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Reagan tried not to feel proud at having touched a nerve, but the satisfaction puffed her chest up all the same.

“Fine. I’ll come. But I want to talk to the doctor myself before I leave. And I want to know what you’re doing to protect my mother in case the threat lands on her doorstep.”

“I can tell you Easton made to their house. Your parents are safe, and he’s explaining everything to your stepfather. We’re hoping he can help us watch out for your mom. With his law enforcement background, we figured he could be an ally for us.”

Reagan wanted to believe what he said, but she couldn’t shake the unease clenching her heart to think someone might hurt her parents.

“If they’re safe, why hasn’t my mother called me back? I left a message for her before the shooting. It’s not like her not to check in when I’ve called.”

“You may want to check your phone.”

She instantly pulled her cell from her pocket and felt her face flush to see she had a missed call and voicemail from her mother. Tapping the notification, she placed the phone against her ear, relieved to hear her mother’s voice.

“Reagan, I got your message, and I hope you’re okay. Your friend is here, and he told us what’s going on. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling to be at your father’s bedside making decisions for him after all this time. Sweetheart, you’ll make the right decision. Even with all of the anger you have against your father, you will fight through it to figure out the right thing to do. Trust yourself, Reagan. I have faith in you, and English does, too, or he would have never put you in a position to have to do this. Call when you can, and be careful, honey. Be safe. I love you.”

Reagan blinked against the tears pricking the back of her eyes. She lowered her phone and hardened her gaze before she pierced Jackson with a stare. “I’ll come with you, but I insist on talking to the doctor first.”

Jackson nodded. “I’ll take care of it. It needs to be quick. The longer we stay here, the greater the risk of another attack.”

“I don’t need a lot of time. I know what I have to do.”

Chapter Eight

Reagan stood in the middle of the room, her body rotating in a slow circle as her eyes took in her surroundings. Of all the places she expected the boys to bring her when they left the hospital, a studio apartment over a bar wasn’t even on the list.

They had stashed their vehicles behind the building, but instead of going through the back door, they ushered her down the side of the building to come in the front. The three of them surrounded her in a shield of muscle and testosterone while they were outside. With the hour so late and not a glimmer of light anywhere, she doubted anyone noticed them even if there had been anyone around. She had a hard enough time knowing where to step in the dark area with them shielding her the way they did.

It wasn’t until she stepped through the door and heard the lock slide into place that she realized where they were and why they hurried her inside before she had a chance to look around. She likely wouldn’t have seen anything in the dark, but she’d written many crime scenes to have a visual of what was in the alley. The image caused a shiver to wrack her body, and she wrapped her arms across her chest as if she could stop the chill dimpling her skin.

Ben and Luke disappeared, but Jackson walked behind the bar and poured whiskey in a shot glass. He pushed the glass toward her and motioned for her to take it. Her head shook instantly.

“I don’t drink. You take it. You probably need it more. It’s been a long day for me, so I can only imagine what it’s been like for you.”

He quirked an eyebrow in her direction before snatching the shot glass from the bar. With one quick toss of his head, he swallowed the whiskey as if he had taken a swig of tap water.

“Aren’t you afraid whoever ambushed English will come looking for us here?”

The question had nagged at her since she realized where they were, and when her curiosity bothered her, she couldn’t be settled until she figured things out. When she was researching a new book, she could fall down a web search rabbit hole faster than a race car running a competitive track.

“We won’t be here long. I thought you might want to freshen up and rest a little.”

She blinked at the unexpected show of consideration for her needs. Rest sounded heavenly, but she doubted she could slow her mind enough to sleep.

“You should have let me bring my car. My overnight bag is still in it.”

Jackson had insisted she ride with him when they left the hospital, and she’d been too exhausted to protest. The need to be away from Trinity Medical burned strong. Between being someone’s target practice and making decisions for English’s care, she had no fondness for the hospital. She’d started to feel suffocated, and surprisingly, once she was in Jackson’s truck, her anxiousness eased as did some of her fatigue.

“Luke and Ben moved your car to the garage we own.”

“But they never asked for my keys. How did they move it?”

As soon as the question left her lips, she realized how naïve she sounded. Obviously these guys had no problem gaining access to anything, and for all she knew, they’d learned to break into cars at the same time they were potty trained. “Why would you take my car to the garage? Did someone damage it or something?”

Jackson shook his head and spoke as if he was explaining to a child why the sky was blue. “It’s a secure location to hide your car. You won’t need it until we’re sure we’ve neutralized the threat against you. Until then, you’ll need to be with one of us at all times.”

Reagan moved over to the bar. “That doesn’t change the fact I need some things from my overnight bag.”

Jackson pierced her with a stare which she figured he used to establish his control. Only she wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, his attempt to make her cower only angered her.