Catching Teardrops (MAC Security 5)

I stare at him, knowing this conversation could turn my world upside down and save me, but do I really want someone to swoop in and promise me things that could end up being a lie? Or do I wait the next four weeks out and stick to my plan?

I take a big breath, preparing myself before I say, “I don’t need your help.”

LUKE

I stare at her for several seconds, waiting for her to say something else, knowing from the look on her face she wants to. But when she walks away, the air whipping around me as she passes me, I know she’s not gonna.

I shouldn’t have asked like that. I should have been gentle, coaxed it out of her. But, fuck. If she doesn’t want my help then there’s nothing I can do, no matter how much I want to step in and pull her from the pain she’s in.

My hands clench at my sides, my breaths sawing in and out of my body as my cell vibrates in my pocket. I ignore it once, knowing I’m not in the mood to answer right now, but when it vibrates again, I pull it out, seeing Ty’s name on the screen.

“Yeah?”

“Lexi’s been taken to the hospital.”

“What?” I frown, turning around and starting to walk back to the SUV. I see Lily’s face through the windshield, and when she notices, she turns to look away.

“She was jumped by some other inmates. Evan’s on his way to her now.”

He reels off the address to the hospital, and I mentally work out how far I am from there. “I’m thirty minutes away,” I tell him, pulling open the door and jumping inside before starting the SUV and pulling away.

“We can be there in two hours, but we need to get someone to watch Eli—”

“I’ll go, you guys stay and I’ll keep you informed.”

“You sure? I—”

“Yeah, he won’t want everyone at the hospital.” I flick my gaze to Lily when she turns her head toward me. “I’ll let you know what’s happening when I get there.”

“Good, keep us updated.”

“Will do.”

I end the call, throwing my cell into the section between the two seats before speeding toward Mom’s house. I run several lights, knowing if she’s been taken to the hospital and not the medical wing at the prison it must be bad.

“Everything okay?” Lily whispers.

I grunt, not able to form a real answer for her. This is the exact reason why I had to ask her outright. She’s taking up way too much space in my brain right now, and with everything going on at the compound and with Evan, I haven’t got time to be trying to help someone who doesn’t want it.

She’s told me loud and clear. There’s nothing else I can do.

Halting outside Mom’s house, I don’t turn the engine off, I don’t say a word, I just wait for her to get out.

“So this is it? You’re just going—”

“I told you,” I grind out, looking over at her. “I can’t do this. I offered to help—”

“Whatever.” She pushes open the door before stepping down and pulling the cell out I gave her. “Here. I don’t need this.”

“Keep it in case—” She slams the door shut and I watch in the side mirror as her shoulders droop, her hands wrapping around her waist before she straightens up and walks away.

Fuck! I want nothing more than to get out of the car, to follow her and beg her to let me help her.

Slamming my hand on the steering wheel, I close my eyes, taking a breath before opening them and pushing it into the back of my mind with all the other things I like to pretend never happened as I drive to the hospital.

When I get there thirty minutes later, I search for the right waiting room, finally finding it and spotting Evan sitting the furthest away from the door, staring at a spot on the wall. The room is full with all the people who care about Lexi, and for a second I’m taken aback. I haven’t been as involved in the family as I should have been, and right now I need to start doing more. I didn’t even realize Lexi was living with Livvy—a good friend of Evan’s parents and Seb and West’s gran—until after she was arrested.

I move toward him, sitting down and saying, “The rest of the guys wanted to come, but I was in the area anyway.”