Chapter Fifteen
When Jeffery arrived at the hospital, he found Evan and Kenny in the emergency room sitting side by side on a hospital bed in a small room draped off from other identical rooms with half curtains. He said the police had notified him. They'd told him that Evan and Kenny had been involved in a street fight and they were being transported to the hospital.
For the first time in years, Evan saw panic on Jeffery's handsome face. He must have been at a formal dinner that night because he was still wearing a tuxedo. When he walked into the small room and saw them both sitting on the bed with bandages and bloodstains on their clothes, he grabbed a metal table and his knees looked as if they were going to buckle.
Evan lifted his arms and said, "We're okay. It's not as bad as it looks. It could have been a lot worse." The poor guy lost all color in his face.
"What happened?" Jeffery asked. Kenny's head went up. "You should have seen Dad fight. He kicked ass. Seriously." He couldn't speak clearly. His lip had been stitched and the swelling had not gone down. Though he'd stood and watched most of the fighting, he looked a little worse than Evan.
Jeffery walked over to the bed and lifted his arms as if to hug Kenny. He hesitated first, as if unsure about whether or not he could touch him. He glanced at Kenny's bruised face and said, "My God. I didn't know what to expect. The police just told me to come here." Then he moved forward and hugged Kenny gently, barely touching him.
Evan reached for Jeffery's arm and squeezed it lightly. Then he told Jeffery what had happened and shrugged. "I had to do something," he said. When he thought about what they could have done to Kenny he still felt a pain in his gut. "So I did what I had to do."
"I'd like to speak with the police," Jeffery said.
"They took statements, asked for descriptions, and then left," Evan said. "The guys who attacked us got away and there wasn't much they can do. They said they'd be in touch." "I'll call my attorney tomorrow," Jeffery said. "I want those bastards to pay for this."
Kenny's swollen face took on an animated look. He was so excited he could hardly contain his emotions. "After Dad hit him, the big dude pulled a knife on us," he said. "And dad freaking pulverized him. Dude, you should have seen it. Dad punched him in the gut, grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back so fast he didn't know what to do." Kenny laughed. "They never thought we'd fight back. But Dad really fucked them up."
"Don't use that language, Kenny," Evan said. "It's common."
Jeffery put his arms around Evan this time and hugged him tighter than Kenny. What happened next sent a chill down Evan's back. Jeffery rested his head on Evan's shoulder and started to sob. "They could have killed you both. Why on Earth were you walking around that late? Why didn't you at least take a cab? You know if you need a car I'll send one at any time."
Evan and Kenny exchanged a glance. Then Kenny said, "The party got canceled because Michele got dumped and we couldn't find a cab. I was the one who made dDad take the subway. He didn't want to and I forced him to do it." Then he sent Evan a smile and winked. It was evident he didn't want Jeffery to know about the argument or that Evan had been drinking that night.
But Evan smiled at his son and said, "That's not exactly how it happened," and then he told Jeffery the truth, from the drinks he'd had earlier that night to the scene he'd made at Michele's house. He couldn't let his son take the blame. If he hadn't been drinking this might not have happened. "I'm not proud of what I did. And Kenny thinks it might be best all the way around if he moved back in with you permanently."
Before Kenny or Jeffery could reply, the doctor came into the room to check them out before they could be discharged. She was a middle-aged woman with a pinched expression and it didn't take long for her to pat them on the back and send them on their way. The emergency room was so crowded that night with other patients, there was no time for small talk.
When she left, Kenny jumped off the bed and Jeffery helped Evan get down. They hadn't broken any bones, but Evan felt so sore he had trouble moving his legs. He tried to make light of his injuries but he continued to hold Jeffery's arm until they were out on the street. He didn't even complain when Jeffery helped him get into the Town Car he had waiting outside in front of the hospital. All Evan wanted to do was go home and get into bed and sleep for the next three days.
But Jeffery told the driver to take them to the townhouse, not back to Evan's apartment. He turned to Evan and said, "I want you home, at least for tonight. No arguments." From his deadpan tone, he meant business.