Page 26 of The Refiner

Vance shrugs, fighting off a grin. “You should be thanking me. He wanted to order an enema too.”

Gritting my teeth, I address Duke sitting alongside me, his grin more expansive than a canyon. “I’m going to beat you bloody.”

“Really?” He raises a brow and then looks back at Vance. “Are you hearing my patient?”

Vance’s lip twitches. “I am.”

“I’m thinking his behavior is escalating. Would you order restraints?”

Ripping the last wire from my chest, I toss it to the floor. “I wish you would try tying me down.”

I’m breathing heavy, already removing the IV in my hand. I need to get out of here and talk to an attorney or to Keagan. Fuck. I don’t know what I need. All I know is I have a daughter that needs me.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, I slump over, burying my face in my hands.

This can’t be happening. This isn’t how I wanted to start a family.

“Hey,” comes a sweet voice. “Look at me.”

“I just need a minute,” I beg Halle.

Shame coats my insides. The last thing I want to do is meet Halle’s concerned gaze and explain what a piece of shit her boss is.

“Astor.” Vance’s hand comes down on my shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell us, man?”

I take a deep breath and lift my head. Being the eldest brother comes with responsibility. Vance needs stability with all that’s happened to him the past eighteen months, and Duke, well, he just needs to know I will beat his ass if he continues with this doctor-patient shit.

“I didn’t know until yesterday,” I finally admit to Vance.

“I’m so sorry.” Halle wraps her arms around me. “This is such a tragic situation.”

The worst.

Piper was a good woman—a good friend. She didn’t deserve to spend her pregnancy worrying if I was going to step up and help raise this baby with her. She didn’t deserve to work through all those emotions, only never to see the miracle we created.

Fate is a cruel bitch.

“How areyoufeeling, really?” I look up at Duke. His voice is serious for the first time. “The nurses were concerned. They said you were acting strangely before you passed out.”

“I’m in shock.” It’s partly the truth.

“And suffering from exhaustion and dehydration,” Duke adds.

“I told y’all.” My head snaps up and locates the voice concealed in the shadows of the corner, a cigarette between his lips. “But I recall you both saying that I didn’t know how to diagnose my ass from my elbow.” Remington blows out a ring of smoke, watching as it floats in the air.

“This is a hospital,” I scold. “You shouldn’t be smoking.”

“Aww, thanks, Dad, but my other daddy said it was okay. Take it up with him.” He blows another puff of smoke toward Vance and grins.

“Seriously, Vance? You said he could smoke?” Out of all of us, Vance is a stickler for rules.

Vance doesn’t even have the decency to look ashamed. He merely shrugs. “It’s better than him talking. I can only take so much sarcasm before I turn violent.”

Remington chuckles.

“Besides, he opened a window.”

I roll my eyes. “How considerate.”

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