“Only because they’re keeping him safe from the man who is seeking revenge onyou,” she snapped right back.
He grimaced. “Fair point. But it doesn’t change the fact that I can utilize that protection far more efficiently if I’m aware of all the circumstances.”
Declan was right. Of course, he was. Fawn just didn’t like sharing what was River’s reality with outsiders. Even ones who had proven themselves to be as capable as Declan obviously was.
From the evasiveexpression that flickered briefly across Fawn’s face before she managed to contain it, Declan could tell that she was going to try and fob him off by only telling him as much of the truth as she considered necessary to get him and his questions off her back.
Which, in his opinion, wasn’t good enough.
The daily verbal reports he’d received from Danny over the past few days told him that the team had followed River Meadows to his job at a bar the first two nights, with a visit to the hospital yesterday afternoon, followed by River Meadows spending the evening at his apartment. From the flickering of the screen through the drawn curtains, Danny had deduced the other man was either watching television or gaming.
While his sister worked her butt off trying to support them both. A part-time bar job certainly wasn’t going to add much to their joint coffers.
Unless… “Why did River go to the hospital yesterday afternoon?” Declan now demanded to know.
Fawn visibly startled before that reaction was smoothed from her expression too. “He has friends there who he visits?—”
“Don’t fuck with me, Fawn,” Declan warned from between gritted teeth, knowing that was exactly what she was doing. She had a tell when she lied, a slight shifting away of her gaze before it came back as challenging as ever. “I despise lies and the people who tell them.”
She bristled at the accusation. “River does have friends at the hospital.”
Which Declan could see was the truth. “But that isn’t the reason he was there yesterday afternoon, is it?”
Declan could see by the flitting away of Fawn’s gaze, again, that she was about to deflect. By omission, if nothing else.
Lying in any form, including omission, was something Declan wouldn’t tolerate. Fawn should know that, considering what he had told her about his marriage and divorce.
It was probably as well that his cell phone vibrated again at that moment and so prevented Fawn from falling into the deep, dark abyss of earning Declan’s distrust.
The caller ID told him it was Danny calling back. “That didn’t take— What?” Declan gave Fawn a sharp glance.
“River Meadows was unresponsive when we arrived,” Danny repeated his initial statement.
Declan kept his expression neutral. “And now?”
“He’s awake but disoriented.”
“Your assessment?”
“He says he was only out for half an hour or so.”
“Anyone else involved?” If the danger in Declan’s life had touched Fawn’s brother, she would never forgive him. He would never forgive himself.
“He says no, that he just blacked out,” Danny dismissed. “But he looks as if he literally face-planted when he went down because his face is a mess. I don’t think his nose is broken, but there’s a lot of blood.”
Fawn reached her hand out. “Give me your cell phone?—”
“River is fine,” he told her as she tried to forcefully take the phone from him.
“I wouldn’t actually go that far, boss,” Danny muttered in his ear. “Messed up face, remember?”
Declan kept Fawn at bay with a hand on her shoulder, his cell phone remaining firmly pressed against his ear. “Can you bring him to my apartment?”
“Sure,” Danny agreed.
“Then do that,” Declan told the other man. “I’ll arrange for a doctor to be here to examine his injuries when you arrive.” He ended the call.
Which was when Fawn totally lost it.
