Page 30 of Last Resort

At least until she looked at him. Stubble lined his cheeks, and his eyes were bright red with exhaustion. His dark hair stood up on end as if he had been running his fingers through it for hours.

Then his words hit her.Hospital. Instinct had her hands flying to her stomach to protect the baby. Was something wrong? Had she lost it?

Did he know?

“Are you going to be sick?” He stepped closer, then paused at her side.

“No. How long have I been here? Am... I okay?”

“Two hours. You’ve been in and out the whole time.” Nervous energy crackled around him, and Maci wasn’t surprised when he started to pace. “You got hit on the head in Stella’s apartment. Do you remember that?”

The apartment. Getting inside and deciding to make some tea.

The man.

“There was a man inside Stella’s apartment,” she whispered. “I didn’t see him.”

Her breath hitched. All that self-defense stuff she’d done with Chance and she’d never even had an opportunity to use it.

Chance reached for her hand, squeezing it. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

A nurse walked in. “Awake for good this time, it looks like. How are you feeling?” She shined a small light in Maci’s eyes and had Maci follow her fingers with her eyes.

“My head hurts, but otherwise I think I’m okay. Is everything okay?”

Maci had no idea how to ask about the baby with Chance in the room. She looked nervously over at him.

The nurse caught her look. “Do you want to be alone? We let Mr. Patterson in because he was listed as your emergency contact, but some people feel like they recover better on their own.”

Maci shook her head, then stopped at the ache. “No, it’s okay. I’d like Chance to stay.” She didn’t want to be alone right now.

The nurse smiled. “Your pupils are responding well and you’re quite coherent—both good signs. Dr. Ashburn will be in soon and will probably want a CT scan to see if we’re dealing with a concussion.”

“Have I had any bleeding or anything, um, not on my head?” Maci wasn’t sure how to ask about her pregnancy outside of stating it outright. “Any other problems anywhere else in my body?”

The nurse smiled. “Everything else looks fine. You’re young and healthy.”

That didn’t answer the question exactly but reassured her a little.

The nurse left and Chance sat down next to her.

“I’m so glad to see you fully awake and talking. When Weston and I found you in that kitchen...” He scrubbed his hand down his face.

“The guy was already there when I came in. He had to have been waiting for me.”

“Are you okay to talk about it or do you want to just rest?”

She let out a sigh. “I’m okay to talk. I know that will help with the case.”

His eyes met hers. “The case isn’t as important as you and how you’re feeling.”

She couldn’t look away from him if she tried. “I’m okay to talk about it. I promise.”

“The guys are out in the waiting room. Do you mind if I bring them in or is that too much?”

“It’s okay.”

He stepped out and a few moments later came back with Brax, Weston and Luke. All four brothers looked pretty haggard.

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