“I’m good. I was at my desk this morning for like thirty whole minutes.”
They both laughed at that. Decker hated sitting behind his desk when he could be working, but at his position, he needed a place where he could do paperwork and other things. Most of the higher ups in the company had a desk in their open concept office, but it was a rare day to find all of them there at the same time. That usually only happened on a really rough day of weather when none of them could work onsite.
Wes talked to a few of the crewmembers to see how they were doing but didn’t keep them long since he didn’t want to distract them or make them feel like he was micromanaging every move they made. He’d always hated when his dad stood behind him as he put up drywall. Yeah, his father had only done it to supervise or see if Wes needed anything, but it had always made him self-conscious, as both a son and a worker.
He waved at the crew as he headed out of the back entrance. The front was still blocked off from the public, and it was easier for him to get in and out that way. He still had to head to the office like he’d said, but now that he looked at the time, he was suddenly really hungry. Taboo, their family’s favorite café that was owned and operated by a family friend and happened to share a door with Montgomery Ink, was close by. He figured he’d stop by there for lunch before going to the tattoo shop to say hello to Austin and Maya and the crew before he eventually went to the office. He had his tablet with him, so he’d be working the whole time anyway.
He shot off a text to Tabby to let her know what he was up to, then went through the side alley so he could get to the main street quicker. He stuffed his phone into his pocket and tightened the strap on his messenger bag that held all his things and whistled.
He almost didn’t hear them come up behind him until they were right on him. He turned on his heel, then staggered back when the first punch hit him square in the jaw.
“What the hell?” He ducked under the next punch, but they outnumbered him three to one, and they’d blocked off the exits.
“Where is it?” the biggest one growled out.
He had no idea what the other man was asking, but he didn’t have time to focus on it. They were on him again, this time using their fists and feet. Wes punched back, but only got one man in the cheek before he was down on the ground. He covered his head, trying to call out for help, then screamed as one of the guys stepped on Wes’s hand.
There was a cracking sound, and then another guy punched Wes in the head so hard, he could only blink before he closed his eyes and started to fade. Quickly.
The last thing he heard was one of the men growling, “where is it?” once more.
Where was what?
Then nothing.
Wes blinked open his eyes, the blinding white above him making him groan. He quickly shut his lids and prayed that the splitting headache would just go away so he could sleep. Why did his head hurt like this anyway? Did he have too much to drink the night before?
Then everything came back to him with a hard slam to his chest, and he sucked in a breath. He’d been jumped in the alley. He’d tried to fight back, but he wasn’t the best fighter, and he’d been sorely outmuscled and outnumbered.
“Wes? Go get the nurse. I think he’s waking up.”
Storm’s voice pulled his eyes open again, and Wes let out a cough.
“Shit, you scared the crap out of me. Us. Miranda just ran out to get the nurse. We’ve been taking turns since there’s so many of us and I think the sheer bulk of us started to worry some of the staff, so we’re trying to keep quiet in our waiting room.” His twin let out a snort. “Our waiting room. Hell, Wes, we have to stop doing this.”
Wes blinked a few more times before narrowing his eyes at his twin. Storm never rambled like that, so Wes must have scared the crap out of him. “Seems to me, you were the last one in this bed.”
Storm shook his head. “And I’d hoped I would be the last one to enter these halls.” He sighed. “Well, technically, we’re in a different hospital this time since you were found downtown instead of near where we all live.”
“What happened?” Wes asked, his body aching. “And what’s wrong with me?”
“Well, that’s to the point. We don’t know what happened. Decker found you in the alley, bloody, bruised, and unconscious. He didn’t move you since it looked bad, or so he said.” Storm let out a shaky breath.
“How did he know where to find me?” His pulse raced, and he did his best not to look down. His body hurt, and he figured he had a broken bone or two, but he knew as soon as he looked down, it would hurt more. That’s how things had worked when he was a kid and scraped his knee, and he figured this would be like one big scrape.
“Tabby called Decker when you didn’t show up and didn’t answer your phone. She also called Hailey, Maya, and Austin because it was so unlike you.” Storm cleared his throat. “Jesus, Wes. What the fuck happened?”
Wes started to shake his head then thought better of it. “I don’t know. I got jumped.”
“Fuck. I’m glad you’re going to be okay because you will be okay, damn it. The cops will be here to talk to you soon, but we’ll keep them back for as long as we can.” His brother swallowed hard as the nurse walked in, Miranda on her tail. “Love you, man.”
Wes must look like shit if Storm was getting so emotional. All the Montgomerys hugged and told each other they loved one another, but Storm was usually a little more closed off when it came to voicing his feelings. Even after falling for Everly, Storm was better at showing how he felt.
“Love you, too.”
“Wes,” Miranda whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. “I’m going to go talk to everyone outside while the nurse does her thing, but I love you, big brother. I don’t like seeing you here.”
“Love you, too, baby sis.”
Storm wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her out of the room, leaving Wes with the three nurses and the staff members who had shown up. Right as the door closed behind them, it opened again, and the person Wes figured was the doctor walked in.
She was an older woman with a kind face and strong hands—something he was grateful for since he was in a hospital after getting jumped.
“Well, Mr. Montgomery, it’s good to see you awake. How about you tell me a few things as I check you over again and we can talk about the extent of your injuries.” He appreciated her no-nonsense tone since he was starting to really freak out about what might be wrong with him.
She poked and prodded and made sure he knew his name before leaning back and tapping her pen on her folder.
“Okay, Mr. Montgomery—”
“Call me Wes.”
She smiled then, just a quick one, but it relaxed him. “Okay, Wes. Here’s the deal. You have multiple contusions and lacerations on your legs, arms, and face. All from what we figure were fists and kicks. You also have two bruised ribs, a slight concussion, and a very sprained hand. Not just your wrist, but every part of your hand. It’s going to take a while to heal, and I’m pretty sure at some point you’re going to wish it had just been broken instead of sprained, but you’re going to be fine.”
Wes let out a breath and finally looked down. As expected, the pain hit him hard, but knowing he wasn’t hurt too badly made it slightly better.
He winced as he accidentally moved his left hand.
Slightly.
“Your family said you were right-handed, so you can at least work behind your desk. No heavy lifting or strenuous activities for a while. I know you work in construction, but from what your family said, you can step back and oversee for a while as you heal.”
“That’s going to suck.”
She laughed then. “True. I’m the same way when it comes to wanting to be in the thick of it, but you’re going to have to follow my orders if you want to heal at a reasonable pace and not screw up your hand. Got me?”
He nodded, winced, then said, “Yes, ma’am.”
She went over a few things, and the nurses did the
same before she left him alone with a promise that the rest of his family would be in soon. Before he had a chance to close his eyes and rest his aching head, his family came in in pairs, each of them wanting to be close and make sure he would be okay. Only Jake was absent, as he had all the Montgomery kids at his place with his brothers and their wives helping out since there was no way he could handle everyone on his own.
Wes was just about to rest his eyes after Storm and Everly left when the door opened again, and Jillian walked through. He froze, and his eyes widened.
“Jilli.”
She gave him a sad smile, frozen in the doorway. “I…I came in with Everly since we were at lunch when we heard. I wanted to make sure you had time with your family before I came back. I can go if you want to rest, though.”
“Come here.”
She swallowed hard, her pale face framed by her long, chestnut hair. Then she came to his side and sat in the seat the others had pulled up by his right side so they could see him better.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, taking his hand.
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t jump me.”
She snorted. “No, I didn’t. But I’m still sorry you’re hurt. It’s scary to see you like this.”
It clicked then. “You’re thinking about your dad. He’s fine, Jillian. Right? I mean, his chest healed after that fall?”
She pressed her lips together, and he thought she might cry, but then she seemed to pull herself together. “He’s okay. I was more worried about you, though. I don’t like seeing you like this. How are you going to knit now that you can’t use your left hand?”
He held back a laugh since his ribs really hurt. “It was all part of my plan.”
She rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips though he knew she was still worried. “You could have just backed down from our deal. You didn’t need to get beat up.”
“Go big or go home, right?”
There was an awkward silence as the two of them stared at one another, their hands clasped. He honestly wasn’t sure why they were like this with each other. They were barely friends, though he knew they were on a path to something that could be more, but they weren’t there yet.
But no matter what was going on between them, there was one thing he did know. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Her face softened. “I’m glad you’re glad. Just don’t do this again.”
“I’ll do my best.” They stayed that way for a while longer before two cops walked into the room to ask him questions. Since his father and Austin were with them, Jillian dropped his hand and stood to go.
“Heal, Wes. We can handle the warehouse.” Jillian moved toward the door, and his gaze followed her.
“I’ll try,” he said honestly, knowing it would be hard not to want to help. But then there was nothing left to say on that as she left him lying on the bed, his body sore, and his mind and soul aching. His place in the world had been rocked more than once today, and he had no idea what any of it meant.
“Mr. Montgomery? Do you think you could tell us what happened?”
Wes turned to the others in the room and let his mind focus on them rather than whatever the hell was going on with Jillian. There would be time for that later, he promised himself.
What he’d do when the time came? Well, that he didn’t know.
Chapter Ten
Jillian tapped her foot and glared at her dad. He licked his spoon and wiggled his brows before going in for another bite of gelato.
“Dad…”
“Sorry, can’t hear you. I’m too busy salivating over this butter pecan.” He took another bite and groaned. She did her best not to laugh at the look of pure bliss on his face but couldn’t help it. He just looked so happy with his formerly confiscated gelato.
“The doctor said you need to watch your sugar.”
“I know. I was there, remember?” He set the spoon in the sink and went to put the pint in the freezer. So he wouldn’t have to bend down and pull at the handle, which sometimes was a little too hard for him, she took the pint away and put it in the freezer herself.
“Since you were there and know, you shouldn’t be so cavalier about it.”
As soon as she stood up, he rested his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I had three bites, which I’m allowed, Jilly-bean. It’s okay. Really. And at least it was the organic kind without any of those nasty chemicals inside that could make things worse.”
She winced and leaned forward so she could give him a hug. “I’m sorry I’m a menace. I just worry.”
“You wouldn’t be my daughter if you didn’t worry.” He kissed the top of her head, and she sighed into him. “It was good gelato.”
“It’s my favorite brand for a reason,” she said with a soft laugh. “So, what’s on the agenda for the day? I figured we could go see a movie or maybe go for a drive up into the mountains.”
“I think a drive would be nice. Roger is coming over later this afternoon to watch the game, so nothing too crazy.”
It was still early, and they could do a short drive at least into the foothills and get some lunch on the way back without tiring either one of them out. With her workload these days and the fact that she didn’t sleep well thanks to dreaming of a certain Montgomery and what could have happened if Decker hadn’t found him, she tired easily. Her hands shook, and she clenched her fists to hide her reaction. Her father knew what had happened to Wes since she’d told him, but she hadn’t mentioned that she’d stayed in his hospital room for so long and had waited with Wes’s family for hours to hear news.
She’d seen the way the others had looked at her while they waited, but there hadn’t been anything else for her to do. She’d been with Everly when Storm called the other woman, and she hadn’t thought twice about going to the hospital with her. Everly’s boys had been at day camp, and that meant Jillian and Everly could go right to the hospital to meet the Montgomerys.
Most of them had looked surprised for a moment when they saw her walk in, and then it was as if she were supposed to be there all along. She’d learned through Storm over the past few years that this wasn’t the first time the family had met in a waiting room around the city’s numerous hospitals, but this had been the first time they were waiting to hear news on Wes.
When she and Everly arrived, Storm had opened his arms to the both of them. For a moment, it had seemed a bit odd to hug her friend who happened to be her ex at the same time as his fiancée, but in reality, they had all moved on to the point where they were just friends and lived their lives. Storm was hurting because of what was going on with his twin, and that meant that Jillian would be there for him.
And, of course, she had also been worried beyond reason about Wes.
Jillian still couldn’t believe that he’d been jumped so close to the bookstore and where most of their friends worked. Whoever had attacked him hadn’t wanted money since they had left Wes’s wallet behind untouched, so they still didn’t know why he’d been jumped as he had. But she knew she’d never get the image of him lying in bed, bruised and exhausted, out of her mind, no matter how many times people told her he would be okay.
It had been almost a week since the incident, and he was just now able to walk around easily and oversee the project site. She’d taken the day off to hang out with her dad since she had an overabundance of vacation days already and hadn’t actually gotten that kitten she’d been thinking about.
And if she let herself, she’d spend the entire afternoon wondering why she’d reacted the way she had when she visited Wes in the hospital. She couldn’t believe she’d held his hand for as long as she had and hadn’t cared if anyone else saw her.
He was just her boss. She had to keep reminding herself.
Only she knew he wasn’t merely her boss. What that more was, she didn’t know and wasn’t sure she could let herself figure out. So, instead of continuing to dwell, she’d spend the day with her father and ignore whatever feelings kept bubbling up inside of her.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” her dad said softly. She looked up to see him staring at her, and she smiled brightly, hoping it didn’t ring too false. “Let’s pack up some water and snacks for our drive.” He winked, and she laughed for real this time.
“You just had gelato at nine in the morning, Dad. Snacks?”
“What’s a road trip without snacks?” He waggled his brows and moved back so he could turn toward the refrigerator. She snorted and followed him, frowning when her phone buzzed in her purse on the counter.
“Answer that,” her dad said when she didn’t move toward it.
“I have the one person I want to talk to today right here. Anyone else can wait.”
Her dad shook his head. “It could be Wes.”
She froze. “Uh…why would that matter?”
“I wasn’t born yesterday.” He raised a brow, and she wanted to curl in on herself like she was a little kid. “I’ve seen the way your eyes either light up or glare when you talk about him. And he was hurt recently, so go answer to see if he’s okay.”
She sighed and went to her purse, annoyed that her father could read her so well. “It could be someone else.” Of course, it wasn’t. “Hello, Wes.” She held back a laugh as her father gave her a look of superiority.
“Hey, can you come down to the warehouse? We need you ASAP.”
She frowned. “I took today off for a reason, Wes.”
“I know, and I feel like shit for asking you to come in, but we have a leak that the city fucked up on, and if you don’t come down now to fix it, we’ll be weeks behind. I know we’re in the middle of hiring help for you, but we’re not there yet. Do you think you can come in? We really need you.”
“Go,” her dad said. “We can do the trip this weekend if the weather holds. We have time.”
She let out a shuddering breath, annoyed that she had to choose at all. Her father might say they had time, but ever since the diagnosis, she didn’t feel as if they had enough time.
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