Page 30 of Day Shift

“Thanks, Sam,” I said, managing a smile. I was grateful for her support, even as the shadows of my memory loomed large in the back of my mind.

Without warning, the door to my hospital room swung open, and Conan’s massive frame filled the doorway. Despite his intimidating appearance, he radiated warmth and happiness like a human golden retriever.

“Damn, Angel, look at you! You’re looking great today!” he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s good to see you out of the PCU and in a private room. This is a serious upgrade!” Walking up next to my bed, he swept his arms wide, assessing the small room.

“Oh yeah, I’m sure I look great with this scar running across my forehead and over my brow,” I said sarcastically.

Conan leaned in closer, dropping his hand to the mattress next to me, and gave my head a closer look. “Well, if you ask me, it looks totally badass, like a villain in a movie. You raise that brow at somebody and give them the evil eye, and they’re gonna think twice about crossing you.” He gave me a wink. “If I were you, I’d keep it. It’s sexy as hell—like a well-placed tattoo—and in that, I’m an expert,” he said, standing up and raising the hem of his shirt to his collar.

At the sight of his ripped abs, covered in a montage of inked images, I gasped. I swallowed hard as my eyes traced his V-cut to the edge of his pants, where a hint of a red-lipstick tattoo made me want to take a taste.

Before I could respond, he released his shirt and swooped over to Samantha, effortlessly hoisting her off the ground in a bear hug. “How’s my favorite sister-in-law?”

Samantha laughed, kicking her dangling legs slightly. “I’m not your sister-in-law yet, Conan! Put me down, you big oaf. This is not the place for rowdiness.”

Conan chuckled and set her down, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Since when did you start caring about being proper? Atticus’s influence, I bet. You used to be fun.”

Samantha put her hands on her hips, feigning indignation. “Excuse me? I’m still fun. It’s just that someone has to be the adult around here.”

“Oh, yeah?” Conan teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Bet you haven’t even touched those video games I left you guys. Atticus too stiff to learn how to handle a controller?”

Samantha shot back with a playful smirk, “Oh, we’ve been playing, just not the kind of games you’re thinking about. Let’s just say Atticus has his hands full.”

Conan groaned. “Jesus, Sam, there are things a brother just doesn’t need to get a visual of! Already been there and done that. I’ll never be able to get the cabin-hot-tub incident out of my mind.”

“Shut up! Don’t even go there,” Sam retorted playfully, pretending to be offended.

While I listened to their banter, the heaviness that had settled over our earlier conversation dissipated, and I found myself smiling, genuinely amused by their dynamic. It was a welcome distraction from the dark memory my mind had dredged up after Sam shared her terrifying mafia ordeal with me.

“All right, you two, that’s too much information,” I cut in, chuckling. “Keep it out of the gutter, will you? My imagination is already running wild.”

Conan pulled up a chair next to Sam’s, his gigantic frame making it squeak in protest as he sat down. “So, what were you guys getting into? Anything I can help with?”

“Just hearing about the mafia goons that kidnapped Sam when a disturbing memory flashed into my mind,” I said, glancing at Samantha, who nodded. My face fell, and I worried my lower lip with my teeth.

Conan’s face softened. “Anything new pop up that’s bothering you?”

I hesitated. Images of the stern man and woman were still vivid in my mind. But I shook my head slowly. “Just bits and pieces. Nothing clear enough to make sense of yet.”

“Well, if there’s anything you remember, any detail that may lead us to figure out your identity, you know we’re here for you, right?” Conan frowned in concern, his usual bravado tempered in light of the seriousness of the situation.

“Yeah, I know,” I assured him. “Thanks, Conan.”

He nodded, then stood up, stretching his back with a grunt. “All right, I’ll let you ladies get back to it. I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Sam, try not to corrupt my older brother too much, yeah?”

Samantha waved him off, shaking her head. “Ha! Me? Corrupt him? That’s a good one.” She walked with Conan toward the door, and he stopped and gave her a quick side-hug.

“Well, you did manage to break through all that ice surrounding his ‘bachelor for life’ heart. I’ll give you that,” Conan said with a smirk before walking out.

Samantha rolled her eyes and chuckled, but I caught the blush that crept up her neck. As she brushed off Conan’s departing shot, he spun on his heel and returned to the doorway, a second thought bringing him back into the room. “Wait, I almost forgot,” he said, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “Pretty soon, they’ll kick you out of here. I bet you can’t wait.”

I managed a weak smile, but the thought of leaving wasn’t as comforting as he probably imagined it was. “Yeah, and straight into a jail cell with that cop watching me like a hawk,” I muttered, nodding toward the officer stationed outside my door.

Conan glanced at the officer and grimaced. Turning back to me, he leaned in, lowering his voice. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna help you with that. Atticus and I have been talking. He’s got a lawyer friend who’s already on board to help with your case at the arraignment.”

His words should have eased my mind, but a chill ran through me instead. “But what if I did something terrible?” I whispered. “What if I actually broke into that place or…or worse?”

“Hey,” Conan said, his voice firm, “we’re gonna figure it out. And if you remember anything about why you might have been at the Volkov estate or why you ran, just tell us. It may help clear things up.”

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