Langston choked on his burger, coughing violently!
Everett quickly got up and patted his back, âEasy there, cowboy. Ainât no one gonna rustle that burger
from ya.â
âIâm fine!â Langston waved him off, avoiding Everettâs gaze.
At first, Everett was genuinely concerned about the choking hazard, but Langstonâs shifty behavior
tipped him off that something was amiss.
He was trying to play it cool, but the more he did, the more it screamed that there was something fishy.
But this time. Everett didnât go for the direct approach. Instead, he played it off like he hadnât noticed a
thing and finished the meal as if everything was normal.
He knew Langston was onto his old tricks, but there were plenty more tricks up his sleeve.
Let Dorothy start working at the Lopez Corporation first. The rest⦠well, they would cross that bridge
when they come
to it
At the hospital, Jeffrey showed no signs of improvement.
The deep gash across his face was beyond healing, leaving a scar that would never fade. The multiple
fractures throughout his body posed no threat to his life, but any thoughts of manual labor or heavy
lifting in his future were dashed.
The only silver lining was that his condition hadnât worsened.
Palomaâs eyes were swollen from crying, and she had fainted more than once. Eventually, Huxley had
to strongâarm her back to the hotel to rest, leaving him to stand vigil alone.
When Heather arrived, she found Huxley staring at the ICU sign, lost in thought.
She balanced a bunch of stuff in her arms and composed herself before approaching
âHuxley.â
He stood up when he saw her, though not with the warmth he reserved for Everett. His demeanor was
cooler, almost frosty.
âYeah, youâre here.â
âI came to see how Jeffreyâs doing. Is he better?â
Huxley nodded grimly, âJust waiting on the doc and see if surgery is needed.â
âAh, Huxley, youâre not in the best shape yourself. How about I come by after my shift to keep watch?
Iâm free anyway. and you and Paloma should get some rest at the hotel.â
âItâs okay. Iâm worried someone might try to harm my boy.â Huxleyâs words were blunt as a hammer.
He figured if Heather was innocent, she wouldnât take offense. But if she were up to something, she
needed to hear this
straight.
Sure enough, he caught a fleeting look of discomfort crossing Heatherâs face.
âHuxley, didnât the cops say it was an accident? No oneâs out to get Jeffrey!â
âThatâs debatable. My sonâs a straight shooter, not a sly fox. He mightâve rubbed someone the wrong
way. Didnât you say it yourself? Jeffrey had a habit of sticking his nose in your business with Everett.
Iâve told him off for it, but he never listens. Said he considered both of you friends and couldnât ignore
trouble.â
âJeffreyâs a good guy. I know his nature!â
Huxley gave her a pointed look, a smile playing on his lips, âRight. Speaking of which, I wanted to ask
you about something. I heard my son had a spat with you at the Lopez Corporation right before he
drove off. What was that all about?
âJust⦠work stuff.â
âReally? âCause what I heard didnât sound like a work chat.â Huxley coughed lightly, waving it off,
âAnyway, if you donât want to talk to me about it Iâll let Everett take a gander when he gets here, just
found it out myself and didnât get the chance to tell him. Thought Iâd ask you since youâre here first.â
The implication was clear as day; he didnât buy Heatherâs story one bit.
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