“He’s just down the hall. I came to see you first.”
Polly nibbled her bottom lip. “Can you pass on to him that I’m glad he’s okay?”
“Of course.” Her mother shifted a lock of hair from Polly’s cheek. “Areyouokay?”
“Surprisingly, yes. Compared to the other women he targeted, I came out of this relatively unscathed. But then, I have some really good guys on my side. Raven helped too.”
She hadn’t seen Raven yet. But when she did, that woman was getting the biggest hug of her life.
Polly swallowed. “I’m sorry about?—”
“Nope. Now is not the time.” Her mother cut her off before she could apologize about their last fight. “You focus on your recovery. I love you.”
“I love you, Mom.” She really did. There’d been moments in the last twenty-four hours that she’d been scared her last fight with her mother was going to be the last thing she ever said to her.
Thank God it wasn’t.
Joel steppedinto the hospital hallway to see Ryan, Connor, and Zac. The guys all looked up at him, their expressions as grim as he felt. They were probably all thinking the same thing—that tonight had been a close call. That the Deep River killer had been right there under their noses the entire time and none of them had seen it.
Ryan pushed off the wall. “How is she?”
“Physically, she’s fine. A concussion and some stitches.”
Connor squeezed his shoulder. “And how are you?”
“Angry.” So fucking angry he could barely see straight. “I can’t stop thinking about the fact that she was there. She was at Bloom at the same time as me, in the fucking cellar. And I let him convince me she was gone. I let him lead me away so he could return and take her. And he almost killed her.”
Zac shook his head. “Your head was a mess. You weren’t thinking because she was gone.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’mtrainedto know.”
Ryan inched closer. “I was there too. I didn’t see through his bullshit either. You’re right. We should have done better. But we made up for it. We got to her in time. And Eli Cox will never be a free man again.”
Joel nodded, because yeah, that was what he should be focusing on.
“You know what’s really messed up?” Joel scoffed. “He was the only person in that damn sheriff’s station I liked. Who I actually thought was doing his job.”
“I’m right there with you,” Connor agreed. “It makes you wonder who else we trust but shouldn’t.”
Ethan rounded the corner, Maggie by his side, coffees in hand.
“Everyone I can trust is right here in this hall,” Zac said quietly.
That was the fucking truth.
Ethan handed everyone a cup while Maggie joined Polly and her mother.
Joel remained with the guys until Olivia Mack stepped out of the room. Instead of heading away, though, she walked right up to Joel and pulled him into a hug.
“Thank you for saving my baby,” she whispered.
“I didn’t.”
“You did.” When she pulled back, tears brimmed her eyes. “You’re family now. I hope you realize that.”
“Thank you, Liv.”
She squeezed his arms before heading down the hall.
