Struggling to swallow the giant lump inside my throat, a slight guttural roar escapes instead.
“Him…”I grit.
Eric curls his hand into a fist, pressing it against his mouth. “Lex, calm down. The important thing is everyone is alive.”
“I will not calm down,”I shout, my voice echoing in the long corridor. “How long has he been stalking her? Was his intent to kidnap her and …”
“Don’t say it, man.” Rocky shakes his head. “Baker never came across like that. He’s just not over Charlie. He wouldn’t harm her.”
I push Rocky’s chest, releasing my anger. “How the fuck do you know that?”
“You guys.” Eric panics, trying to pull my arm, but he’s doing a pathetic job at it. “I’m not equipped to handle heterosexual fights. If you pulled his hair or something, I’d be breaking this up in a heartbeat.”
Rocky raises his hands in the air, calling defeat. Instead, I lean against the wall, shutting my eyes to control my rage.
“I know you don’t want to face the facts, but he saved her life and your baby,” Rocky tells me bluntly. “You can wish he was dead, but chances are, so would your family.”
My eyes dart to his, painfully trying to come to terms with the truth. Chances are, this was out of my control. Charlotte’s contraction caused the accident. If he wasn’t following her, she’d bedead.
The door opens as Dad exits the room. “There you are. Have you had a chance to visit the baby?”
I scratch my head, letting out a heavy sigh. “I’m about to head over.”
Dad places his hand on my shoulder, glancing over at Rocky and Eric, who watch on cautiously, half-expecting me to lash out again. Instead, my shoulders fall, the exhaustion from the mental anguish suddenly overcoming me.
“I’ll go check on the baby. Then, provided there’s nothing concerning, I’ll bring her over,” he suggests, keeping his expression fixed. “Go be with Charlie. Your mother is trying to convince her to book a holiday, but we all know it’s because she wants to steal her grandkids.”
His hand leaves my shoulder then he walks toward the NICU.
“Look, I’m going to forgive you for trying to knock me out,” Rocky says calmly. “But we all know I can kick your ass, Edwards.”
“A cock fight would have been perfect.” Eric grins.
Rocky furrows his brows. “You’re a sick mother fucker. You know that?”
“I’m not the one who enjoys perusing photos of women’s feet. If anyone is sick and twisted, it’s you, Rockford Romano.”
I stare at them both, wondering what the fuck is wrong with them. At the same time, Rocky scans the corridor, then retrieves a flask from his jacket.
“Here, drink some. It’ll take the edge off.”
He unscrews the cap, and instantly, the scent of smokey whisky lingers.
“I’m supposed to be getting coffee.”
Rocky snorts. “Coffee? You pussy. Drink it. You’ll feel much better.”
Despite my better judgment, I take it from his hands and take a long-winded swig. The burn sliding down my throat is exactly what I need to calm myself down. As soon as I’m done, I let out a loud rasp.
“So, are we all okay?” Eric questions with a prolonged stare.
Both Rocky and I nod in unison. Then Eric claps his hands in delight.
“Should we all kiss and make up?”
“You’re fucked up,” Rocky berates him. “You better not jerk off to photos of me.”
Eric rolls his eyes in disgust. “Please, I have taste when it comes to my jerking-off fantasies.