“But do you want to take the chance? Make the detectives do their jobs. I don’t want to give them anything before we must. Your being here is one of those things.”
“What did Marcus do then?” She shifted forward, eyes dark with her intensity. “If the police were already over there?”
“Rock convinced him to take a walk.”
She sunk back, defeat settling hard on her features. She shoved her hair away from her face, which only made her scowl seem fiercer. “I don’t like this. None of it.”
He could only nod in understanding. There was nothing to like.
Deklan shifted, cradling the arm in the sling. The pain etched on his face had sagged with the grief and fear that settled deeper the longer they waited.
“Did they give you any pain meds?” Noah asked.
Deklan grunted, motioning toward his head. “Not with the head wound. The whole concussion thing...” There was no point in arguing that he shouldn’t even be there.
The door to the surgical area swooshed open at the same time that two men in suits pushed through the door from the hallway. The tension in the room twisted tight in the second it took everyone to eye both doorways.
There was no doubt in Noah’s mind that the men in suits were the police detectives they’d been expecting, but it was the doctor who held his attention. His heart rate increased in the short time it took the lean man to tug his surgical mask away from his mouth. He glanced at the clipboard in his hand, then looked up to take in the room.
“Mr. Bakker?”
Noah’s heart dropped to his twisting stomach as he bolted to his feet, Deklan and Vanessa right behind him. The detectives were forgotten, along with the other concerns that hung over him as he headed toward the news that could change everything.
Chapter Six
Liv pushed on the heavy wooden door and stepped through the back entrance to Noah’s home. The scent of cinnamon and cloves hit her as she took in the wood-framed arches that matched the hardwood floors and the unlived-in neatness a glance into the living room and kitchen provided.
Nothing was out of place. No random stack of mail or pile of shoes by the entry. Missing was the forgotten newspaper on the bar or side table, the dirty dish in the sink or chair left pulled out. Even the line of coat hooks next to the door stood empty. The place was Realtor-ready, and that left her a bit creeped out in a don’t-want-to-mess-it-up way.
She laughed to herself and shook her head, the wet ends of her ponytail tickling her nape. To save time, she’d shoved her things in a bag and showered at Rock and Carter’s place before they’d headed to the condo complex where three of the others lived.
Carter had explained how Deklan, Kendra, Cali and Allie all had condos in the same building unit where he’d lived before moving into Rock’s loft. The closeness was somewhat weird, and he’d chuckled at her expression. But it also reinforced the family-like nature that bonded the friends together.
Carter came up behind her and closed the door. “Have you been here before?” he asked, shuffling his feet on the rug. The ends of his dark hair were still damp like hers, and his cheeks were pink from the cool morning air. His fresh face and confident air gave him an intriguing contrast of handsome suitor or boy-next-door. He was also openly gay and in love with the man who’d spent hours creating a new website for her youth center.
“No. You?” She lifted her brows.
“No.” He glanced around, shoes squeaking on the hardwood with each step down the hall. “I’m guessing his bedroom is upstairs then.”
They’d been through this same scenario three times now, and she still couldn’t shake the sense of invasion that tickled the hairs on her nape as she followed him up the wooden staircase, appreciating the well-preserved charm of the older Tudor-style home. She had to clench her fist to keep from reaching out to tilt one of the pictures on the wall or move a knickknack
“What did Marcus do then?” She shifted forward, eyes dark with her intensity. “If the police were already over there?”
“Rock convinced him to take a walk.”
She sunk back, defeat settling hard on her features. She shoved her hair away from her face, which only made her scowl seem fiercer. “I don’t like this. None of it.”
He could only nod in understanding. There was nothing to like.
Deklan shifted, cradling the arm in the sling. The pain etched on his face had sagged with the grief and fear that settled deeper the longer they waited.
“Did they give you any pain meds?” Noah asked.
Deklan grunted, motioning toward his head. “Not with the head wound. The whole concussion thing...” There was no point in arguing that he shouldn’t even be there.
The door to the surgical area swooshed open at the same time that two men in suits pushed through the door from the hallway. The tension in the room twisted tight in the second it took everyone to eye both doorways.
There was no doubt in Noah’s mind that the men in suits were the police detectives they’d been expecting, but it was the doctor who held his attention. His heart rate increased in the short time it took the lean man to tug his surgical mask away from his mouth. He glanced at the clipboard in his hand, then looked up to take in the room.
“Mr. Bakker?”
Noah’s heart dropped to his twisting stomach as he bolted to his feet, Deklan and Vanessa right behind him. The detectives were forgotten, along with the other concerns that hung over him as he headed toward the news that could change everything.
Chapter Six
Liv pushed on the heavy wooden door and stepped through the back entrance to Noah’s home. The scent of cinnamon and cloves hit her as she took in the wood-framed arches that matched the hardwood floors and the unlived-in neatness a glance into the living room and kitchen provided.
Nothing was out of place. No random stack of mail or pile of shoes by the entry. Missing was the forgotten newspaper on the bar or side table, the dirty dish in the sink or chair left pulled out. Even the line of coat hooks next to the door stood empty. The place was Realtor-ready, and that left her a bit creeped out in a don’t-want-to-mess-it-up way.
She laughed to herself and shook her head, the wet ends of her ponytail tickling her nape. To save time, she’d shoved her things in a bag and showered at Rock and Carter’s place before they’d headed to the condo complex where three of the others lived.
Carter had explained how Deklan, Kendra, Cali and Allie all had condos in the same building unit where he’d lived before moving into Rock’s loft. The closeness was somewhat weird, and he’d chuckled at her expression. But it also reinforced the family-like nature that bonded the friends together.
Carter came up behind her and closed the door. “Have you been here before?” he asked, shuffling his feet on the rug. The ends of his dark hair were still damp like hers, and his cheeks were pink from the cool morning air. His fresh face and confident air gave him an intriguing contrast of handsome suitor or boy-next-door. He was also openly gay and in love with the man who’d spent hours creating a new website for her youth center.
“No. You?” She lifted her brows.
“No.” He glanced around, shoes squeaking on the hardwood with each step down the hall. “I’m guessing his bedroom is upstairs then.”
They’d been through this same scenario three times now, and she still couldn’t shake the sense of invasion that tickled the hairs on her nape as she followed him up the wooden staircase, appreciating the well-preserved charm of the older Tudor-style home. She had to clench her fist to keep from reaching out to tilt one of the pictures on the wall or move a knickknack
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