“Katie, you okay?” I asked.
The girl looked devastated. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she dismissed the concern, despite the tears choking her words.
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine, Declan. Just upset they kicked me out for the night.”
My brow furrowed. The plan was for Katie to stay with Jackson while Hayden and I stayed glued to them.
“They aren’t letting you stay?” I asked.
She shrugged. “The nurse said they needed to get Jackson situated for the night and that I needed to get some rest myself.”
I looked at Hayden. He seemed just as confused as I felt, but neither of us said anything to Katie. When she turned to walk away, Hayden stood, bumped his fist against mine before putting a hand on Katie’s back as he followed her down the hallway away from me.
35
HAYDEN
“You don’t look okay,” I said to Katie as we walked away.
She looked over her shoulder, then said, “I’m not. I don’t want to go back to the waiting room.”
I stopped. “What’s going on, Katie?”
“Just get me out of here. I need some time to think.”
She pulled away, striding quickly toward the elevators. I groaned and followed her, stopping her before she pushed the call button.
“Dammit, wait up. We can’t go, just the two of us. I can’t protect you by myself against three known assailants. So, hold your damn horses and let me gather a couple of people to go with us.”
I pushed her into the conference room, kicking myself for telling her what Foster told Declan and me earlier. Yes, she had the right to know, but added to the guilt I’m sure she felt, she was using that info to make fucking shitty ass decisions.
I whipped out my phone and texted Lucia, Celeste, and Heidi as Katie dropped into a chair. Her body shook, and she curled in on herself. Tears coursed down her eyes, seemingly unnoticed by anyone but me.
“Okay, I’ve rounded up the girls, and we’ll get you back to the hotel. You want to tell me what is going on?” I asked, hoping that if I got her talking about the craziness going on in her head, she’d realize how stupid running from her problems was.
When she looked up at me, her chin trembled so hard her teeth chattered. When she clenched her jaw, looking away as she shook her head, I swore under my breath.
“Katie…” I began, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Hayden?” Lucia called.
I opened the door, and Lucia, Celeste, and Heidi walked in.
“What’s going on?” Celeste asked.
“She’s overwhelmed and wants to go back to the hotel. She wants some time alone, and you know she’s not going to get it here. Plus, she needs some actual rest,” I said.
Celeste knelt next to Katie, her hand rubbing Katie’s back slowly. “Katie, the suites are overrun with people that Uncle Matthew and Foster are bringing in to relieve us. I’m not sure you will get the peace and quiet you need there.”
“Not the hotel. Nashville,” Katie whispered.
Fuck me!
“You want to go to Nashville?” Celeste asked, her voice incredulous.
Katie nodded without looking up.
“Katie, Jackson won’t be released for another day or so, but once he is, that’s where we’re going. Okay? The plan is to head to Nashville, then on to Birmingham, then right back to Nashville just as soon as the doc discharges Jackson,” Celeste explained.
