Page 40 of No Lies No Promises

Gram’s lavender scent surrounds me as her sparkly, purple sneakers step forward. “I think you’ve done enough damage, young man. Taking advantage. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Shoo.” A whoosh slices through the air, the unmistakable sound of her wooden spoon in motion. “Go on now. Shoo, shoo, shoo.”

From Sean’s side, a chuckle. Then familiar arms slide around me, pulling me from the other man’s grasp.

“I got you, babe. Hang tight.”

Chapter 20

Sean

Lillian in my arms, I ignore my complaining leg wound. With Grams and Becks at my side, Mace nearby, I exit Talon’s wire-wound, vine-covered gate.

Slipping her hands around my neck, Lillian stirs. “Sean?”

“I’m here, honey.” I knew that slimeball Pearson would make a move. Never figured he’d be so bold. Thank God we were close by.

At the curb, a black SUV with tinted windows screeches to a stop.

As the front passenger window lowers, Dante leans over the cupholders. “Everyone in.”

Lil on my lap, I slide into the back. The ladies squish in beside us. Mace jumps next to the driver, his hand hovering near the holster under his jacket. Five minutes later, we all pile out at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.

“She was drugged.” I trot behind the orderly as he rushes Lil’s gurney inside.

A male RN—his nametag reads Johnson—calls me to the check-in desk. “Do you have any idea what she took?”

“Not for sure.” My eyes shift to the closing curtain. “If I had to guess… midazolam.”

Everyone within earshot has me tried and convicted. I get it. How the hell would I know unless I was the one who roofied her?

“No, no. You got it all wrong.” The words rush out so fast, I’ll be lucky if I don’t end up behind bars. Again.

“The cops found it in a woman’s drink a couple of days ago. Same establishment.” No point mentioning I was the one accused of putting it there. Everything is connected. Just wish I knew how.

Scowling, Nurse Johnson points to the waiting area’s uncomfortable plastic orange chairs. “Wait there. Police will have to be notified.”

Fucking awesome. This won’t appear suspicious. Nope, not at all.

Barred from Lillian’s bay, I stride back to the rest of the gang.

“Is she okay? Can I see her?” When Becks pops up from her seat, I cup her hands.

“She’s going to be fine.” Praying it’s true, my palm rasps across my face. “We knew something like this might happen. She knew the risks.”

Mason stands next, sliding a possessive arm around Lil’s younger sister’s waist. “If it’s the same drug used to frame you, they can flush it from her system.”

Huh. Wow. Mason and Rebecca? That was not on my emergency room Bingo card.

As I’m about to peel them apart, my grandmother grabs my bicep. “Leave them be. Sex is natural. Why, in my day we—”

“Hold that thought.” Raising an index finger, I point to my ear before taking two steps toward the sliding glass doors. Alone, I tilt my mouth to my chest mic. “Speak to me, Daed.”

“Talon’s cameras caught nada. Zip. Wi-Fi failure. No proof of anything.” His emotionless tone catches me off guard.

Once I realize it’s not what I wanted to hear, I curse, wishing to howl at the moon. The motherfucking sneak’s going to get away with drugging her?

As I picture tearing out his throat, Lillian cries out from behind her ER bay curtain.