Page 40 of Painting Together a Family
“Yeah. Dev got hurt.” He sighed. “Come to the kitchen, and we’ll get the tacos out.”
“Sure.” She followed, looking shocked.
“The kids are a little freaked.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
He snorted. He did love Jennie and her say-it-like-it-is attitude. “So I’m going to go to the hospital and check on Dev. Hopefully bring him home.”
“Okay. I’ll stay here until you get back. No stress. I’ll just hang out and be social. What did he want?”
“To beat the shit out of Dev, it seems. He threated to kill us as the cops dragged him off.” Bryan shuddered. He was trying very hard not to fall apart here; he had to be strong for everyone. They needed him.
“But Dev’s not—in danger… right?”
“I’m pretty sure the cops are going to have someone at his room at the hospital. At least they’d better. Plus, Grant was arrested, so he’s going to be in jail for the foreseeable future. I hope. At least until tomorrow anyway.” He hated not having all the answers. And he needed to get to see Dev. “Let’s get the kids in to eat, and I’ll go if they’re comfortable with you.”
“Sure. You don’t stress it. I am well-trained.”
“You’re a rockstar.” He went back to the living room. “Tacos are ready in the kitchen. How about we pause the movie and eat, yeah?”
“Tacos!” Micah shouted, immediately running for the kitchen. Dylan nodded, too, and followed after his brother.
The girls were a little slower, both of them having a little discussion before coming to the table.
“Is everything all right, girls?”
Marley nodded. “I’m staying with Juni and the boys. It’s what Daddy would expect me to do. To stay and help.”
“If you’re sure.”
She nodded again.
“Okay. You want to give me your cellphone number and I’ll text you as soon as I’ve seen your father to tell you that he’s doing fine, okay?”
“Does Daddy have his phone? Do you need to take him a charger?”
“A charger would be great. But once you get it for me, I need you to sit and eat and relax, sweetie.” She needed to decompress and let someone else be the adult.
She wasn’t responsible for the whole world, and she needed to let that burden go.
He grabbed a taco and wolfed it down, figuring he wasn’t going to get anything at the hospital. Then he pocketed the charger Marley gave him and gave his boys a hug and a kiss. Then he gave each of the girls a quick hug for support. “I will text as soon as I know anything, okay? You guys don’t have to worry about a thing. And thanks, Jennie, I appreciate this so much.” He’d learned to lean on people in the aftermath of Grant stealing every last penny he had, and while he still didn’t like having to do it, he knew it was necessary at times like this.
“I’ve got this. Marley and I are going to be fine. Maybe we’ll make some peanut butter cookies together.”
“I bet she’d love that. Bye all.” He was on his phone as soon as he closed the door behind him, arranging for an Uber to the hospital. He only hoped that Dev was okay and he was just making the trip to bring Dev home again.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Come on, guys. I need to go to my girls! I need my phone!”
Dev needed his head to stop pounding.
“We need to make sure you don’t have a concussion,” the doctor insisted. “You stay put, and I’ll come back and see how you’re doing in a bit.”
The nurse came around the curtain right after the doctor left. “Mr. Marx? There’s a Bryan St-Vincent here to see you?”
“Bryan? Let him in. Please.” Maybe Bryan could help him get out of here.
