The Negotiator (Harbor City 1)

“Clover, what’s happened?” Sawyer asked again, chasing after her and pulling up his pants as he shuffled down the hall.

She stopped in her doorway, fingers curled around the frame to anchor her to the here and now while worry ate away at her self-control. Telling Sawyer, involving him in her life further, was the last thing she should do under the circumstances, but the words poured out of her. “My dad. He’s in the hospital. I need to get an Uber to the train station.”

“You don’t have to do that, I’ll drive you to Sparksville.” He pulled her into a reassuring hug. “It’ll be faster.”

It was a horrible idea. They weren’t engaged for real and not thirty minutes ago they’d been at each other’s throats. But he was right. The train would take twice as long as the drive. If they pushed the speed limit, they could be in Sparksville in an hour and a half. The train, with all its stops, would be three hours minimum. God knew what could happen to her dad in that span of time.

“Okay, let me just change and throw some clothes in a bag.” She pushed out of his embrace. “I just need five minutes to get myself together.”

“Take your time. I’ll be waiting at the elevator when you’re ready.” He turned and took a step away but paused and pivoted. “Everything will be okay. Whatever it takes, we’ll make sure of it.”

“Thanks, Sawyer.”

He nodded and headed back down the hall to his rooms.

It was an empty vow, but it was just the kind of promise she needed right now because for as much as she had spent her life up until now running away from her family and Sparksville, she’d never really expected for anything bad to happen, for it to change.

Please God, let Dad be okay.

And with that silent prayer, she hustled into her room and began stuffing clothes into her overnight bag.

Chapter Seventeen

Clover had given up her overnight bag to Sawyer as soon as they got in the elevator. Normally, it would have been something she’d have argued about—she hated that whole “weak woman” thing—but at the moment, so many worries were running through her brain like negative vipers that she couldn’t find the energy to put up a fuss. When they stepped out of the elevator, Irving was waiting by the door, holding it open.

“Everything’s arranged just like you asked, Mr. Carlyle,” he said. “Miss Lee, I’m sorry about your news.”

“Thank you, Irving,” she said as she hurried toward him.

“Yes, ma’am.” He tipped his cap, sympathy in his eyes, and held open the door. “I’ll be praying for your father.”

The small kindness brought tears to her eyes and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop them from spilling over.

“Thank you,” she said, giving him the best smile she could manage as she rushed through the door, Sawyer right behind her.

They hurried out to the waiting Town Car and got in the backseat. Linus was already behind the wheel and pulled into traffic as soon as they had their seatbelts fastened.

“The fastest way is to take Thirteenth to the Grambas Bridge,” she said, already mentally plotting out the fastest route. “After that we can—”

“We’re not going that way,” Sawyer interrupted. “We’re taking a helicopter.”

She blinked in surprise. “What?”

“It’ll take us an hour to get to Sparksville instead of two.” His phone beeped and he checked the message. “Amara already arranged to have a car waiting for us at the airport so we can go straight to the hospital.”

Helicopter. We. Hospital. She was hearing the words just fine, but in her rattled state they weren’t making sense. The bags at Sawyer’s feet snagged her attention. Her bag was bright yellow with frayed handles. The other bag was black, in impeccable shape, and so expensive looking it practically smelled like money. With everything that was going on, of course her brain grabbed ahold of the least important detail and wouldn’t let it go.

“Why do you have a bag?”

“Because I’m coming with you.” He nudged it closer to her bag. ?

??I won’t leave you alone at a time like this.”

It was a weird thing to say considering only an hour before he’d been counting down the hours until he could end their fake engagement. “I won’t be alone. I’ll be with my family.”

He stared at her with a rush of emotions warring in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher. “If we get there and you want me gone, I’ll leave. Fair enough?”

What should she say? He’d packed up and was out the door with her in a matter of minutes, had arranged for a helicopter so they could make the trip in half the time, and already had a car waiting for them at the airport. When minutes counted, he’d made sure to get the most out of every one.