Catching Summer, page 15
The thought brought a smile to my face. “I can only imagine what she told him.”
About that time, Luke barreled through the door with his T-shirt on backward and his blond hair a mess. “What the hell happened?”
I squeezed Evan’s hand and kissed him gently on the lips. “I’ll be right back. I just need to make some phone calls.”
Leaving them alone, I walked past the waiting room where Kate and Cooper sat with Coach Joel. It was going to be a sad day for the team. At the end of the hall, there was a quiet, vacant corner. Pulling out my phone, I read a text from Lara saying she was on her way and a few older ones from Luke asking if I’d found Evan yet. It was late in California, but I needed Mason’s help; it couldn’t wait. Scrolling through my contacts, I clicked on his name and waited for him to pick up and curse at me for calling so late, but luckily he didn’t.
“Summer?” he answered.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly so I wouldn’t choke. “Yes, it’s me.”
“What’s wrong? You never call this late.”
“Evan was in an accident with one of the other players and his girlfriend.” The tears started flowing. “Brianna didn’t make it and Derek almost died. Someone ran them off the road on their way home, and I know how good you are with solving these kinds of cases.”
Mason sighed. “Holy fucking shit. Have there been any other incidents?”
“Just an altercation out in Arizona after last weekend’s game. I don’t know if you watched it, but—”
“You mean with Levi Milner? Yeah, I saw what he was doing.”
“Then you might want to know that he and Evan had words after the game. Is there any way you can investigate him?”
“Yeah, I’ll look into it. In the meantime, I’m going to have Jason Avery talk to you. He’s an undercover detective out there.”
“I know who he is. He’s good friends with Luke Collins.”
“I’ll have him give you a call in the morning. Tell him everything you know.”
“Will do, Mason, thank you. It feels like I’m right back in Vegas with everything falling apart.”
“No, you’re not. What happened to Austin in Vegas was fucked up. That’s not going to happen again.” Before Mason became an undercover cop, he was a legend in the MMA world, a heavyweight champion. When other fighters started showing up dead, he was called in by the Vegas PD chief of police to go undercover to see if he could find the killers. I never thought Austin would be one of those victims. Now Evan was being targeted…but why?
“I sure hope you’re right.”
“I am. I’m going to help you in every way I know how. Jason’s one of the best and he knows a lot of people. He’ll be your eyes and ears.”
We said our goodbyes, and I slowly walked back to Evan’s room. Luke was leaving as I approached, and I stopped him. “Your friend Jason is going to be put on Evan’s case. I called Mason and he’s going to have him help us. We need to find out who did this.”
He nodded, his jaw tense. “I agree. Evan’s never had anything like this happen before. I don’t know what the fuck’s going on. But whatever it is, Jason will figure it out. I’ll be back up here tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I whispered before he walked off. Evan’s door was cracked, so I tiptoed inside and shut it lightly. He was still awake and smiled sadly when I approached.
“Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? I’ll be fine here.”
“I’m not leaving you, Evan. I’m staying with you.”
I started to sit down, but he shook his head. “Not there, sunshine. Here,” he said, patting the space beside him.
“Evan, no. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“If you don’t get up here, I’m going to drag myself out of this bed and make you. Don’t make me have to do that. I could’ve died tonight and all I want to do is hold you. Please, Summer.”
Gently, I climbed up on the bed and snuggled up to his side. He winced, but instead of letting me back away, he held me tight. “I need this. I have to know you’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m not. I’ll always be by your side.” It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep, but I lay there too terrified to close my eyes. I could only imagine the horrible things I would see if I did.
Chapter 23
Summer
After a few hours of sleep, I slipped out of the hospital bed and grabbed a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. I hate coffee, but I needed the caffeine. Kate and Cooper were sitting at a table, eating breakfast, looking glum. I was thankful Kate had pulled some strings so I could stay the night with Evan. Usually it wasn’t allowed, but Evan had been adamant that I stay.
“Anything new?” I asked, taking a seat.
Kate rubbed her tired eyes. “The police are going to talk to Evan sometime this morning. Other than that, I guess everything’s under investigation.”
“What about arrangements for Brianna’s funeral?”
“Her family’s taking care of that. Joel is meeting with the team today and asking for donations to help out. They’re kind of waiting on Derek to wake up before they set a date.”
A lone tear fell down my cheek. “I see.”
“What about on your end? Did you talk to Mason?”
I took a sip of my coffee and almost gagged. “I did. He’s going to get Luke’s friend Jason to help out. He’s supposed to call me today.”
She sighed. “That’s good. I know Jason very well.”
Picking up my coffee, I stood up and pushed in my chair. “What about the game tonight? Will there still be one?”
Cooper cleared his throat. “Joel said the team’s fired up and ready to go. They want to do it for Derek, Evan, and Brianna.”
“Are you going to play?” I asked him.
He started to say no, but Kate put a hand over his mouth. “Yes, he’s going to. I guess he feels he needs to babysit me.”
Cooper chuckled. “Somebody has to.”
“All right, you two, I’m going to check on Evan and then head to his house to get him some fresh clothes.”
“I can do that if you want. That way you can stay with him,” Kate offered.
“No, it’s okay. I think I need the fresh air. Hospitals bring back way too many memories for me.”
She smiled sadly. “I understand. Cooper and I are going to the stadium to talk to the team, but we’ll be back up here later.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you guys then.”
Before leaving the cafeteria, I guzzled down the rest of my coffee and threw the cup away. I could already feel the effects of the caffeine swirling through my body. I needed that jolt. Once I made it back to Evan’s floor, I walked by the waiting room, only to be tackled by Lara as she threw her arms around me.
“It’s about damn time I get to see you. I was here a while ago, but when I looked in on you and Evan, you were on the bed with him. I didn’t want to bother you.” She let me go and her eyes watered.
“He’s okay, thank God. But I’m assuming you heard about Brianna and Derek?”
“I did. I can’t believe this shit is happening. It’s already all over the news.”
“What are they saying?” I asked, wide-eyed.
“Nothing much just yet—only that it’s under investigation and they’re considering foul play. It’s too soon, I guess.”
“Where’s Grayson? Is he handling the restaurant?”
She nodded. “He said he’ll do whatever it takes. We both know you want to be with Evan.”
Holding on to her arm, I pulled her with me to Evan’s room. “At least until he’s out of here. Do you want to come with me to fetch him some clean clothes?”
“Sure. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Evan was already awake, flipping through TV stations that were all covering the accident. “I wonder how long it’s going to take for the media to come here. We need to make sure Derek doesn’t see this shit before I get a chance to tell him.”
“Last I heard, he hasn’t awoken yet, but we’ll make sure he can’t turn on the TV,” I told him.
He shut the television off and slammed the remote on the table. “I’m ready to get the fuck out of here. Do you know when they’re letting me out?” He tried to run his hands through his hair, but winced when he touched the bandage. I walked over to him and grabbed his hands.
“I don’t know, but it’ll be soon. I’m going to run by the house and pick up some clean clothes for you. Is there anything else you need?”
Sighing, he pulled me closer and kissed me. “Only you. Just hurry back.”
“I won’t be gone long. Besides, I think the police are coming to talk to you. You’ll be busy with that for a while. Then tonight we can watch the game together.”
“The team’s still playing tonight?”
I nodded. “They wanted to do it for you, Derek, and Bri.” I kissed him again. “I’ll be back soon. Try to get some rest so you can go home.”
“I’m trying, sunshine.”
Lara and I stepped out and started down the hall toward the elevator. “You sure you’re okay?” she asked.
The elevator doors closed and carried us down. I was okay for the moment, but I could feel my resistance wearing thin. “I’m fine,” I lied. “I’m just ready for this all to be over.”
—
We got to Evan’s house, and I packed an entire bag for him with clothes and toiletries. “I want to stop by the café and get him some apple fritters before we go back,” I called out to Lara.
“I swear, you two are so cute it’s sickening. Why weren’t you like that with Austin?”
Grabbing one of Evan’s shirts, I brought it to my face and breathed in his scent. I loved Austin and always would, but what I had with Evan was different. It was stronger. “I don’t know,” I admitted honestly. “My relationship with Evan runs deeper than I’d ever imagined.”
“Do you think maybe it’s because you were meant to be with Evan and not Austin?”
“Could be, but they are complete opposites. My life stopped with Austin and then picked back up with Evan. He healed me.” Lara blew out a heavy sigh and sat down at the kitchen table. She fumbled with her phone and let it drop on the table. “Why are you asking me these questions?” I asked. “Is there something on your mind? Or perhaps someone?” Before she could reply, a knock sounded on the door. “I wonder who that could be.”
She followed me to the door. When I opened it, I wasn’t prepared to see Luke there with Jason beside him. His eyes immediately caught Lara’s and he froze.
“Hi,” I greeted them. “I wasn’t expecting you just yet.”
Jason glanced back and forth at us all and stepped forward when he realized Luke was going to stand there in a stupor. “I’m sorry to barge in on you, but we tried to call. We went to the hospital and Kate said you were here.”
Opening the door wider, I waved them in. “No, it’s fine. My phone must be dead. It hasn’t been charged in a while.” Jason stepped forward and so did Luke. Unfortunately, Lara backed away and disappeared down the hallway, slamming the door in her wake. “It’s been an emotional day,” I said, giving her an excuse. Then I turned to Luke. “Just give her some time.”
His jaw clenched. “More time for her to run back to Grayson? Yeah, that’s exactly what I want.”
Jason elbowed him in the side. “We’re not here for your love life, asswipe. We’re here for Townsend.”
Luke huffed and shut the door. “Then let’s get to it.”
We sat down at the kitchen table and Jason pulled out a notebook. I told him everything I knew. I mentioned Levi and what had happened in Arizona along with everything Evan had told me about the accident.
“Personally, I think you should investigate Jax, too,” Luke suggested. “It’s obvious he hates Evan. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had something to do with all of this.”
Jason wrote Jax’s name in his notebook. “Good point. After what you told me he and Lindsey did, it could be possible. I’ll investigate them both.”
“Do you think that’s enough to go on?” I asked him.
He shut his notebook and stood. “Oh, yeah. It might take a few days to get everything I need, but I’ll do it as fast as I can. Tell Evan I’ll be in touch.”
“I will.”
I walked them to the door, but Luke stopped and turned around. “I’m sorry for losing my shit earlier. I didn’t know Lara was going to be here.”
“It’s okay. I think she’s a little confused right now. Love seems to do that to people.”
He snorted. “No shit. I’ll see you back at the hospital tonight.”
“Good, because Evan and I are going to watch the game. The more the merrier.”
“Then I’ll bring the chips and dip. I’m sure Evan’s going to be sick of hospital food by the time everything’s said and done.”
I laughed. “I’m sure he will. See you tonight.”
After I shut the door, Lara came out of hiding. “So you’re hanging out with him now?”
Sighing, I grabbed Evan’s bag and slung it over my shoulder. “He’s Evan’s best friend, Lara. He’s going to be around, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Straightening her shoulders, she marched to the door. “Whatever you do, don’t ask me to hang out with him. I don’t think I can do it.”
“Are you ever going to talk to him?”
With her hand on the knob, she glanced back at me, her gaze sad. “I don’t know. My anger keeps me away, but I can feel my control slipping. I think it’s best I stay away from him.” And with those words, she opened the door and said nothing more about it. I could only hope she was making the right decision.
Chapter 24
Summer
Before going back to the hospital, I dropped Lara off at the restaurant and stopped at a favorite café of mine and Evan’s so I could buy him some apple fritters and me some blueberry scones. They had only four of each so I bought them all.
“Hungry this morning?” a voice called out behind me. Gasping, I turned to find Philip, dressed in a pair of gym shorts and a tank top, smiling widely. But his smile disappeared when he got a good look at my face. “What the hell. Are you okay?”
“Not really, but I will be.”
Gently grabbing my elbow, he pulled me over to a table. “What’s wrong? Do you want to talk about it?”
I sat down and rubbed a hand over my face. “You haven’t seen the news?”
“No, not yet. As soon as I got up, I went out for a run and then came here.”
“Evan and two of our friends were in an accident last night.”
His eyes went wide. “Are they okay?”
“Evan and Derek are, but Brianna’s dead. She was pregnant, too, which makes it even harder.”
Philip grabbed my hands. “I’m so sorry, Summer. Does anyone know what happened?”
I shrugged. “Evan says that someone in a truck pushed them off the road. He couldn’t see who it was.”
“Well, hopefully they’ll find out who did it. I hate seeing you go through this again.”
I chuckled, but there was nothing humorous about it. “Me, too. It’s like I can’t escape tragedy.”
Philip squeezed my hands. “If you ever need to talk, you know where I am. I’m always here for you.”
“I know, and it means a lot to me.” Letting his hands go, I stood and he followed. “I should probably be getting back to the hospital. Evan’s really torn up over the accident.”
Philip nodded and walked me out to my car. When I got inside, he was about to shut my door and then stopped. “I just want to say one thing before you go,” he began.
I put the key in the ignition and started it up. “What is it?”
“If someone has a death wish for Evan, I’m sure as hell glad you weren’t in the car. I’m sorry about your friend, but you need to be careful. Running them off the road wasn’t an accident. I hope they catch whoever it is, because next time it might be you. Just be careful out there with him.”
Shutting the door, he glanced at me one more time before turning on his heel and starting off down the sidewalk. He had a point, but I wasn’t going to let anyone scare me away from Evan.
—
Evan looked a lot better when I went back to the hospital in the afternoon. The doctor was in there along with two nurses, going over all his vitals. I had a feeling his smile was just a front so the doctor would release him. Sneaky bastard. He was still in pain, but he did a good job pretending that he wasn’t in agony, both emotionally and physically. As soon as the doctor and nurses left, his real feelings started to show. His smile disappeared, and his shoulders sagged. I set his bag down and sat on the edge of his bed.
“I brought you something,” I announced, handing him the box with his apple fritters and my scones.
His lips tilted up in a genuine smile. “Let me guess, you got your scones, too.”
I opened the box and pulled one out, taking a huge bite. “You know it. I actually only went there for me. I figured I’d get your fritters while I was there,” I said with a wink.
He tried to laugh, but then hissed in pain. “What the fuck, that hurts.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just didn’t realize how sore I really was.”
Once I finished my scone, I lifted up his bag and set it on the bed. “I brought you some clean clothes and your toiletries. Do you want to take a shower?”
A sly smile lit up his face. “Only if you take one with me.”
I gasped. “What if someone comes in?”
“Then we tell them I needed the help. Which in all honesty, I kind of do.”
He tried to get out of bed, but I stopped him. “Give me one second and I’ll get everything ready. The last thing I want is for you to fall and hurt yourself.”
“I knew you would see it my way,” he boasted triumphantly.
Once the water was warm, I helped him out of bed and out of the hospital gown he was in. If the circumstances had been better, I would’ve laughed at seeing his bare backside through the slit in the back, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh. His whole body was battered and bruised. After shutting the bathroom door, I removed my own clothes.
