“Men do that.” Keeva gives me a knowing look. “Sometimes they need a good smack to remember that you’re the best thing in their life.”
“Well, I gave him a good smack, and we’ve been back together for three weeks. Now this happens.” Before I let them respond, I add, “It was kind of a verbal smack. I made him beg a little.”
She raises her glass as if it’s a beer bottle and tilts it my way. “As you should. Men like my brother need to do a bit of groveling. Or else it goes to their head, and they’re ugh, one of those men.” Keeva’s right. I know exactly the type of men she’s talking about, the ones who have pissing contests and stroke their ego on the regular.
“But yeah. We’re trying this thing out again.” So my voice doesn’t give anything away, I blow my breath out slowly. “I’m just so glad he didn’t die.”
“Here, here,” they both say at the same time.
“Do you love him?” Delaney’s gaze locks with mine.
Neither of us look away when Keeva speaks. “Oooh. That’s the good question.”
But I shake my head. “I haven’t said that to Keenan yet. How would it look if I told his sisters before I told him?”
They chuckle, but I’m serious. My knee is bouncing with the need to get back to him. We’ve been gone for a while. It’s time to get back. His sisters think so too, because before I have a chance to say the words, they both stand and motion for the trash can.
The three of us chat as we make our way back up to his floor. This time when we get to his door, it’s open just a crack, but I’ll take that as an invitation.
Quietly I push through as there are more voices filling the room now, and it sure doesn’t sound like medical staff.
Inside we find Keenan still in his bed as he should be, the man I didn’t know when I left the room still here, but Keeva whispers, “Liam” from behind me. So whoever this man is to Keenan, his name is Liam. He has to be his cousin. Still, it’s more information than I had before. Whatever, I’ll get my answers as soon as I have a moment alone with Keenan. Along with them are two police officers with sour looks on their faces. The sisters hang back near the wall while I go right to Keenan.
He reaches his hand out as if it’s a reflex. Both officers take me in. They’re sizing me up. Maybe wondering if they have any questions for me. Liam stands on the other side of Keenan’s bed. The side with his injured arm. With his arms folded over his chest he gives off a very intimidating vibe. At least to me. I stare at Liam, and very quickly, I notice some of their facial features are the same, especially their cheekbones and nose.
The shorter of the two officers speaks with a firm jaw, which leads me to believe that they aren’t getting the answers they hoped for when they came in here. “We’re going to need you to go through what happened again.”
“I don’t remember everything,” Keenan tells him. My mouth falls open and I turn to him, but he gives me the slightest shake of his head. He doesn’t want me to ask anything, but he’ll recognize my surprise. He hadn’t told me he didn’t remember things.
“Tell us what you do remember,” the taller officer pushes.
“As I already said.” Readjusting on his bed takes more effort than it would if he wasn’t hurt, and I desperately want to help him. I’ll stay where I am until he doesn’t want me here anymore. Once he’s settled, he reaches for my hand and holds it the way he did before I left. “I was in London for a meeting. After I left the coffee shop, a couple of guys came up to me. They wanted money, and I didn’t have cash on me. Things went bad, and the next thing I knew, I woke up here.”
“How many were there?”
“Two, maybe three,” Keenan tells them.
“You don’t know?”
“As I said. I don’t remember. Everything happened so quickly.” Keenan is remaining totally calm. I know if I was in his position, I’d be shitting my pants under their heavy gazes. Everything he does they take in. They analyze his movements and even the way he says each word. It’s exhausting to watch, let alone experience.
“And where was this meeting?” one of the officers asks him.
“I don’t remember the name of the shop,” Keenan glanced at them, then at me, “or where it was. I wasn’t there long.”
“And why were you meeting the person? You said they didn’t show up, right?”
“Right.” He sounds out of breath. I’m about to come unglued. The way they talk to him has the hair on the back of my neck standing up, but I can’t put my finger on why. Something isn’t right here.
“He already told you he was here for work,” Liam answers for him.
Then the room gets very loud. The heart monitor beeps loudly, and something else is alarming too.
“That’s it,” I tell them. “You’re done here. Can’t you see that he’s recovering and in pain?” I walk toward the officers. “Out. You can talk to him later or never. Quite honestly, I don’t give a shit, but you’re done now.” I turn toward his sisters as they leave the room. “We need a nurse in here.”
“No,” Keenan tells me. “We don’t.”
I spin back to face him, Keenan has a smile on his face, and he’s reattaching one of his monitor things.
