“Ethan,” he said firmly, waiting until those blue eyes locked onto his. “Listen to me. Your sister is going to be fine. Those paramedics are the best at what they do, but right now she needs you to be strong. She needs you to let them do their job and get her to the hospital as fast as possible. Can you do that?”
Ethan’s lip trembled, but he nodded slowly.
“Good man,” Marcus said. He looked up at Officer Davidson. “I’ll take him. I’ll follow the ambulance to the hospital and stay with him until his father gets there.”
Davidson’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Sir, I appreciate the offer, but—”
“I’m taking him,” Marcus repeated, his tone brooking no argument. He stood, keeping one hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “The kid just saved his sister’s life by having the guts to stand up to four bikers who probably scared him half to death. Least I can do is make sure he doesn’t have to wait alone.”
The officer studied Marcus for a long moment, clearly weighing his options. Finally, he nodded. “Fine, but I’ll need to see some ID, and I’ll be checking in at the—”
Marcus pulled out his wallet and handed over his driver’s license without complaint. He knew exactly what the officer saw: a man with a record, a man who wore his outsider status like armor. But for once, Marcus didn’t care about the judgment. The ambulance pulled away, lights flashing, and Marcus felt Ethan’s small hand slip into his calloused palm. The boy looked up at him with eyes that held equal parts fear and trust. A combination that made Marcus’s throat tighten unexpectedly.
“You promise she’ll be okay?” Ethan asked in a whisper.
Marcus Brennan, who had spent twenty years learning not to make promises he couldn’t keep, looked down at the child whose warning had prevented an unspeakable tragedy and found himself saying, “I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure she is. Come on, kid. Let’s go.”
The Flagstaff Medical Center emergency room hummed with controlled chaos. Beeping monitors, hurried footsteps on linoleum floors, the sharp antiseptic smell that seemed universal to hospitals everywhere. Marcus guided Ethan through the automatic doors, his large frame creating a path through the waiting patients and hurried staff. The boy’s hand remained locked in his, the small fingers gripping with desperate strength.
“Lilly Cole,” Marcus said to the receptionist, a tired-looking woman with reading glasses perched on her nose. “Little girl, just brought in by ambulance. This is her brother.”
The receptionist’s expression softened when she saw Ethan’s tear-stained face. “Have a seat. I’ll let the doctors know family is here. Do you have insurance information?”