Page 42 of Hidden While In Sight

Diego didn’t know a damn thing about car seats either, but he was good with gadgets. He figured it out and buckled Emma in, handing her the stuffed dinosaur to clutch.

Connor had buckled himself in, and Diego tugged on the strap, checking that it was secure, before jumping into the driver’s seat.

Ramiro hit the button for the garage, his face actually panicked for the first time Diego had seen, which didn’t ease Diego’s own fears at all.

Chapter 20

Diego read the book to Emma again, bringing it toward her face the way she liked. Hannah’s little girl giggled even though his voice was rough as he said, “Chomp,” as quietly as he could.

They were in the back room of the clinic, the same room where the doctor worked on bandaging Hannah’s head. Diego didn’t trust the doctor enough to leave her in the room alone, and he didn’t feel right leaving the kids alone, so they were all there, taking up space in this too small room.

Killing Ashford had been the easiest part of his day so far.

Emma sat near the outside of his thigh, and as he reached the end of the book again, her head lowered to his leg and she closed her eyes.

Diego closed the book, rubbed her delicate back with one hand, decided no, he wasn’t going to hurt her by doing that, and hoped like hell she really was falling asleep.

He studied Hannah’s face. She hadn’t woken up again yet, and the fact that she hadn’t was making him antsy.

Diego had asked the doctor if he’d screwed up by moving her. His response, that it was too late now, was less than reassuring.

He looked over at Connor, who huddled against the wall out of reach, looking like he might be sick.

Diego held out his hand. “Come here, boy,” he offered, but his voice came out more like a gruff order.

Connor rose to his feet and came, lowering himself so that his puny leg pressed against Diego’s side like it had in the den before. The boy trembled.

Diego put his hand on his back, rubbing it gently since it’d worked on the little girl well enough.

Connor’s trembling eased, and his eyes shut.

Soon Diego had both of Hannah’s kids sleeping against him. He wasn’t sure whether to tremble himself, puff up his chest, or throw up like their mom had. He kind of felt like he could do all three.

His head rested against the wall, and he returned his gaze to Hannah’s face, urging her to open her eyes.

When she did, it shocked the hell out of him, but he couldn’t jerk in surprise and wake the kids. He also couldn’t run to her side like he wanted to.

So he sat there, continuing to stroke backs so delicate they would break more easily than their father’s neck had, and watched Hannah’s eyes struggle to focus.

The doctor asked her questions that seemed stupid. Of course she had a goddamn headache. Hadn’t he seen all the blood?

At least her answers no longer had that slur to them. And she answered no to being nauseous. Both were better than she’d been at the house.

Hannah’s eyes regained focus. She searched for her kids first. After finding them both, her gaze moved to meet Diego’s.

She didn’t smile, not that he’d expected her to. She must still hurt like hell. He wasn’t even sure she remembered he’d killed her husband. The body hadn’t been hidden under that blanket, but she hadn’t exactly been lucid either.

Her face didn’t have the blank tightness he expected. It loosened the longer she stared at him, and there was a softening in her eyes.

Diego didn’t know how to interpret that look. His own psychotic obsession told him it was longing—longing for him. It was dangerous to think Hannah wanted him at all.

She turned her head to listen to the doctor’s instructions, breaking the spell.

Hannah and her kids joined Diego at the location of his new job. It helped that the home they’d confiscated was furnished this time. He wouldn’t have wanted Hannah to sleep on an air mattress on the floor.

Not that Hannah would have complained. Hannah didn’t complain about anything, only admitting to her headaches when he asked. He forced her to rest in one of the bedrooms, telling her he could watch a couple of kids better than she could, with a concussion or whatever she had.

There had never been a lot of doctor visits in Diego’s life. Most of the injuries he’d seen had ended in death. Hannah was the exception, but he still didn’t know if he’d made things worse for her.

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