hate everything about this situation. I hate my father for what he’s doing. But if I let all of that get to me, I have far too much to lose.”

  He rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb. “You’re not losing anything.”

  I closed my eyes, my chest tightening. “She locked us in a closet. For days at a time,” I whispered. I couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see his expression. “The cell, being locked up, it triggered a bad memory.”

  “You’re out,” he said gruffly, with a renewed determination.

  “For how long?”

  “I won’t allow you to go back there.”

  I popped my lids open. “How are you going to stop it?”

  “I have everyone I can think of working on this.”

  And somehow I didn’t doubt that. He loved to dictate every move. It wasn’t in his nature to sit around when there was action to take.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to protest, to say I’d pay whatever punishment was required. But I was justified in what I’d done.

  My dad was the monster.

  I had a brother to protect, a business to run, and a beautiful life to live. He didn’t get to take any more of that away.

  “Any luck yet?”

  He blushed. “I don’t know. The second they allowed me to be with you, I stopped answering any communication.”

  “This was the worst idea for a date I’ve ever had,” I muttered.

  “What?” he choked out.

  “If this was my grand plan to get some alone time with you, it’s flat-out terrible.”

  Those intense eyes bored straight into me. “Is that what you want? Alone time?”

  Was he holding his breath?

  “Maybe if I feel up for a good argument.”

  I grinned, and he scowled.

  “You certainly don’t strike me as the cuddly type,” I continued, unable to help myself.