Page 247 of Come Back to Me

“Of course. Gray matter’s sexy.”

Amy clears her throat. “Who are you?”

“I’m Cody’s…” Um. “…friend.”

“With benefits?”

“Yes!” I pause. “Just don’t tell my mom that.”

Amy gives me that look new people tend to give me. The ‘she’s crazy’ one. She glances at Cody, who shakes his head.

I don’t bother huffing.

“Why are you here?”

“People visit sick people in the hospital.” I turn to Cody. “Doesn’t she know that?”

“Oh, she knows that, but wearestrangers, Tee.”

“You’re not.”

“Only by association am I a friend.”

Amy’s gaze darts to the door and the window beside it. “Am I allowed to leave?”

“Why would you when you’re still recuperating?”

Cody smiles. “It’s a fair question.”

“Then, can I have a fair answer?” Amy whispers, her fingers digging into the blankets now she’s plopped them on either side of her thighs.

“You’re free to leave when the doctors discharge you.”

“You don’t have to be scared,” I chime in, reading the girl’s fear better than Marshal Korhonen over there can. “Cody’s not going to arrest you.”

“But I?—”

“I’d be very careful of what you do or don’t say, Amy,” Cody counters, but his focus shifts to his phone when it buzzes. “Your father claimed that Kit was behind James Fairweather’s death. When you’ve been awake for more than five minutes, I’ll need you to make a statement.”

His wry tone is lost on her. If anything, Amy appears torn between an escape attempt and tears.

What he doesn’t tell her is that her father’s dead.

I have to assume that’s for a reason, so I keep my nose out.

(Hey, I’m capable. Sometimes.)

“Colt says to tell you that Milord’s in the house. Callan bribed him inside with a steak.”

I scowl at him. “Why’s Callan bribing my dog? He has his own dog to blackmail.”

Amy croaks, “Excuse me?”

Ignoring her, I prompt, “Ask Colt, Cody.”

Lazily, he tucks his phone away. “You ask him. You get along better with my brothers than I do.”

“Gross overstatement,” I retort with a sniff. “Callan and I agreed we weren’t going to bribe them yet.”

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