I take her hand, and we start walking to the hospital entrance. I hope what I said is true. I hope we don’t go in to discover that Beau is in serious trouble. I hope that Joe didn’t do permanent damage. He’s done enough of that in his life. No one else should suffer because of him.

“Emily,” someone shouts from off to the left.

I know that voice. I loathe that voice. Anger rises. Frustration. I’m walking into a hospital. Can’t this asshole see that? I try to walk faster, but Paige’s legs are shorter and I refuse to drag her along. We’ll go as fast as she can go. End of story.

“No comment,” I say. “And stay the hell away from us.”

“This isn’t private property, Emily.” He’s jogging in from God knows where to pester me and take photos of us. I hate this guy. I can’t stand him. “As a journalist, I’m going to report the news. What’s your opinion on the Joe Causey mistrial? We need to hear from you. He’s your brother. And you testified against him. You must be worried he’ll come after you.”

“Get away from her,” Mateo says, stepping between us and him.

I can’t believe the balls on this reporter. I kicked him off my property once. I’ll do it again. Later, when we’re not trying to visit someone important to us.

“Back off, Garza,” says the guy. “I came here to get a quote from Emily Rochester.” He’s got his camera out. He wants more than a sound bite. He wants a bunch of photos of me reacting to him. Photos of my daughter. Photos of Mateo.

“I’d recommend backing the hell up,” says Mateo.

“Has Joe spoken to you since he was released? Is a family reunion in the cards?”

All of my focus is on reaching the entrance doors. All of it. I don’t have time for this man. He can print whatever he wants about me. I’ll have the final say in my book. I’ll have the final say in my goddamn life. No asshole with a DSLR is going to take that from me.

“Last chance,” says Mateo, but it almost sounds like wants the guy to keep going.

“What does your daughter think about the case? Paige might—”

Mateo punches him, the burst of violence both fluid and shocking.

It’s the cleanest hit I’ve ever seen. Hard and true. It gets the photographer in the nose, and the man crumples. It seems impossible that he’s never been punched before, but he goes down like a tree. I’ve only ever seen Mateo calm and cool and charming. Never so angry he’s lost his temper. It makes me stop and stare at him with my mouth open.