I round on Tempest. “I’m not fuckin’ consorting or anything with her. And if Doc was under that impression, though fuck knows why, surely, he’d come after me and not her.” Trying to swallow down my vehemence, I answer Prez’s question that had seemed to get lost. “As to whether she told me that reason, fuck.” I draw my hands down my face. “I can’t rightly remember. It might have been me who assumed that you’d had a conversation that Doc took offence to, which was the reason for him taking his hands to her. But Prez, she didn’t contradict what I’d said, and certainly ran with it.”
Freak snorts. “So, we could have another problem. She’s run back to Daddy, saying the Kings don’t think Doc has been doing his job.”
“Which was what Prez was going to say to him,” I growl.
“But I’d have done it diplomatically.” Bullseye’s eyes harden.
“Fuck it.” I slam my hand on the table. “The point is, Doc hit her. She was dazed and bleeding when she came to me for help. There’s no reason to think she’s gone bleating back to him. She’s more likely to have crept in trying not to be noticed.”
“If it wasn’t for Prez’s mythical talk with him, why did Doc use fists on her?” Saint asks mildly. I raise my chin in his direction, acknowledging he’s trying to defuse the situation.
But I can’t answer. “I don’t have any fuckin’ idea.”
“Why did she come to you, Short?”
I shift awkwardly. “Prez, you know some of my history. I know fucked-up families, and I felt some kind of kinshipwith her. We got to talking back when she was changing my dressings, and I said I’d listen if she ever wanted a friendly ear.” Chuckling softly, I add, “Girl acted embarrassed and closed right up. I was shocked as hell she came last night and took me up on my offer.” Soberly, I let them in on my thoughts. “She obviously had nowhere else to go, no one she could turn to.” In for a penny… “I tried to get her to stay here last night. I was worried about what else Doc might do. But she said she had to get home. So, I gave my number to her in case he went for her again.” My teeth grind together. “I know what it’s like when a parent thinks they own you, and I know how far they can go.”
“Fuck, Short.” I don’t know how to take Bullseye’s exclamation, as more than a few seconds tick by without him saying another word. Eventually, he gets his head together. “Bronwyn’s a good kid. You all know my thoughts. I’ve made it clear that everyone is hands off, and even minds their language while she’s here. But as much as that’s because of her, it’s also a courtesy to Doc, as it’s him we need. Despite him not being allowed to practise, he’s an experienced doctor, and not just some ex-Army medic like a lot of other chapters have to rely on. We can’t afford to upset him.”
I expected this. “We ignore what he did to his daughter?”
Beside me, Freak shrugs. He’s either been thinking overnight, or Prez has already had words with him. “It’s family business. We should stay out of it.”
“Fuck that,” Tempest growls.
After flicking his long hair back over his shoulder, Saint shakes his head, resulting in the strands he’s just tidied falling over his face again. Impatiently brushing hair out of his eyes, he looks straight at me. “If it wasn’t anything to do with us, I’d like to know how Bronwyn apparently stepped out of line. May not agree with his form of discipline, but there’s a chance Doc had right on his side.”
As though he knows me better than I do myself, Freak’s hand shoots out to anchor me before I can leave my chair to lunge over the table at Tempest. “And what the fuck could that girl do to deserve punishment like that?”
“That’s exactly what we don’t know.” Bullseye levels his stare at each of us one by one. “I know I’m not alone in feeling uncomfortable at any man hitting on someone smaller and far weaker than themselves. As far as we’re concerned, women and kids are out of bounds.”
“Unless it’s Pippa.” Freak’s eyes focus on Saint, and he waggles his finger. “I’m going to get her one day.”
Saint snorts. “Like you fuckin’ could. Every time you’ve tried, she’s laid you out on your back. And any revenge you’re seeking is going to have to wait.” His hand hovers over his stomach and traces a ball. “Pregnant, remember?”
Freak’s completely unfazed. Making the sign of the cross, he utters, “Serves you right if you have a baby girl.”
Placing his hand over his chest, Saint’s eyes go wide. “Don’t you fuckin’ put a curse on me like that.”
Tempest chuckles, and even I have to smile. To be honest, I doubt any of us would ever have dreamed of the man-whore Saint settling down. He’d earned his road name as his character was completely antithetical to what a pious and upstanding person should be. While careful to steer clear of any woman who might want to tame him, Saint had had more than his fair share of one-night stands. For him to end up a one-woman man? I, for one, could never have believed it. But they say when the mighty fall, they fall hard, and Pippa certainly had proved his downfall. Okay, he’d only had two options – love her or kill her – but the softer side, none of us had even seen in him, had won out.
While it’s a standing joke that having a girl is enough to turn any man’s hair grey, I suspect Saint would be happy whatever gender the baby turned out to be.
Speaking of kids, it reminds me. “One more thing we didn’t know. Doc’s got a son. He never mentioned him.”
“Never mentioned his family at all.” Saint shakes his head. “Wanting to be a private man is something we can’t hold against him.”
“Bron seemed to indicate she was frightened he’d start on him if she didn’t go back. Kid is only eight.”
“An afterthought, or a mistake?” Freak wonders aloud.
A loud sigh from Bullseye gets us back on track. “I can’t fuckin’ believe we’re sitting here wasting time, worrying about how Doc treats his daughter, but here we are.” He pauses to glare at me for a moment. “And I, for one, want to find out if Bronwyn squealed and put us in the shit with her dad.” He then grimaces and barks a laugh. “And yeah, okay, I’m also curious as to what that pretty young nurse did to turn her dad violent. Been quiet around here for a couple of days, so wouldn’t mind taking a ride to find out.”
I just stare at him. “You going to just roll up and demand answers?”
“Well, I’m gonna be a bit more subtle about it, but yeah, that’s the plan.” There’s something about Bullseye’s smile that makes me nervous. “Of course, you’re coming with me, Short.”
“Me too,” Freak throws in, grinning maniacally.
