Lawson chuckled. “And he hasn’t even taken her out on a date.”
Caden shook his head. “You gotta up your game or Maddie’s gonna realize she can do a million times better than your ugly mug.”
It was true. She could do so much better than me. She deserved it, too. But our bond was too strong. So, I’d spend every day trying to be the person she deserved.
“I’m gonna take her on a damn date, all right?”
“We should do dinner one night, the four of us,” Holt offered.
Caden grinned. “Now that would get the tongues wagging. Can you imagine how excited the knitting circle would get?”
Roan glared at the cards in front of him. “People need to mind their own business.”
All of us were quiet for a moment. He’d been burned by town gossip in a way that none of us would ever truly understand. It had marked him and made him keep away from all those who might turn against him again.
A ringtone cut through the silence in the room, and Lawson shifted so he could pull his phone out of his pocket. “Chief Hartley.”
In a matter of seconds, Lawson’s expression completely morphed. Gone was the lazy ease of shooting the shit with his brothers. He was instantly on alert.
“Where?”
There was more silence.
“Witnesses?”
Another pause.
“We’re on our way. Thanks for the call, Abel.”
Holt was already shoving back his chair. “What’s going on?”
Lawson’s gaze pulled to me. “Something happened to Maddie.”
33
MADDIE
I wincedas the EMT pressed an ice pack to my head.
He gave me a kind smile. “Sorry, but this will save you some pain in the long run.”
“It’s okay. Thanks, Greg.” My words were barely audible. The lights from the police cars and ambulance were making my head throb even more.
“I want to see my friend!” Grae demanded from where an officer held her and Wren back.
I winced, feeling bad for whoever was on the other end of Grae’s tongue.
Clint moved closer, glancing at Greg. “She need to go to the hospital?”
“It’s probably not a bad idea. She likely has a concussion.”
“No hospitals.” I’d hated them ever since I’d spent so long in one after my father’s attack.
“It’s better to be cautious,” Clint began.
But I was distracted by a flurry of movement. Several figures jogged across the grass, but I only had eyes for the one in the front. Even in the dark, I could make out the brilliant green of his eyes. But tonight, they were bright with fury.
Nash stormed through the gathering crowd, all but shoving Clint and Greg out of the way. “Mads.”
