Luke: Emerson Wolves by Kathi S. Barton Page B

him.” Jack looked around and Allen knew that she was afraid for Luke to hear. “Tell him what Dad did to you. He has a right to know.”
    “No one does. And you should forget it too.” Allen felt the drugs taking their toll on him and he wanted to tell them to stop, that the familiar high was going to be his undoing. But he looked at Jack hard.
    “He does. He’s a good man. You’ve no reason to fear him.” Jack shook her head and he could see her tears. It broke at Allen and he wanted to tell her to forget it, but it was important to them both, her and Luke. “Tell him for me. If you never do another thing for me, please tell him.”
    “Please don’t do this.” He nodded and closed his eyes. He had to work very hard at getting them opened again, and he stared at his sister, trying to get her to come into focus again.
    “If you don’t, then I will have to. Dad is coming and you know what he’ll do.” He felt his eyes drifting shut and got one of them opened as he tried again. “He deserves to know. You did the best you could and now you need him to help you.”
    Allen drifted off. His body betrayed him and he felt it sliding away from him before he could beg Jack again. Luke would protect her, because he certainly couldn’t. Not that he’d ever tried, but his father had a way about him that would make most men, human men, run for cover. He was a mean and horribly terrifying person. As his fingers lost their ability to hold onto her hand any longer, Allen tried again, but he wasn’t sure his words even came out right. All he could think about was their dad was coming and he was going to ruin everything again.
    Allen slipped into his happy place. A place where no one would bother him, no one could hit him. It was the reason he’d done so many drugs as a kid, then as an adult. No one could get to him here. It was a place all his own that he’d created to escape. But Allen had a feeling that there was going to be no escape this time, no matter how many drugs he might take. And this time, even where he was, he decided that he wasn’t going to go away and let Jack take all the blame, all the hurt. This time he was going to be there for her even if it got him killed.

Chapter 7
     
    Luke had heard them. Jack didn’t want to tell him something, and Allen said he would if she didn’t. Luke had no idea what it was, but he wanted her to tell him. He didn’t like that Allen had to threaten her, but if she told him, he’d forgive the man just about anything. But the way she was sitting in the chair made him believe that he’d turn to stone before she said anything.
    “He’ll be all right.” She nodded but said nothing more. “I talked to my brothers. I guess you’re a big hit with them. Ellis said that you were going to make him famous.”
    “It wasn’t that much.” Luke nodded and smiled. She looked like she was going to tell him something else, but she only got up to walk around the room. Allen had been sleeping for nearly two hours now and the doctors said it would be another couple before he was awake. They had given him something more after they’d read the film. He shivered when he thought of what the doctor had told them.
    “I don’t know how that young man was up and about. He has eleven broken ribs and one of them was all the way through his lung.” The doctor cursed a little under his breath. “And his leg. It looks like someone kicked him with a steel-toed boot. There is enough muscle damage done to him that I’m going to cast it to keep him off it. Whoever did this to him needs to be horsewhipped.”
    “I agree.” Luke had already sent Lee to Allen’s room, then his apartment, to look for anything that might have a scent on it. He knew one name and it was going to give him a great deal of pleasure showing the man just what he did to those who dared hurt his family. Ellis was keeping an eye on Danny of Osborne Construction as of right now. And Hunter was keeping a look out for Hank