INFERNO (The HEAT Series Book 4) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Deborah Bladon
call you my best friend."
"That works too." She glides her fingers over my forearm. "Let's go talk to his family and then we'll go see your dad."
"Deal," I say under my breath as I look toward Tyler's mom. "Let's go."
CHAPTER 7
"My son told me all about you." John Monroe faces me. "He said you were beautiful but that word doesn't do you justice. You're gorgeous. You're as gorgeous as Kay."
"Dad." Kayla taps him on the shoulder. "Don't embarrass her."
"Embarrass her?" He winks at me. "How can I do that? She's a stunner and she can cook up a storm. Your brother was right when he said she's one in a million."
My gaze drops to my shoes. I'd almost rolled my ankle as I walked over to where they were seated. I'd been in a rush, fueled by my need to get this over with. I was tentative. The majority of the anxiety I was feeling about talking to them stemmed from my belief that they'd automatically compare me to Neela. I wondered if they'd insisted that she come to the hospital with them once they knew about the accident. She was almost a permanent part of their family. It would make sense that those feelings would linger for all of them.
"How did he seem, dear?" Amy, Tyler's mom, asks. "Ben told us that he needed stitches."
I look at her. She shares the same brilliant blue eyes as her daughter. I see Tyler in her face too. He's there in the shape of her nose and her smile. "His face is banged up. He has some bruising. I think he may develop a black eye."
She winces. "What about the rest of him? Ben said Ty didn't break anything."
"He was standing," I say assuredly. "He walked over to me. He looked good other than the bruising on his face and the stitches."
"He's a handsome devil, isn't he?" John's voice pulls my attention back to him. "He looks just like me, don't you think?"
I smile softly. "I think so, yes."
I hear Sophia giggle behind me. I'd introduced her when we first approached the three of them, but they'd turned all of their attention to me. Sophia had backed away gracefully, silently taking a seat a row behind us.
"They're going to keep him overnight for observation." I lock eyes with Kayla. "I'm not sure if he's allowed visitors or not."
"We have an all access pass." She waves her left hand in the air. Her brilliant diamond engagement ring and wedding band sparkle under the fluorescent lighting. "My husband will get us in there. Do you want to come with us? I know Tyler would love to see you again."
I shake my head. "I can't. My dad is in the ICU. I need to go see him."
"What?" Amy darts in front of me, pushing her husband aside. "Your dad is in the Intensive Care Unit? Why? What happened?"
After the greeting I received in this crowded waiting room, I thought that Tyler's family would know everything there is to know about me, including the fact that my dad is Sergio Firi. I have to explain that to them now.
Kayla heaves out a breath, her arm circling my shoulder. "Cadence's dad was with Ty. They were on their way to the party together."
"Your father is the man my son saved?" John's brown eyes are soft as he looks at me. "Now I know why he fought so hard to keep that man alive."
***
I use the tissue that Kayla handed me to wipe away my tears. "You're saying that Tyler performed CPR on my dad?"
She nods as she fishes in her purse for another tissue. She flattens it on her lap before she hands it to me. "Their driver told the EMTs that Tyler pulled your dad from the car and started CPR in the middle of the street."
It sounds as foreign to me now as when she first told me just a few minutes ago. I'd stared at Tyler's dad in blank confusion after he said that Tyler had saved my dad's life. When Kayla stepped in to explain about the CPR, I had to take a seat. I had no idea that Sergio stopped breathing after the accident.
"You didn't know any of this, did you?" Amy moves to sit next to me. "We can get Ben to explain it to you,
"That works too." She glides her fingers over my forearm. "Let's go talk to his family and then we'll go see your dad."
"Deal," I say under my breath as I look toward Tyler's mom. "Let's go."
CHAPTER 7
"My son told me all about you." John Monroe faces me. "He said you were beautiful but that word doesn't do you justice. You're gorgeous. You're as gorgeous as Kay."
"Dad." Kayla taps him on the shoulder. "Don't embarrass her."
"Embarrass her?" He winks at me. "How can I do that? She's a stunner and she can cook up a storm. Your brother was right when he said she's one in a million."
My gaze drops to my shoes. I'd almost rolled my ankle as I walked over to where they were seated. I'd been in a rush, fueled by my need to get this over with. I was tentative. The majority of the anxiety I was feeling about talking to them stemmed from my belief that they'd automatically compare me to Neela. I wondered if they'd insisted that she come to the hospital with them once they knew about the accident. She was almost a permanent part of their family. It would make sense that those feelings would linger for all of them.
"How did he seem, dear?" Amy, Tyler's mom, asks. "Ben told us that he needed stitches."
I look at her. She shares the same brilliant blue eyes as her daughter. I see Tyler in her face too. He's there in the shape of her nose and her smile. "His face is banged up. He has some bruising. I think he may develop a black eye."
She winces. "What about the rest of him? Ben said Ty didn't break anything."
"He was standing," I say assuredly. "He walked over to me. He looked good other than the bruising on his face and the stitches."
"He's a handsome devil, isn't he?" John's voice pulls my attention back to him. "He looks just like me, don't you think?"
I smile softly. "I think so, yes."
I hear Sophia giggle behind me. I'd introduced her when we first approached the three of them, but they'd turned all of their attention to me. Sophia had backed away gracefully, silently taking a seat a row behind us.
"They're going to keep him overnight for observation." I lock eyes with Kayla. "I'm not sure if he's allowed visitors or not."
"We have an all access pass." She waves her left hand in the air. Her brilliant diamond engagement ring and wedding band sparkle under the fluorescent lighting. "My husband will get us in there. Do you want to come with us? I know Tyler would love to see you again."
I shake my head. "I can't. My dad is in the ICU. I need to go see him."
"What?" Amy darts in front of me, pushing her husband aside. "Your dad is in the Intensive Care Unit? Why? What happened?"
After the greeting I received in this crowded waiting room, I thought that Tyler's family would know everything there is to know about me, including the fact that my dad is Sergio Firi. I have to explain that to them now.
Kayla heaves out a breath, her arm circling my shoulder. "Cadence's dad was with Ty. They were on their way to the party together."
"Your father is the man my son saved?" John's brown eyes are soft as he looks at me. "Now I know why he fought so hard to keep that man alive."
***
I use the tissue that Kayla handed me to wipe away my tears. "You're saying that Tyler performed CPR on my dad?"
She nods as she fishes in her purse for another tissue. She flattens it on her lap before she hands it to me. "Their driver told the EMTs that Tyler pulled your dad from the car and started CPR in the middle of the street."
It sounds as foreign to me now as when she first told me just a few minutes ago. I'd stared at Tyler's dad in blank confusion after he said that Tyler had saved my dad's life. When Kayla stepped in to explain about the CPR, I had to take a seat. I had no idea that Sergio stopped breathing after the accident.
"You didn't know any of this, did you?" Amy moves to sit next to me. "We can get Ben to explain it to you,
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