“If he must,” I said with a sigh.
I leaned my head back against the pillow, my eyes slowly drifting shut. The animal kingdom show had switched focus to a pack of lions killing one of their own. I appreciated the gruesome picture. I even felt a kinship with it.
The door to my room opened. “Hey, Doc,” Colt said softly.
I looked at him, but I was unable to read his expression. He placed a huge paw on Mia’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, and then he helped her out of the chair. He leaned down and brushed a kiss along the apple of her cheek and then with a glance that seemed to say farewell, Mia left the room, leaving me alone with the president of the Blue Angels.
“How are you feeling?” he asked gruffly.
“Doped up on morphine. How areyoufeeling?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Fuck, Linden. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Then don’t say anything,” I suggested.
Colt sighed. “I’m not gonna bug you now and ask what happened. But I need to know how deep this goes.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you know who kidnapped you?”
“Yes, I know who was behind it.”
“Cartel?” he asked, pitching his voice low.
I hesitated and then nodded.
“Yeah. Thought so. Fuck.” He shook his head. “Goddamn it all to hell; it wasn’t supposed to be like this. You weren’t supposed to—fuck, I have to let Boxer explain.”
“I don’t want to see Boxer,” I protested.
Colt’s brown eyes were hard. “You’ll have to. At some point, you have to hear what he has to say.”
I clamped my jaw shut and looked away from him.
“When you’re ready, okay? Whenever that is. Listen, I hate to put the pressure on you, but there’s something more pressing going on right now. There are two detectives here. They’ve been chomping at the bit to talk to you, but I got the chief to get in their shit and tell them you needed to rest. They won’t wait anymore. Be evasive, Linden. Be vague. I need you to lead them to a dead end.”
“Why? So I can protect the club?” I hissed. “It’s all about the club, isn’t it? I’m just a fucking casualty, aren’t I?”
Before Colt was able to reply, the door to my room opened again, and Chief Nelson strode inside.
I’d once thought him formidable and imposing. Especially when he’d interviewed me for a job. But he didn’t intimidate me now. Not after Dante.
Chief Nelson turned to look at Colt. “Mr. Weston,” he greeted.
“Chief,” Colt said, rising and holding out his hand.
They shook hands, and then Colt dropped his. “Mia will be back later, if you want.”
“Fine,” I said, my tone clipped.
Colt inclined his head and then strode from the room, leaving me alone with Chief Nelson.
“Nice guy,” Chief Nelson said.
I raised my brows but didn’t reply. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Colt had gotten on the good side of Chief Nelson. The Blue Angels had ways, apparently. No wonder the detectives had waited to speak to me.
“You’ve made some very good friends,” Chief Nelson said. “There are a lot of them in the waiting room.”