Sighing, I sank further down into my seat. “They didn’t believe you, though. Did they?”
“Would you?” he asked, his sarcasm evident. “People are quick to judge and condemn. I’m not exactly best friends with the law.”
He was right. They probably thought Rael was a suspect or person of interest. “This isn’t about who found my sister or what they look like. This is about the assholes responsible for hurting her.” My voice was bitter, full of frustration. “Is she still in danger, Rael?”
“I can’t honestly say.”
“If she’s still alive,” I replied, making the logical conclusion, “then they might come to the hospital to finish what they started.”
“Possibly, but if this was a hit, they’d wait it out. She’s probably safe enough for now.”
That wasn’t comforting. What about later, after she was discharged? “I see.”
“Make sure that security guard takes this serious. If you feel afraid, mention it to the detective outside her room. They’ll keep someone posted here as long as needed. How’s Trixie?”
“Thank you. She’s okay,” I managed to reply, touched by his compassion. “Stable for now but she’s st
ill unconscious. She coded twice.” My voice broke as I fought back tears. “Naomi’s always been strong. I know she’ll pull through.”
He rose to his feet, moving closer as I stood. “Make sure they run the kit, okay?” He lifted a hand and brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s important.”
I already knew the rape kit was essential. That evidence would help lead to an arrest and conviction, even if he already took care of her attackers. Those college guys couldn’t have been anything more than paid thugs for the night. “If someone is after my sister, I don’t know –”
“Hey,” he interrupted, tilting my chin up. “None of that. You do what you need to do to keep both of you safe. Let me see your phone.”
I pulled it from the pocket of my scrub top and swiped across the screen. Rael took the cell and typed something in before he handed it back.
“There. You have my number.”
Our gaze met and held. “Why?”
“So you know you aren’t alone.” He winked, releasing my chin as he turned and began walking toward the exit.
“Rael?”
He paused. “Yeah, kitten?”
“You’ll tell me if you learn anything else, right?”
“You bet your sexy ass,” he answered with a slightly mocking grin. “Take care, Nylah.”
Chapter 7 – Azrael
“You’re gonna check out what I said, right?” I was staring the two detectives down, doubting they cared enough about a prostitute with a drug problem to do a damn thing. “She’s in danger.”
“What’s your interest?” The first detective with a military style haircut didn’t believe a word I’d said. No surprise there.
“Listen, you can doubt me all you want because I’m a Royal Bastard, but I didn’t risk getting involved in this shit without a reason. Just follow up. Check out every lead on the case.”
“You telling us how to do our jobs now?” The second detective was a young rookie. He wasn’t worth my time or effort.
Ignoring the idiot, I turned back to the first. “You know how shit goes down. My club isn’t looking to get involved. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. That poor girl would be dead now if I didn’t intervene. Remember that.” He scoffed but didn’t disagree. “Make sure the streets are safe and Tonopah isn’t riddled with heavy crime.” That was an ironic statement if nothing else. Like I was some upstanding citizen. “You know where to find me if you have any more questions.”
I didn’t give them a chance to answer as I headed toward the exit of the hospital for a smoke and to call Grim. That security guard James was following me like a shadow. Annoying as it was, I didn’t acknowledge him. I lit up the second I was outside, moving away from the doors. He hovered at the entrance, speaking to the two detectives for a couple of minutes before the older guy with the military cut left. The rookie went back inside to his post outside Trixie’s room. James stayed where he was, daring me to leave. I ticked my head in his direction, offering a sardonic grin.
With a huff, he walked outside and approached. “This isn’t a joke.”
“Never said it was.”