CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Sawyer had left Angela’s hospital room as though he didn’t have a worry in the world. But under his closely managed exterior, he was fuming. He couldn’t imagine the relationship Angela had with her mother. Hell, he’d heard the stories about Senator Sorenson, but to see them play out in real life was an experience he wanted to forget.
Just as the Senator had said, Paul waited outside Angela’s hospital room. He leaned against the adjacent wall, taking a call while simultaneously typing on his phone.
Sawyer took a place next to one of the posted federal agents and waited. He had nothing to say to the guy, only because he wouldn’t embarrass Angela by revealing Sawyer knew the top-shelf-level crap Paul had told her.
Paul’s call ended. He briefly glanced up, did a double take at Sawyer, and then removed his earbuds. He stepped forward, hand extended. “Sawyer, is it? Nice to see you again.”
What a politician. The two men shook hands. “You’re here to visit Angela?”
Paul shrugged. “It’s a good opportunity to rehash some plans.”
“I didn’t think you had any plans. Am I wrong?”
“Well…”
“Ya know, if I had an ex who showed up uninvited, especially after a shitastic day, I’d be irritated as fuck.”
Paul flashed a megawatt smile. He’d go far in politics with that tool in his arsenal. “Angela and I have known each other since we were teenagers.”
“I’ll give you a tip. Knowing someone for an extended length of time means nothing if you don’t bother to learn a damn thing about them.”
Paul half laughed. “Man, what’s your problem?”
“No problems—unless you bother Angela again. Do you understand me?”
Paul seemed to consider his next move.
“Does the Senator know how to get a hold of you?” Sawyer asked.
Again, Paul made another face. “I’m her chief of staff.”
“Then why don’t you and I go get a cup of coffee in the cafeteria? She’ll find you when they’re done.”
He considered protesting but yielded. The guy wasn’t an idiot in all things.
Nearly an hour later, the Senator contacted Paul. They’d agreed to meet at the visitor’s entrance. Between Sawyer’s conversation with Paul and Angela’s with the Senator, progress had been made. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to deal with this guy or her mother’s political planning again.
Sawyer had made it halfway back to Angela’s room when he received a phone call from Boss Man.
“How’s she doing?” Jared asked.
“About as well as can be expected. She doesn’t want to be here but wouldn’t leave against the doctor’s advice.”
Jared grumbled as though he and federal investigators had had something to do with her doctor admitting her for observation. Sawyer couldn’t disagree with their sentiment. With guards posted outside her room in the secure wing of a hospital, Angela was safer than she’d been in years.
“I just received a phone call from the Senator,” Jared said.
That was fast. But Senator Sorenson wasn’t a mover and shaker on Capitol Hill for being slow to pull the trigger. “What’d she want?”
“To know more about you.”
Sawyer’s gut churned. He’d expected a complaint about the conversation with Paul. “Why’s that?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
Sawyer shrugged as he walked. “I was in the room when she arrived. Angela asked that I stay when her mother asked me to go.”
Jared snickered. “Bet that was a fun back-and-forth. Well, I told Samantha to kiss my ass. If she has questions about you, she can ask you to your face.”
Sawyer laughed, confident those had been damn near Boss Man’s exact words.
“She’ll probably do her own digging,” Jared warned.
Probably. Or she would tell Paul to do it. Either way, Sawyer didn’t care. There was nothing he had to hide. Boss Man let the conversation hang until Sawyer admitted, “Angela knows about Penny and William, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Not worried. Just making sure you have as much control over your personal narrative as possible.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Look, Sawyer. Angela’s mother is a pain in my ass. There’s something screwed up in that woman’s DNA. She’s half-robot, half-asshole, and one hundred percent bloodhound. The lengths she went through to find her daughter… But…” Jared waited for a beat and then continued, “If she has a concern about you and her daughter, we’re all going to hear about it.”
Sawyer grimaced. He didn’t want Samantha Sorenson inserting her nose into his relationship with Angela. “There’s nothing to be concerned about, Boss Man.” He stopped a few doors shy of Angela’s room. “Anything else?”
“Not a damn thing.”
Good. Because Sawyer was finished with everyone except his woman. He pocketed the phone and entered her room. The lights were dim, and her eyes were closed. He quietly took his place by her side.
Today could have gone so differently. There had been too many close-to-worst-case scenarios. He could have lost her. His throat ached.
“Hey,” she whispered, slowly waking from her nap. Angela held out her hand. “When did you get back?”
He laced his fingers with hers. “A couple of minutes ago.”
She tugged him closer. “I won’t break if you lay down with me.”
But he might. A distant, rational voice tried to tell him he was far too attached to the woman in this bed. That logic quickly disappeared, buried under his much more selfish, possessive thoughts.
Sawyer eased onto the side of her bed. She nuzzled close, groaning in discomfort but keeping him by her side. “I need you next to me.”
Sawyer stroked her hair as she fell back asleep. There was nowhere else he would be.