Page 72 of The Finding Series: Vol. 2

How the fuck was I supposed to explain any of this?

“Brody,” Luke called, but it wasn’t until he said the man’s name again that Brody finally snapped out of his daze.

“Sorry,” he muttered and then he was bending down to secure the collar around Beck’s neck. Luckily, Beck seemed too out of it to recognize Brody.

Luke and Brody were still stabilizing Beck when two police cars rolled up.

“What the hell happened?” Jax yelled as he rushed past me. He didn’t wait for an answer so I stepped back to give the men some more room. Rhys flashed me a quick glance as he hurried by.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded. Fuck, I hated having to lie to this man, but I knew that was what I was going to have to do. Once they got Beck out of here, Rhys would need some answers. Brody moved past me as he went back to the ambulance and he motioned to me. I followed and watched as he pulled a backboard from the ambulance. “What the hell is going on?” he asked.

I knew he didn’t have time for all the answers he undoubtedly wanted, so I said, “Try not to let him see you.” I motioned to the car. “He might panic.”

Brody nodded in understanding and I had no doubt he was remembering Beck’s reaction at the club. “My shift ends at 10 tonight. Can you meet me at 10:30 at the hospital in Cedar River?”

“Is that where you’re taking him?” I asked.

He nodded. “Doctors will keep him overnight for observation for sure.”

“I’ll be there,” I said, though that was the last thing I wanted. What I wanted was to go back to that night in the club and take that damn twink up on his offer and pretend I’d never set eyes on Beck Barretti.

Except that wasn’t the complete truth and I knew it.

Brody hurried past me with the backboard and I stood off to the side as they got Beck out of the car and loaded into the ambulance. I was glad to see that Brody was the one who got in the driver’s seat of the ambulance, meaning it would be Luke who rode in the back with Beck. But as much as I wanted to get in my truck and follow them, I knew it would look strange since I’d supposedly only known the kid for a few minutes.

As the ambulance took off, Jax dug out his phone. “I’ve got to go with them,” he said to Rhys. “I’ll call his parents on the way.”

Rhys nodded. “Go, I’ll cover for you.”

“Deputy Reid,” I said before the man could get in his cruiser. I flinched when his dark eyes shifted to me. “He wanted me to tell his fathers it was an accident.” I hesitated and said, “I don’t know why he said that, but he was adamant that they know he didn’t do it on purpose.”

Jax was quiet for a moment and I saw a flash of sadness in his gaze. “Thanks, I’ll tell them.”

I hated that I couldn’t tell the man I’d seen the whole thing and believed it was what Beck had said it was – an accident – but then I’d have to explain what had led to Beck taking off like he had and I wasn’t about to break my promise to him. And as I watched Jax drive off in a cloud of dust, I prepared myself to keep that very promise.

Lying was something I hated with a passion, but I’d do it because I knew in my gut it was what Beck needed.

I didn’t know why it mattered so damn much to me to give him that, but it mattered.

More than I wanted to admit.

ChapterThree

Brody

“He said it wasn’t supposed to feel good?” I asked, not sure I’d heard the man across from me correctly.

Quinn nodded, but didn’t say anything else.

We were sitting in the quiet hospital cafeteria. Neither of us had felt like eating so we’d each just grabbed a cup of coffee and selected a booth in the back of the large room, so we would have the privacy we needed.

“What happened after that?”

“He took off. Ran to his car, got in and drove off like a bat out of hell. He lost control of the car and hit the tree…”

Quinn’s voice dropped off. I could tell he was haunted by what he’d seen, and I didn’t blame him. While the accident wasn’t even close to the worst I’d been called to, it was different when it was someone you knew behind the wheel.

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