Page 37 of Painting Together a Family
Bryan threw it down and held up his hands. “He’s the intruder,” he said, nodding at Grant. “He attacked Devlin. We need help.”
“Get him out of here!” Marley screamed. “There is a restraining order for the man on the floor. He has to go!”
“Go to Juniper’s room with the others and bar the door until your father or I come and get you,” he called out to her. Then he turned back to the security guard. “You heard her. Restrain him before he gets up again!” He needed to get to Dev, make sure he was okay. And where the hell was security when Grant had gained access to the elevators in the first place?
“He had food. Mr. Marx said he’d ordered!”
“Fine! Just arrest him already!” Goddamn it, Grant was stirring and Dev wasn’t, and Bryan was about to lose his shit.
“I’m not a police officer!”
“Get him out of here!” Bryan started shoving at Grant’s body, wanting a closed door between them and him before he woke, and the security guy grabbed Grant’s legs and started pulling and that was when the police showed up.
Thank God. He shouted over the sound of the alarm bells. “Grant Hubbard has a restraining order against him. He’s hurt Dev. Arrest him!” Trusting that if nothing else, Grant wouldn’t hurt anyone else with the cops right there, Bryan went to his knees next to Dev. “Dev. Dev. You’ve got to wake up. Please. The girls need you.”
Dev frowned. “We have a restraining order. Marley knows where it is.”
“Okay. It’s okay the cops are here now. I’ll get her to show me. Are you okay?” Was Dev going to need an ambulance?
“I don’t know. My head hurts.”
“He needs an ambulance,” Bryan told the cops.
“On its way. We’re going to need that restraining order.”
Marley had clearly been watching because she came flying out of Juniper’s bedroom and went to a credenza, pulling paperwork out of a drawer. She came over, tears on her cheeks, looking scared, but she bravely handed it over to the police officer. Bryan opened his arms, and she flew into them.
“I have the radio up loud, and we’re having a dance party with the boys.”
“Smart girl. Can you go back to them? Keep everyone safe until we get this sorted?” He didn’t want her to have to deal with any of this.
“Is Daddy okay?”
“He’s going to be fine. I’m going to call my friend Jennie to come help you guys out while I head to the hospital, okay?” Because he was not letting Dev have to deal with the cops and the hospital all on his own, but no way was he leaving the kids alone, either. This wasnotthe time for Marley to start her babysitting career.
She looked hesitant, gaze going to her dad.
“The boys know her,” he added. “She’s looked after them before. I know you can handle them, but it’s been a rough day.”
She still looked torn, and he put everything else out of his head and met her eyes, concentrating on her. “I’ll make sure your father is okay, I promise. You look after your sister and my boys; I’ll look after your dad. Deal?”
“Uh-huh. Jennie is her name?”
“Yes, but I’ll wait until she gets her to leave. Fair?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Her face was a twist of relief and worry, and he squeezed her tight in another hug.
“Okay. Go make sure they’re okay.” He waited until she’d gone back to the room the kids were in and grabbed his phone, texting Jennie.
Then he gave her Dev’s address.
The alarm finally stopped sounding, and that helped him calm down a little. The couple of deep breaths he took didn’t hurt, either.
The paramedics started leaving, Dev on a stretcher.
Bryan called out to him, “I’ll get there as soon as I can. I’ve got someone coming for the kids.”
He wasn’t sure Dev had heard him, but he hoped so.
