Caden left and Sarah dropped her head back onto the pillow. She didn’t know why she’d thrown out the possibility that Dustin hadn’t committed suicide. It had just popped into her head, but Caden’s description of his last time with Dustin didn’t sound like the personality of someone who was planning to jump off the roof of a hospital.

Voices from the foyer reached her and she thought she recognized Gavin’s. And just like that, her pulse skittered into overdrive. Why did he have that silly effect on her?

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and waited for the room to stop rocking. When she finally felt steady, she started to rise, then noticed the end table for the first time. Really noticed it. It looked like a pharmacy. She opened the top drawer and swept the medications and bandage material into it.

She’d only taken the pain pills at night in order to sleep, unwilling to chance becoming dependent on them. Now, she was done with them. Especially if they made her so loopy she couldn’t distinguish a dream from reality. And if Gavin decided to walk down and pay her a visit, she sure didn’t want him seeing them.

Why it mattered, she couldn’t say. It just did.

Gavin followed Caden into the den and took a seat on the couch. “How’s she doing?” He finally asked the question that had been burning a hole in his brain since he’d followed her and Caden home from the hospital three days ago.

“She’s healing. And she’s struggling,” Caden said.

“With?”

“A lot of things. We had a long chat and she told me what our father did.” He shook his head. “He really got her discharged on ODPMC? Saying the PTSD makes her a danger to herself and possibly to others?”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah, she wasn’t too happy about that.”

“That’s an understatement. She’s mad as fire and plans to fight him—even said something about suing him and the diagnosing psychiatrist.”

“Suing?”

“Libel. HIPAA violations, malpractice. She’s still thinking.” He paused. “I wouldn’t say this in front of her, but I understand my father’s actions on a certain level. He’s a dictator for sure, but what Sarah doesn’t understand is that he really loves her and I know he just wants to keep her safe.” Gavin narrowed his eyes and Caden held up a hand. “However, I’ll be the first to admit that wasn’t his call to make. If she finds out he’s hired you to be security for her, she’ll send you packing.”

“I know.” Gavin sat forward with his elbows on his thighs, hands clasped between his knees. “But I’m surprised you know. The general said he wasn’t going to tell you about any of it.”