“I’ll get her all the help she needs,” I say, feeling sick at the reminder of what was done to her. Her stepfather has gone completely off the grid, and no one has been able to find a trace of the bastard. The police have questioned her mother several times, but if she knows anything, she isn’t talking. What a freaking waste of space it is for those two to even exist. Something I’d love to remedy. There are too many people looking for Jim Dawson for him to stay hidden forever. Before I can finish my conversation with my aunt, the door opens again and a woman and man who I’ve never seen before stand there staring across the room at Lia in horror. I know instantly that this is Lia’s friend Debra and her boyfriend Martin. I had expected them a few days ago, but their car had broken down on their way home, delaying their arrival. Debra had kept me updated over the phone several times a day as she called to check on Lia.
My aunt’s pager goes off, and with a smile of apology, she hurries from the room. Debra rushes forward, stopping when she reaches Lia’s bedside. Martin trails slowly behind her. “Oh, my poor baby,” Debra whispers brokenly, looking as if she’s trying desperately to keep from breaking down. Martin puts a supporting arm around her shoulders, looking just as unsteady. It’s readily apparent that they both care deeply for the woman lying so still and pale in the bed. Debra turns, surprising me when she pulls me into a firm hug. “You must be Lucian.” When she finally pulls back, Martin and I shake hands and then we all turn back to Lia. “How is she today?” Debra asks as she gently strokes Lia’s hand.
“She was awake earlier but had to be sedated again,” I answer honestly. At Debra’s questioning look, I add, “She was upset and trying to leave the room. She pulled her IVs out. I was finally able to calm her enough for them to sedate her.”
“What a fucking mess,” Debra sighs, echoing my thoughts exactly. “I don’t guess the police have found Jim yet, have they?” When I shake my head no, she grits her teeth, looking angry. “My little girl has been nothing but a punching bag for both of those animals all her life. I’d love to go pull Maria out of her house by her hair and show her how it feels.”
“Calm down, honey.” Martin rubs Debra’s back, trying to settle her down. “We just need to be here for Lia in any way we can. Jim and Maria will get theirs in the end.”
I resist the urge to comment on how soon I hope that end is. Instead, I lean back against the wall and let Debra and Martin spend a few moments with her until they turn their attention back to me. After being grilled for twenty minutes, I’m more than happy to see them leave. The love they feel for Lia is obvious, but they are also very protective and spent quite a bit of time questioning my place in her life. In the end, though, I think it was clear that I’m not going anywhere, regardless of whether they are comfortable with it or not. I have little doubt that I’ll be under a microscope from them for a while, and instead of being annoyed, it comforts me to know that Lia has people in her life who care that deeply for her.
The rest of the day passes uneventfully. The nurses and doctors make periodic checks, and I see no one else until Cindy and Sam arrive with a surprise dinner for me. A greasy cheeseburger isn’t something I indulge in often, but it’s sheer Heaven after a few days of hospital food. Cindy sniffs me as she steps closer, causing me to cock a brow in question. “Have you been smoking?” she asks while wrinkling her nose.
Sam chuckles then turns it into a cough when she shoots him a glare. His ass would really be in trouble if I told her it was his idea. Of course, she has no idea that smoking is a lesser evil than what I’m trying to avoid using. I feel like a guilty child as I say, “Yeah, but it’s just temporary.”
She puts her hands on her hips in a move I know heralds a lecture. “Lucian Quinn, are you crazy? Why in the world would you pick now to start smoking…temporarily?”
I have to give Cindy credit for managing to inject an amazing amount of sarcasm and disgust into just two sentences. I can only imagine what she would have to say to me if she knew of my real vice. I can almost picture her putting me over her knee, and not in a kinky way, either. It makes me that much more determined to quit and to make sure she never finds out. I don’t think I could handle being such a disappointment in her eyes. “I’ve just been a bit…unsettled since Lia’s attack. This helps to take the edge off. I promise I’ll stop soon.” Grimacing, I say truthfully, “I can’t stand it any more than you can.”
She gives me a look of sympathy before shaking her head. “I’m sure this has been hard on you, Luc, but puffing on those vile things won’t change anything. I swear I don’t know what I’m going to do with you and Aidan. To be such intelligent men, neither of you have the sense God gave a piss-ant sometimes.”