Page 46 of Crossing Lines

He blinked, his gaze going up to meet my father’s as he spoke. “If a psych eval?—”

“Dude, I’m not in need of a fucking evaluation!” I hissed.

He took a step back. Trace sat on the bed beside me and put a meaty arm around my upper body.

“Stella Grace, please be nice to the kind doctor.”

Daddy looked at the doctor and said, “No psych visit is necessary. She shot an assailant, thereby striking herself. It was a calculated risk. My daughter is a bit reckless, but she knows what she’s doing.”

I snorted. “It was either shoot him and myself or possibly die. I know my own strengths, and with him as drugged out as he was, I went with the easier of those choices. That’s not being reckless.”

“It is. You put yourself in danger.” Trace eyed me. I wanted to hit him, but he tightened his hold, his nose almost touching mine.

“I did it to save my brother,” I gritted out between clenched teeth.

“You did it to prove a point. I get it. You can do your job. Pregnant or not. It was still stupid. Reckless.”

“Don’t make me nut-punch you!” I warned.

He grimaced.

“Stella Grace, being violent right now may just end you up on the third floor…” Daddy chuckled.

Ah, everyone’s a comedian today. “I’m not a weak, helpless girl. Those dickheads had my brother.” My voice dropped.

“No one said you were weak!” Trace was still scowling.

“No one thought AJ needed a psych eval when she stabbed herself with a fucking screwdriver! She did it to keep from dying. No different than what I did.”

“There is a difference; I know why you did it. I still don’t have to be happy about any of it.” His face was turning red. Bringing up what happened to AJ…that was a low blow. He and Chip still blamed themselves for her being hurt.

He was big mad and worried right now. I needed to remember that, but I was right to have done what I did. He was just beating a dead horse.

The images that I’d seen on my phone made my stomach churn. “You didn’t see the video they sent me.” He tightened his arm around me, and I pushed back. I wasn’t going to cry, not here, not again. “I was ready to do whatever I could to get him free when I went in. I knew I’d walk away, somehow. The baby and I would kick ass and come out on the other side.” My bravado was back. “I walked away...more or less. I’ll heal.”

“Stel…” His voice wrapped around me, and just like that, I was fucking crying. Again. What in the hell was wrong with me? Had someone attached a water bag to me and I’d missed it? Was this what being pregnant did to you?

“Princess,” Daddy’s voice pulled my gaze up.

He and Trace exchanged places, and the bear hug he locked me in made me grunt. Comfort washed through me, so I clung to him. Time to admit I’d made a mistake. I could do that. They all knew this was just how I reacted to things.

“I love you. Your brother…” Daddy tensed but took a deep breath to calm his raging temper. See, I wasn’t the only violent one here. “Your brother is your weakness. They took advantage of that. I understand your need to jump in and fix it. I would have done the same. I just wish I had gotten there a few minutes earlier.” His words promised pain.

“You got there when you should have,” Gabe said. I sat back, brushing my face clean of tears and winced. Jesus. A hiss of pain slipped through my gritted teeth. “Your face is bruised, be careful.”

“Five minutes. Just five minutes,” I pleaded.

“Not a chance.”

“Not today, Stella.”

“No!”

The three men around me all spoke at once. I sank back against the bed and crossed my arms over my chest. Rude. What was a girl supposed to do to get her anger out? Well, I could think of a few things. My thoughts were interrupted when the curtain to my bay was flung open. Carter stood there, half hunched over, wobbling, breathing heavily. He looked like something out ofThe Walking Dead. Jesus H. Christ.

“Carter.” I tried to get up, yelping when my leg whacked against the railing. “Son of a bitch.”

“Dammit, Stel, stay still, crazy. Don’t make me tie you to the bed.” I looked up at Trace.

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