Free As Darkness Gathers (Dark Betrayals Book 2) by Emma Elliot Page B

psychiatric unit until she’d committed suicide five years ago.
    “What about the bakery? Shannon and Drake came through?” Her assistants were notoriously unreliable.  
    She snorted. “I didn’t even bother with them. I just closed the shop.”
    “Ju—”
    She waved away my protests. “Finch, you are far more important to me than an order of three hundred titty cupcakes.”
    I laughed but both of us turned, startled, at the strangled sound from the doorway. Timothy stood there balanced on crutches, his knee in a brace, gaping at my friend while Daniel, choking, stood behind him with his arm in a sling.
    Julia folded her arms and drawled, “Frat boys. What is it with men and their obsession with breasts?”
    Daniel’s gaze—half intrigued, half bewildered—dropped to Julia’s ample chest and then jerked back up to her face.  
    I shook my head at her mischievous grin. I could understand their fascination.  
    She wore a tight blue dress that emphasized her all-in-the-right-places curves, a red vest embroidered with a black oriental design, black tights with white polka dots, and yellow ankle boots with wedge heels. For her, it was a tame outfit. The proverbial cherry on top was her pink hair, gathered in a loose knot at the crown of her head, secured with a purple bow. For all her quirky fashion, though, her round and dimpled face was lovely, and her smile was sweet as she moved aside to let Timothy approach the bed, hobbling on his crutches.
    “I hear you’re a real hero, buddy,” she said. Timothy turned bright red when she kissed his cheek. “Finch is my best friend. Thank you.” She turned to the man standing in the doorway. Daniel towered over her, and she smiled up at him. “I’m Julia. What’s your name, handsome?”
    He blinked at her, and the tips of his ears turned red. “Daniel.” His voice sounded a little hoarse.
    “Well, Daniel, I brought cupcakes.” She gestured to the colorful stack of boxes she’d placed on a chair. “I’m the best baker this side of the Himalayas. Want one?”
    “Are they shaped like . . . uh . . .”
    She laughed and collected the boxes. “Like boobs? Knockers? Tatas?” She took mercy on him when his ears grew redder. “Nah, these are just regular, nipple-less cupcakes that are so good it’s like an orgasm for your mouth. Come on, you can help me give them out.”
    Timothy and I stared after the two of them as they exited the room.
    “Wow.” He set the crutches aside and perched beside me on the bed. “She’s your friend?”
    I chuckled. “She’s pretty great, isn’t she?”
    “She’s pretty weird.” He glanced at me. “In a really cool way, you know what I mean?”
    “I do know what you mean.” I smiled and pointed at the brace. “How’s the knee?”
    “It’s fine.” He shrugged with tough teen bravado, but then surprised me by leaning his head against my shoulder and murmuring in a small voice, “I ran as fast as I could.”
    Unsure if he would welcome a hug, I wrapped my arms tentatively around his thin frame. When he didn’t resist, I tightened the embrace. “I know you did. We wouldn’t have made it without you, Timothy.”
    The hospital gown I wore grew damp where Timothy’s cheek rested, but I made no comment on his tears.  
    I held him close for several long moments until Daniel appeared in the doorway again. There was gratitude in the man’s eyes as his gaze met mine, and when he approached us, he palmed the back of his son’s head in a gesture so tender it made my throat ache.
    “I can’t thank you enough, Finch,” he said, voice gruff with emotion. “When we were boarding the plane, they told us we were going to be in good hands. And we were.”
    I couldn’t speak for a moment, and Daniel appeared to understand. Timothy straightened, and neither of us looked at him so he had a moment of privacy to scrub his hands over his face.
    Finally, he asked, “Were her cupcakes as good as she said they were?”
    Daniel