Page 81 of Thirst Trap (Carter Brothers)

“She’s allowed to leave today,” I said as I watched through the door as Ande held her hand out to Shayne.

I scrubbed a hand down my face, feeling tired as hell, but knowing that there would be no end in sight for me.

Once I got her settled, I had to get into the office.

I’d spent the last couple of days with her at her bedside in the hospital as they monitored her closely.

When Elliette had pushed her into the car, Shayne had gone flying backward. When she’d hit the SUV, she’d broken a rib on her right side. Sometime during or after that, the rib had shifted and punctured her lung.

The doctors had given her strict orders to take ten days of bed rest while her body recovered from her ordeal.

She’d gotten four of them, and Ande would ensure that she continued to rest as I went into work tonight for a couple of hours.

“We released Elliette,” he said instead of commenting on the status of Shayne’s hospital stay.

I tensed, feeling my neck stiffen, as I said, “I figured that was coming.”

“Judge bonded her out. She has a court date set for four weeks. In the meantime, she’s on unpaid leave pending investigation from DPD. Chief already said that he doesn’t expect her to be able to prove that the roughness was necessary. Especially considering we pulled her bodycam footage,” Dad said as he turned his back to the room.

That was because Shayne was now walking very carefully to the bathroom, and the back side of her gown was hanging wide ass open.

My lips tipped up as I saw her perfectly ample, panty-covered ass.

Her panties were white with red hearts.

They were adorable, even though Shayne disliked when I pointed that out.

Then again, she’d disliked a lot of stuff I’d done over the past four days.

Mainly my refusal to go to work and leave her alone.

I’d tried that, and knew how it’d worked out.

“I ran over the bodycam footage myself,” he said, breaking into my thoughts. “It didn’t look good. There’s no way she can justify what happened.”

I scratched the top of my head. “Were y’all able to get into Shayne’s house?”

“Yes,” he answered. “I picked up the plate pieces and pottery remains of everything else that was broken. Put everything in separate boxes like you asked. I also packed up her room for you with your mom. Everything is in the guest bedroom at your place.”

I nodded, knowing she’d be pissed as hell when she got to my place and saw that.

“And your mom went by the store and ordered groceries,” he continued. “She’s going to drop it by tonight after her shift is through.”

I scratched my head. “Is she going to stay with Ande and Shayne a while?”

“Affirmative,” he answered. “But now that y’all are back together, she won’t keep avoiding the house, will she?”

I scrunched up my nose as I said, “I have to convince her to believe that we’re together before I can subject her to the entire Carter clan.”

He slapped me on the back, a chuckle exiting his throat.

“She’s good for you, kid,” he told me. “She may be mad as a hornet right now, but she still belongs to our family.”

The door to the bathroom opened up, and Ande exited first, Shayne’s IV pole in one hand and the tubes and wires that’d been connected to Shayne in the other.

After dropping a few things into the trash and leaving some of it hooked up to the pole, Ande turned to me and nodded, letting me know that they were ready.

Just as I processed that look, Shayne’s nurse started heading down the hallway toward us.

---