Page 60 of Night Shift

Sam said nothing, just stared ahead into space, so my brothers and I discussed where she should stay. After we’d considered the options, I submitted to the fact that the logical choice was my place. It had extra bedrooms, plenty of space, and a state-of-the-art security system.

Braxton looked at me, then at Conan, and finally, back to Sam. “I agree. Atticus’s place is the best option.”

Conan met my gaze, a silent question in his eyes. After a moment, he nodded. “Yeah, it makes sense. Sam will be safe there.”

I hesitated, acutely aware of the tension and unresolved issues between Sam and me. But despite everything, the protective instinct that had driven me here tonight overrode any personal reservations. “Okay, sounds like a plan,” I agreed, turning to Sam and leaning against the car. “You’ll stay with me until we figure this out.”

Slowly she turned to me, anger flaring in her eyes. Until now, she’d been silent, a spectator to our hurried plans to keep her safe, but now she could no longer contain herself.

She burst from the car. “You can all go fuck yourselves!” she yelled. “I’m not some damsel in distress. I’ll stay with Bethany.”

Conan immediately stepped forward, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. “Sam, I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to—”

Braxton echoed the sentiment. “Yeah, Sam, we’re just worried about you.”

“Samantha,” I began, attempting to approach things logically instead of emotionally, “Bethany’s couch isn’t a solution. She doesn’t have the security you need right now. You being there would only put her in danger too. It makes sense for you to stay at my place.”

“Stop treating me like a child!” she snapped. “I should be in my apartment, cleaning up the mess they made!”

“Your safety is more important right now,” I argued gently, trying not to provoke her. “You can’t go back there.”

Backing me up, Conan and Braxton nodded.

“Fine,” she agreed reluctantly, sliding back into the passenger seat of the car. Although she’d conceded, her anger visibly simmered beneath the surface. “Just get me somewhere safe so I can figure out what to do next.”

With that, the fight in her seemed to deflate, and she sank back into the passenger seat.

“Let us grab some of your things from your apartment,” Conan offered, and he and Braxton hurried off. While Sam and I waited, I tried to offer her words of comfort, but she would have none of it. She crossed her arms and turned her face away, refusing to engage with me.

Soon enough, Conan and Braxton returned with bags full of her belongings. Sam’s stony silence persisted as we piled them into the trunk of the car.

“How about you guys take care of securing her apartment after the police leave?” I suggested. “I’ll send a crew out to clean up the mess as soon as I can.”

“Sure, no problem,” Braxton said. “The chief of police is a good friend. I’ll check in with him and see if he can help us out.”

“Let’s get out of here,” I said to Sam, closing the car door with finality. We drove away from the wreckage of her life and toward an uncertain future.

Her silence continued as I navigated the dark streets, only the soft purr of the engine and occasional sweep of the tires on the pavement cutting through the stillness. She wouldn’t even turn to look at me.

I needed her to know that I cared about her safety and well-being, despite our unresolved feelings toward each other.

“Look, Sam,” I began, trying to break through her silent anger, “I know this is far from ideal, but I promise you’ll be safe at my place. And I’ll do everything in my power to find out who did this and bring them to justice.”

“Stop treating me like a baby!” she shouted. “I should be cleaning up my apartment, not running away from it!”

“Your safety is more important than your apartment,” I said, keeping my eyes on the road. “You don’t need to worry about it, okay? I’ll take care of everything.”

Samantha huffed. She seemed to be caught between anger and sadness. “Well, maybe I want to go home and deal with it myself.”

It seemed that the more I tried to offer protection, the more it made her cling to her independence, the distance she wanted to maintain between us.

“Home?” I asked, glancing over at her. “You don’t have a home. Sam, that place isn’t safe anymore, and you’re all out of options.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. Though she tried to blink them away, her frustration was obvious. Maybe I’d been too blunt, but I couldn’t let her put herself in danger.

She lashed out, her words like daggers. “Why do you even care, Atticus? Aren’t I just a one-night stand to you? Just a meaningless fuck? A young, plain nurse in the shadows of the almighty Dr. Thorin?”

Her accusations stung, but I didn’t want to get into the complexities of what had transpired between us.

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