“That would be me,” I say evenly, offering my hand. “Kaden Mercury. Most people call me Mercs.”
He doesn’t take it.
He just studies me, his eyes sharp.
“Where were you?”
Well, there’s no dodging it.
“I was on the phone with my sister. She’s sick. Effa went to the party ahead of me. When I got there, Jett had already drugged her. She collapsed in front of me. I performed CPR until the ambulance arrived.”
The memory hits harder when saying it out loud.
“I should’ve been there,” I add. “I won’t pretend otherwise.”
The hallway falls quiet.
Donny’s gaze doesn’t waver. Then, without warning, his fist shoots forward.
I brace for impact.
Instead, his hand opens.
“Kid,” he says. “You may not have been there at the start, but you were there at the end. You brought her back.”
I stare at his hand for half a second before shaking it. His grip is firm, calloused, deliberate.
“You’re all right with me,” he adds. “Now stop calling me sir. I’m Donny.”
A breath I didn’t realize I was holding leaves my lungs. “Thank you, Donny. I care about her. More than anything.”
“You’ll prove that,” he replies. “My girl deserves the best.”
Lettie claps her hands softly. “Oh, this is lovely. All of us together again. Very groovy.”
Alana laughs and presses a kiss to her mother’s cheek. “I’ve missed you.”
Donny’s expression shifts again as he remembers why he’s here. “Luke. Can we see her?”
Luke nods and gestures down the hall.
As they move past me, Donny gives me a small nod. “Stick around, kid.”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else,” I answer.
When they disappear down the corridor, I finally let my shoulders drop. I bend forward slightly, hands on my knees, drawing in a slow breath.
“You okay?” Alana asks quietly.
“Yeah,” I admit. “Thought he might punch me.”
She smiles. “He was testing you. Donny’s protective, but once he likes you, you’re in for life.”
“That quick?”
“When it comes to Effa? Yeah.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “One hurdle down.”
