“Yes. I’ll be the one working on this with you. I’ve already talked to my dad about it, and I can go to the warehouse in the mornings. It’s not a good idea to have you traveling to us daily, and for now, that’s what it’s going to take. Daily sessions. Give me a month, Koios. One month. Let’s see if we can get your pelvis on the path back to normal. If there’s no change after a month, I’ll let it go.”
Koios stepped closer. “Oh really?You’lllet it go?”
Ben grabbed his arms and squeezed.
“Don’t you get it?” Ben’s voice sounded choked. “People I care about are depending on you. You’re the one who’s going to find that asshole. We both know it. I can’t help you do that. But I can helpyou, and that gets us one step closer to catchinghim. He tortured my brother, Koios. He almost killed yo?—”
Ben’s breath quickened and his hands tightened. His eyes widened and Koios could finally see through the doctor facade to the scared brother and friend beneath.
“Okay,” Koios said.
The word shocked both of them. Ben’s hands tightened a little before he acted more unprofessionally than Koios had ever seen him. He pulled Koios into a hug. A big freaking bear hug that went on for longer than Koios expected.
He didn’t push Ben away though.
He couldn’t.
Because he felt…sorry for him.
Not because of any other reason.
Finally, Koios couldn’t stand the sensation of so many…feelings…flooding his system. He leaned back a fraction of an inch, and Ben immediately let go.
“I’m only agreeing on one condition,” Koios said.
Ben frowned and straightened his spine. “What’s that?”
“I’m not drinking any more of those damn smoothies.”
4
BEN
“Well, Tiger Lily, that went much better than expected.” Ben watched Koios and his sisters as they drove away. He waited until the gate closed behind them before glancing down at the sleeping baby.
His niece looked content, swaddled in her blanket and dozing. She’d be hungry soon, though, and from experience Ben knew when Lily was hungry, she was loud.
“Let’s go over to Papa and Granddad’s house, okay? We’ll eat and wait on your Baba to wake up. He’s going to be a very silly daddy when he does. You just wait. He’ll probably knock something over.”
Lily cooed and wiggled in his arms. Ben managed to wrangle the front door open and get them both inside. While the water for her bottle warmed, Ben made himself a snack along with a little extra for Ollie.
He added everything to a tray, then carried it all into the living room. After unwrapping Lily, Ben arranged one of the tiny burp cloths from her bag under her chin and held the bottle to her lips.
“Such a good girl for Uncle Ben.”
Her big blue eyes stared up at him as she drank. Ben held the bottle with his chin and reached for a few blueberries. He munched on them while she drank the first ounce, then he moved the bottle away.
She wrinkled up her face and let out a tiny wail.
“Now don’t you argue with me, Tiger Lily.”
A thud sounded from upstairs as Ben moved the burp cloth over his shoulder. He chuckled as he put Lily against his chest and began patting her back.
“I told you Baba would be silly. Here he comes.”
Sure enough, Ollie bolted down the stairs, slid across the hardwood floor, and crashed into one of the end tables. The lamp wobbled precariously before he caught it.
“Lily!”
