Page 124 of Carson

“She needs to take these three times a day,” she tells him after removing her gloves.

He takes his off and then accepts the bottle. His brows pull together as he reads it.

“They’re just a precaution,” Dan adds, doing his best to ease his son’s concerns.

Lily helps me to sit on the side of the bed. “I’ll go make a pitcher of fresh iced tea, and maybe we can go sit outside and enjoy it. It’s a beautiful day,” she says more to herself than anyone else.

She leaves the room, her husband following close behind her.

Carson slides over to sit beside me, his brother still at the end of the bed where all the snacks are.

“Here, let me open them for you,” he says, taking the bag of cookies from me. “Unless you want something else.”

“No, these are fine.” I pass them over to him. “I trust Cole has good taste in snacks.”

“You know it,” he mumbles with a full mouth.

I chuckle, wincing when I do.

Carson places his hand over my shirt where the bandage is. “Are you okay?”

I wave him away. “I’m fine. It just pulls a little when I laugh.”

“Don’t make her laugh again,” he orders Cole.

Which only makes me want to giggle more.

“You stop,” I tell him.

“Both of you stop,” Carver says from the doorway.

“Where have you been?” Cole asks him.

“I’ve been searching for that fucker’s camper. Maybe it will give me some clues …”

Carson immediately cuts him off with a look.

“Clues to what?” I ask, standing up.

All three of them look away from me.

“I think I hear Mom calling,” Cole says, standing.

I rush to the door, pushing it closed so that no one can get out without moving me first, and I know none of them will.

“Tell me. Clues to what?”

Carson walks toward me and takes my hand. “It’s club business. Nothing for you to worry about.” He brushes hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear.

“No one leaves this room until I know.”

Carver apologizes to Carson. “I’m sorry, man. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I want to know.”

Carson pulls me away from the door and helps me to sit on the bed beside Cole, and then he kneels down in front of me. “The girls that are missing …”

“No.”