I didn’t want to care about what happened to him. It would be so much easier if I didn’t care. If I were as callous to Danny as he’d been to me.
Damn it, Danny, I thought.
Dr. Richardson said a few more things, but I barely heard the words. She walked away, and I leaned against the wall of the hallway.
Who could have attacked him? And why?
I pulled out my phone and tried Grayden’s number again. It rang and rang.
I was about to go back into the waiting room when a different voice said, “Excuse me, Ms. Carmichael?”
Two Silver Ridge PD officers were heading my way down the hall. One of them I’d seen around, a rookie who’d moved to town recently.
The other was Officer Chad Bronski.
Oh, hell. This day just kept getting better, didn’t it?
“You’re here about Danny?” I asked.
“We have a few questions,” Bronski said stiffly. “You’re aware your ex-husband was stabbed multiple times?”
Good thing Dr. Richardson didn’t have this guy’s bedside manner.
“I’m aware. I got here to the hospital as soon as I heard. Grayden O’Neal texted me that he found Danny hurt, but I haven’t been able to reach Grayden for hours.”
Bronski shared a glance with the rookie. “What’s your connection to Grayden O’Neal, exactly?”
“He’s my…” I didn’t even know what to call him. The man I craved having near me? The man I trusted and cared for more than anyone who didn’t share my blood?
“My very close friend,” I finished.
Bronski snorted at his notepad. I swear,I almost decked him.
“Do you know where Grayden is?” I asked. “Are the police interviewing him or something?”
“Or something.” Bronski’s mouth slid into a vicious smirk. “O’Neal is a person of interest. He’s being questioned in connection with Danny Carmichael’s attempted murder. Or, I guess, murder if your ex doesn’t pull through.”
FORTY-FOUR
Grayden
The doorto the interrogation room opened, and Chief Nichols stepped in again.
“Mr. O’Neal. I brought you some more water. Can I get you anything else to eat?” She set a water bottle on the table.
“Not hungry,” I grunted. The sandwich they’d brought me earlier sat on the far side of the table, barely touched. “I’d like my phone.”
It had been hours since I’d texted Piper. She had to be worried. I also had no idea if Danny was alive. Nichols had refused so far to tell me. I had no idea what Piper was going through right now. She was probably at the hospital.
I needed to be with her.
Nichols pulled out the chair across from me and sat. “Speaking of your phone. Would you unlock your screen for us to take a look? That could help speed this along. We’re just trying to get to the bottom of what happened.”
“No. I will not. As I said before when you asked. If you want access to my phone, get a warrant.”
Like I wanted the police reading my texts with Piper and my brother and sister. Those were personal.
Chief Nichols shrugged sadly, as if this was out of her hands. As if she wasn’t in complete control here.
