Page 173 of Hutch
Barry looks up from his phone. “Her brother?”
“Robert Canton. He’s in the Air Force and stationed overseas. He needs to know, but I don’t know how to contact him. Even she doesn’t know where he’s stationed.”
My voice is shaking as badly as my body is.
How can I get in touch with him? He needs to know his sister is here and why.
“I’ll get in touch with the right people and get him here as soon as we can,” Barry assures me.
I nod, thankful all over again for Barry.
“Drink this.” A cup of hot coffee is shoved into my hands.
I look up to tell them to fuck off, that I don’t want anything, when I notice it’s Shaw Chandler. What’s he doing here?
“Barry called. The entire team’s here, but they’re in the main waiting room. I called my wife. She’s a nurse here and promised to get us some information. Tell them you’re her fiancé or they won’t tell you shit. That’s straight from Cora.”
“I am going to marry her eventually.”
“I know.” He pushes the cup toward my face. “Drink that shit. It’ll help stave off the shock.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Drink it anyway.”
A blonde woman in scrubs comes in and heads straight over to us.
“News?” Shaw’s tone gentles as he speaks to his wife. I recognize her from social media.
“They got her heart beating and she’s been rushed to surgery. I told the ER I’d come update you. The surgeon will be out to speak with her family once she’s out of surgery.” Cora stresses the word family.
“I’m her fiancé.”
She nods. “Does she have any other family we need to call?”
“Her brother’s overseas in the Air Force.”
“Barry’s got it covered,” Shaw tells her. “Thanks for going to check on her for us.”
She nods. “Her injuries are severe and they’re not sure she’ll make it through surgery, but they’re doing everything they can.”
I nod, grateful for any information at this point.
“She’s breathing?”
Cora nods. “She’s breathing. She’ll probably be put on a ventilator to help her breathe after surgery. She has a collapsed lung. One of her broken ribs punctured the lung.”
Broken ribs? My girl has broken ribs? Tears well up. She’s in there fighting for her life and I can’t even help her. And I couldn’t protect her from asswipe. After all the fail safes I put in place, he still got to her. While I was out laughing and joking at dinner. I don’t deserve her.
Please baby, just keep breathing.
“This is my fault,” I whisper.
“No, it’s not.” Shaw’s voice is firm.
“I pushed her to get the restraining order. That’s what set him off.”
“No, that’s not what set him off,” Barry disagrees. “The NFL asked him to withdraw from the draft. Their investigators got wind of the restraining order. Someone at the courthouse must have leaked it to them. It was under seal to protect her from this. Don’t blame yourself for this. Blame the asshole in custody right now.”
