Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy #5)(86)

Noah sighed. “Damn it, I don’t want to have to deal with this mess right now. I just want to take Lauren home.”

Dillon cleared his throat. “And where is home?”

Liam and Noah exchanged looks and then glanced back at the Colter men, whose eyes all mirrored the question in Dillon’s.

“She’s family,” Dillon continued. “She’s come to mean a lot to us. She’s like a sister to me and my siblings. She’s like a daughter to our mom and dads. She was . . . happy . . . in Clyde, or at least she was beginning to be. She’d come a long way from the frightened, vulnerable young woman who arrived before Christmas. We just don’t want to see her unhappy again.”

“We haven’t discussed it,” Noah said in a quiet voice. “We have a lot we still have to discuss. All we care about right now is that she’s okay. Not just physically. Everything else can wait.”

“You’re right about that, son,” Adam said in a serious tone. “Everything will work itself out. Just focus on Lauren and making sure she has what she needs. Be there for her. She’s going to need you now more than ever.”

“She’ll need us all,” Liam said.

Even as he spoke the words, he knew them to be true. No matter what may have been in the back of his and Noah’s minds about where they would make their home with Lauren, Liam realized that Lauren would need time. She hadn’t fully healed from her relationship with Knight, much less her abduction and abuse at his hands. It wasn’t something that would be resolved in days or even weeks.

There was no way he and Noah could take her from a place she felt safe and a family who loved her and offered her invaluable support.

A sudden commotion from down the hall made them all jerk around, alert and wary.

“Where are my sons?” an imperious tone demanded.

It was a voice that instantly warmed Liam and terrified him all at the same time, because if there was one person he toed the line with, it was his mother.

Chapter 40

LIAM’S eyes widened and then narrowed as he swung back around to pin Noah with his glare.

Noah shrugged. “She needed to know and I wasn’t about to get my ass in a sling by not telling her you got shot.”

“Hell,” Liam muttered.

It was at that moment that Lisa Prescott stalked down the hall, her husband close on her heels.

“Liam!” she cried when she saw him.

He braced for impact and in the next moment was enfolded in her fierce embrace. It was automatic to smile, because how could he not?

She let go of Liam and then pushed by him to drag Noah into her arms.

“Are you all right, son?” his father asked in a serious tone.

Liam’s mom, who by now had finished making sure that Noah was unharmed, tuned back just in time for Liam’s dad’s question.

“Why are you up?” she demanded. “Shouldn’t you be in a hospital bed? What kind of hospital are they running here?”

Liam held up his hand. “Mom, I’m fine. Just a flesh wound. It’s been taken care of. I’m more worried about Lauren.”

Lisa Prescott’s eyebrow went up. “Lauren was hurt? What happened?”

Dillon Colter coughed discreetly and then said, “We’re just going to go down and get something to drink. We’ll be back in a little while to check in on Lauren.”

Before introductions could be made—and really, they could certainly wait—the Colters walked by Liam, Noah, and their parents and disappeared around the next corner.

“What is going on, Liam?” his mom asked. “Noah scared the life out of me when he called to say you’d been shot. I know your job isn’t the safest job in the world, but someone shot you?”

Liam sighed and then sent Noah a look to say that he wasn’t going to do this alone.

“Why don’t we walk down to the waiting area,” Noah suggested. “We can talk more privately there.”

Liam hesitated, not wanting to leave Lauren, even for a short length of time. He still hadn’t even been able to get in to see her!

“Give me just a minute,” Liam finally said.

He pushed Lauren’s door open, and Max swung around to see who entered.

“How is she?” Liam asked in a whisper as he approached the bed.

“Resting,” Max said.

He didn’t offer more and Liam didn’t press. He simply stood at the bed, staring down at Lauren’s bruised face. A harsh growl echoed through the room, and for a moment, Liam thought he’d made the sound, but then he realized it came from Noah, who’d followed him into the room.

“My parents are here,” Liam said to Max. “We’ll be down the hall with them. Lot to explain. We’ll be back soon. Please let us know if she awakens. I don’t want . . . I don’t want her to wake up and for us not to be here.”

“I understand,” Max said. “I’ll let you know.”

Liam leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Come back, baby,” he whispered. “It’s safe now and we love you.”

He stepped away and let Noah have a moment with Lauren before he walked from the room to meet his parents back in the hallway.

They were both staring at him with concern in their eyes, but there was also curiosity as they watched Noah come out behind Liam.