“Frisco!” Georgia yelled.

I jumped, surprised by the strength in her voice. Without hesitation, I walked into the room. “I’m here.”

For having been through such a traumatic accident, Georgia looked beautiful. “Where did you run off to? You just left me here.” The girl loved busting my balls.

“They kicked me out, G.”

“I thought you were tougher than that.”

Mr. Phillips coughed and glared at me.

“Dad and Mom, this is Frisco. The man I told you about.”

“Kinda figured that out, kid.”

Oh God! He called her kid. Fuck me.

“Don’t be such a sourpuss, Dad,” Georgia said, pursing her lips and shaking her head. “Frisco saved my life tonight.”

His face softened. “That’s true, baby girl.”

“Cut everyone some slack today,” Mrs. Phillips warned him, shocking the hell out of me.

“This isn’t really how I hoped to be introduced, but it’s nice to meet you both.” I held out my hand to her father.

He glanced down and just gawked. Way to be an asshole. Clearly he didn’t have as high an opinion of me as his daughter, and we still had to have the “chat” in the hallway.

Mrs. Phillips batted his hand away, sliding her palm into mine. “It’s great to finally meet you, Frisco. Georgia speaks every highly of you.”

“Oh?” I glanced at her sideways. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Phillips.”

“Mom,” Georgia whined, covering her face with her hands. “How embarrassing.”

“I mean, I could’ve told him what you said.”

“No,” Georgia said quickly.

Mrs. Phillips laughed. “George, you better shake this man’s hand and stop being a hard-ass.”

There was where Georgia got it. Her tough nature came from her mother. Probably some from her father too, but she didn’t have a weak woman as a role model.

A low growl escaped his lips before he thrust his hand out, snarling at me as he waited for me to shake it. I held my breath, placing my hand in his. His fingers closed around my hand and squeezed as hard as possible. It was like sticking my hand in a vise.

The man wanted to prove a point. Men did this shit all the time. Had to prove their superiority through a handshake. I’d dealt with it my entire life, and my hands were stronger than they looked. In fact, all of me was.

He released my hand before I pulled it back. There was a small smile on his face, a sense of satisfaction maybe, but I didn’t dare shake out the cramp he’d given me.

“When can I bust out of here?” Georgia asked before she tried to sit up. “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Phillips jumped from her chair. “Should I get the doctor?”

Georgia tossed her head back into the pillow and blew out a deep breath. “No. I’m just so damn sore. It hurts to try to sit up.”

I rushed to her side without a thought. “Let me help you, babe.”

She looked up at me with a smile. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Placing my hands under her armpits, I lifted her body forward. “Whatcha need?” I asked, standing there, holding her as her parents looked on.

Georgia winced. “This damn pillow is uncomfortable. I just need to move it.”

“Let me get it.” Mrs. Phillips grabbed the pillow and fluffed it.

“Can you move the bed up a little for me, Mom? My back is sore.”

“Sure, doll.”

For some reason, I glanced at Mr. Phillips and could see his face visibly redden. Maybe it was how close my hands were to his daughter’s tits, but there was nothing sexual about it. It hadn’t even entered my mind, but clearly it was on his.

I lowered her back down on her pillow, waiting for her to give me the okay. She sighed and smiled. “Better.”

Mr. Phillips rubbed his temple. “Do you mind if Frisco and I step outside for a minute?”

Her eyes widened and her lips set in a firm line. “Dad, don’t start your shit.”

“Baby girl, watch your mouth. I’m still your father.”

“Sorry, Dad. Behave. Promise?”

Using his fingers, he made an X over his heart. “I promise, kid.”

“Okay.” She nodded but looked at him suspiciously.

He leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek before motioning toward the door with his head and staring at me.

“Coming. I’ll be right back.” I leaned over and kissed her in much the same way her father had kissed his wife.

“Good luck,” Georgia said with a giggle.

“Fuck,” I muttered against her cheek.

“You’ll be okay.” She winked, shooing me away. “Let me talk with my mom a little. You two behave.”

“We will.”

I kept my head held high as I followed him into the hallway. I never showed fear, especially when fathers were involved. Let them get the upper hand once, and I’d become the family whipping boy.

“What did you need to talk to me about?” I asked, keeping my eyes glued to his.

He rolled his head and cracked his knuckles. “You know I’m a retired cop, right?” Mr. Phillips was everything an old-school cop would be—giant, broad shoulders, a thick neck, jet-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and taller than the freakin’ Hulk. If the Hulk were real, I’d say they could be brothers.

“Yes,” I replied, straightening my shoulders and wiping all emotion from my face.

“Have you talked to the police about the accident?”

I shook my head. “Not yet.”

“Don’t.”

“What?” I asked.

“You heard me. Don’t.”

“I have to.”

He glanced around the hallway, checking our surroundings. “Lie.”

Um… What?

“Lie?” My mouth dropped open.

He took a step forward, speaking quietly. “The guy left the scene, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you get the plate?”

“A partial.”

“Know the make of the car?”

“Yeah.”

“Then lie.”

I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.

“But w-why?” I asked, stammering slightly.

“Police are bogged down. Too much shit on their plate at the moment and not enough manpower to solve every case. I can track the guy down faster than they can. I’ll handle it.”

I shook my head because I must’ve heard him wrong again. “You’re gonna handle it?”

“Yeah.”

I tilted my head, moving my ear closer. “How?”

“Uh, I’m a retired cop.”

“I know.”

“Keep up, kid.”

I held my hands up, trying to slow the pace of the conversation as I tried to let it all sink in. “Let me get this straight,” I said before taking a deep breath.

“Yeah?”

If I’d been watching this conversation, I’d be laughing, but being the one having it wasn’t funny at all. “You want me to lie to the police?”

“Just to those cops. The ones at the accident.”

“But you want me to spill everything to you.”

“Yeah.” He looked at me like I had a screw loose.

“Okay.” I shrugged, because, really, I wasn’t going to argue with the guy. “Want help?” I offered, because I wanted to beat the fuck out of whoever drove Georgia off the road.

He rested his hand on my shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. “If you want.”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“Yeah.”

“Nice chat,” he said, slapping me on the shoulder and leaving me in the hallway.

I stood there, completely stunned and speechless. Somehow I’d croaked out “yeah” over and over again, but inside, I was beyond confused. I never in a million years would’ve thought that was what he wanted to say to me.

Before I could process everything and walk back into Georgia’s room, the police officers from the scene were headed right toward me.

It was time to lie my ass off or deal with Mr. Phillips. I knew that I wanted to make him happier than I did the local authorities.

It didn’t hurt that I wanted to get my hands on the prick who’d hit her and left the scene. She could’ve been killed, and if he was lucky, he’d be able to walk away after Mr. Phillips and I got our hands on him.

“Mr. Jones?” the uniformed officer from the accident scene asked as he approached with a serious look on his face.

“Yeah,” I said, tucking my hands into my pockets and trying to calm my insides.