Chapter Nine
H usband ?
She was married?
The paramedic practically shoved me out of the way. “You’ll have to step aside, sir.”
Her face twisted with anxiety, Genevieve looked pleadingly at me. “Please, please , call him,” she begged. “He’ll know what to do.”
Every ounce of self-control I’d learned in the Marines came in to play. My expression locked down, my voice calm, I fucking asked for his number as if she just hadn’t insulted the hell out of me after making me the fool. “What’s his number?”
She rattled it off. Easily.
She couldn’t be bothered to tell me she was married, but she could recite ten numbers from heart like it was nothing.
Unbelievable .
The paramedic pushed her gurney toward the hospital entrance. Pulling my cell out, I followed as I dialed the number she’d given me.
After four rings, a man answered, his voice groggy. “Hello?”
“Brian?” I snapped.
“Um, yeah. Who’s this?”
“Genevieve Jenkins was in an accident.” I couldn’t bring myself to say his wife. “She’s stable, but she’s in the hospital.”
“Jesus. And she asked for me?”
What the fuck? “Yes, she asked for you.” Who was this asshole?
“And you are?” he asked indignantly, picking up on my tone.
“I’m with Luna and Associates. We were hired to do security for one of her clients’ events,” I evaded.
He paused. “And she’s okay?”
“She’s concussed.”
“And she asked for me?”
My irritation hit a new level. “Yes. I’m out of time. If you—”
“What hospital?” he asked on a sigh.
I told him.
“I’m on my way.” He hung up.
The paramedic wheeled her into one of the emergency exam rooms as the second paramedic walked in. They lifted her onto the hospital bed and a nurse came in, helping them slide the backboard out from under Genevieve.
Genevieve looked nervously at me as the nurse turned to speak with the paramedics. “Did you call him?”
I couldn’t believe she’d lied to me, and not about something insignificant. “He’s on his way.”
She exhaled, and her gaze drifted to the ceiling. “Thank you.”
“Welcome,” I ground out.
“I hit my head?” she asked again.
“Yes.” Where the fuck was Ty?
“Where?”
I couldn’t figure out if I was more pissed that she was married or that she’d lied to me about it. “What?”
“Where did I hit my head?”
I fought for patience. “The back side.” I’d stupidly thought she was different. I never pegged her as one of the conniving women in my parents’ social circles who’d do anything to get my attention. Women like Talia. I hated those women. Always had.
Genevieve rolled her eyes at me. “I know where I hit my head. It hurts really stinking bad, but I’m asking where I was geographically when I hit my head.”
I tried to think of a single other woman who’d ever rolled her eyes at me. I couldn’t. “The parking lot of Mel’s diner.”
She frowned. “I went to Mel’s diner?”
Even though it wasn’t her fault, the fact that she couldn’t remember made me even more pissed off. “Yes.”
“Why?”
I glanced at my watch. “I invited you.” I needed her husband to get the fuck over here so I could walk the hell away from her.
“And I said yes? To you ?” Looking at me like I had two heads, she said you like it was a four-letter word.
“Yes.” Fuck this. I needed to find the Escalade. I pulled my phone out and shot off a text to Luna asking him if Preston had found anything in northwest Miami, then I texted Ty and asked if he was here.
“Wow,” she mouthed, glancing at my phone.
Yeah, fucking wow.
Ty texted back that he was two minutes out, and Luna said they had nothing yet.
The nurse turned toward Genevieve. “Hi, Mrs. Jenkins. I’m Mandy. We’re going to get a CT scan of your head. Then we’ll take it from there, okay? Your husband can wait while the technician takes you for the scan. Any questions?”
A tall, lanky, brown-haired fuck stepped up to me.
Genevieve smiled with relief. “You came.”
The nurse looked from me to the guy. “And you are?”
“My husband,” Genevieve said the same time the prick said, “Brian.”
A young guy in scrubs came into the already crowded room and spoke to the nurse. “They’re all ready for her.”
The nurse glanced between me and the computer-geek-looking fuck. “She’ll be back soon. One of you can stay here. The other can wait in the waiting room.”
Brain nodded at the nurse. “Of course.” He glanced at Genevieve as the technician put the rails up on her bed. “They’ll take good care of you.”
“Okay,” she said softly, sounding like a child.
“Here we go.” The technician smiled at Genevieve. “I’m going to take you for a ride.” He wheeled her out as the nurse told us she’d be back when Genevieve returned.
Brian watched Genevieve go, then looked at me. “You’re the one who called?”
Trying to gage his lack of reaction to seeing her injured, I tipped my chin.
“Well,” he sighed. “Sounds like you got it from here.” He turned to go.
My anger ramped up to a new level. “You’re leaving?”
The prick paused. “What else am I supposed to do? I’m not a doctor.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “Be her husband.”
He snorted out a fake laugh. “I haven’t been that in a long time. In fact, I’m not sure I ever was.”
What the actual fuck? “You’re either married to her or you’re not.” Fucking blue button-down prick.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s legal.” He looked up at me. “But that’s all it is.”
“Explain,” I demanded, having no right to ask.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he frowned. “So, who are you again?”
“Sawyer,” I clipped, offering nothing more.
“Yeah, and”—his gaze cut to my suit before he looked at me again—“you were with her when she….” He took his hands out of his pockets and held them out. “What exactly happened?”
“She fell.”
This time he laughed for real. “Why am I not surprised?” Smiling ironically, he crossed his arms.
I wanted to pound his face in. “Nothing to laugh about.”
He had the sense to school his expression. “Yes, sorry. True.”
“Your marriage?” I demanded, reminding him I’d asked the question.
“Yeah, that.” His gaze darted around the emergency room, then came back to me. “We’re only still married because she won’t sign the divorce papers.” He had the decency to look almost sheepish. “Now you know more than I probably should’ve told you. Good luck. Hope she gets better soon.” He pivoted.
“She asked for you.”
He looked over his shoulder. “She shouldn’t have. She knows why.”
I put two and two together. “Because you’re not together.”
It wasn’t a question, but he answered it anyway. “Not in the slightest.”
He wasn’t only an asshole, he was an idiot. She was out of his league. He should’ve done what he could to hold on to her.
Ty burst through the doors from the waiting area. Scanning the beds and staff, he took in the prick Brian before his eyes landed on me. His hand went to his gun, and he tipped his chin back toward the waiting area.
I barked out an order at her asshole husband. “Wait here until she gets back.” I strode toward Ty. “What’s up?”
“Some dick in the waiting room is saying he’s her husband.” He looked over my shoulder. “Who the fuck is that?”
I glanced at Brian. “Her actual husband.” No one would make up an apathetic story like his.
Ty gave me a look. “You sure?”
“Yeah, she confirmed it.”
“Then the dick in the waiting room—”
“Is one of them,” I finished for him as my hand went to my gun. “Let’s go.”