Page 75

Zane smiled. “She’s resting, but she’ll be pleased to know you asked about her. They’re giving her some fluids since she was a little dehydrated, then she’ll be good to go home.”

“That’s good. Your mom’s cool.”

“I think so. Your aunt’s cool too.”

Mathias grew quiet, staring at his feet as he shuffled his weight from one to the other.

“What’s up, Mat?”

“They’re probably going to take us away from her. My grandparents. They blame her for what happened.”

“That’s not going to happen.” Tristin Knight approached them from Zane’s six, his easy smile putting both Zane and Mathias at ease. “I’ll make sure of it. I have a friend, Antonia. She’s a kickass attorney, and she’s agreed to represent your aunt for free. She likes to do battle against assholes who try to break up families.”

“Tryst.” Zane glared at his friend. “They’re still his grandparents.”

“Sorry, but I wanted you to know you guys don’t have to worry. Antonia has it handled.”

“Thanks.” Silence stretched between them until Mathias cleared his throat and started to move away. “Will we see you later?”

Zane hated to dim the hopeful glint in the boy’s eyes. “I think I’m the last person your aunt wants to see right now.”

Mathias gave him a sly smile. “I think you’d be surprised.”

He headed down the hall to the unit across the way, where he disappeared behind the curtain to his sister’s room. Once Mathias was out of earshot, Tristin nudged Zane with his elbow.

“The kid has a point.”

Zane glared at him. “What do you know about it?”

“I know you’ve got a thing for the aunt, and if she didn’t have a thing for you, she wouldn’t have gotten so upset.”

This time, Zane rolled his eyes. “I got her niece and nephew kidnapped and buried in a bunker. She’s got every right to be upset.”

“Maybe in the moment. But now? I saw how she watched you when you guys got to the hospital. She’s not ready for you to walk away. She doesn’t know how to go back to the way it was before things got complicated.”

“You make it sound like we’re a married couple who had a fight. We barely know each other.”

Tristin crossed his arms across his chest and nodded like he was considering what Zane said. “Then why areyouwishing you could go back to the way it was?”

Zane opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. Tristin grinned and slapped him on the back.

“I’m going to check in with everybody. Let me know when you get your mom home and settled. We’ll talk later. We still have to figure out what to do about the De la Peñas.”

“Tryst, I don’t know—”

Tristin held up a hand to silence him. “Not now. It can wait. You have more important people to see to. Call if you guys need anything.”

Zane stood by the wall outside his mother’s room, his need for coffee forgotten. His mind was a mess, consumed with concern for his mother, desire to be there for Bridget and her kids, yearning to question Thumper, and frustration that he hadn’t ended things once and for all with the De la Peñas.

He remained tortured by his own thoughts until his sisters arrived. Zoe and Zaylee barely acknowledged him before barging through the curtain to see their mother. Zaida hung behind, studying him closely. He avoided meeting her eyes because she would know in that instant what he was struggling with.

“One at a time, baby brother.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can’t save the world in one move. You have to take care of one thing at a time. Momma is fine, and we’re here to help you take care of her. Your undercover case can wait. That leaves one thing. An important thing. I don’t think it can wait anymore.”

He met her eyes then, her meaning clearing his troubled mind. He dropped a kiss to Zaida’s cheek and hurried out to the parking lot to his truck, where Wings and BB parked it for him after they left Thumper with the Sheriff’s Department.