Page 29 of The Wrong Guy

“Stavros!” Mary greets me with her arms wrapping tightly around my neck. “Thank you for coming to be here for Andreas.”

The fact that she’s discounting the revelations I had today and recently is astounding. “Of course,” I reply. I do not want to draw attention to why I’m here.

“Any word on what’s going on?” I ask.

Mary’s eyeing me very closely as Frank comes forward. I’m sure I look like shit after what I just went through with my father and then driving out here.

“They are working on her right now. They won’t tell us how Derek’s doing, though.”

“How did he get into the apartment?” I toss over at Andreas.

His jaw is clenched tightly, and his lips are in a thin line. I’ve seen this look many times, and he’s plotting something. He’s trying to figure out how to get rid of Derek without anyone knowing.

It would be easy to plant something on the asshole to get him to go to prison. Arson and throwing bleach on his soon-to-be ex-wife are a surefire way of getting incarcerated. However, that’s too easy.

“I don’t know. You better believe I’m going to be figuring out some information.”

Our small group gets quiet while we wait for information. Everyone in the waiting room area of the emergency room is looking on edge. A thickness in the air coats all of us as we wait for the news.

Audrina has to be okay. There is no other way. She has to get through this and be okay.

My phone has chimed in with texts, emails, and calls from clients wanting to discuss their cases with me, but I can’t deal with it right now.

It would be easy to throw myself into my job.

“I’m here for the Bancrofts,” an elderly woman introduces herself to the nursing staff behind the counter.

“Who are you?” a pretty nurse asks with a clipboard in her hand.

“Sheryl Bancroft,” she states a little louder than necessary.

When she mentions her name, Andreas and his parents look at the woman.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here after everything your grandson did,” Andreas SR growls loudly enough for the woman to hear.

Sheryl backs up and starts to look at my friend, Andreas, trying to get a reprieve from the rage.

“Your grandson tried to kill my daughter!” Mary yells.

Security guards started circling all around us. “What seems to be the problem?”

We all glare at the guards, and there must have been recognition in his eyes when he looks at me. I stare him down intently and curl my lip to drive the point in further.

I’m not to be fucked with.

“Keep it down,” he mutters while wagging a finger to get everyone to turn and follow him.

“What just happened?” Mary and Frank ask simultaneously.

Andreas knows and understands what happened but doesn’t draw attention to it. I’m beginning to believe he picked up on the deal I had to make today.

“Nothing,” I reply and draw my attention back to Sheryl.

“I had no idea he was going to do that. I promise. Derek needs help.”

I’m shifting my weight from one foot to the other.I bet he needs help.

“Stay away from our family,” Frank replies with a growl. “If you come close to us, you won’t like it.”

---